Jaclyn Fortier and Carolina Counseling Wellness Associates Launch Initiative to End Mental Health Stigma
HIGH POINT, NC — In a move to shift the national conversation around mental wellness, Jaclyn Fortier and her practice, Carolina Counseling Wellness Associates (CCWA), have launched a powerful initiative aimed at ending the stigma around mental health care. Built on the belief that healing begins with quality, accessible support, and compassionate leadership, the initiative brings together therapy, education, and advocacy to reimagine what mental wellness can look like in today’s world.
At the center of this initiative is a growing team of high-quality specialty providers, each aligned with CCWA’s mission of restoring dignity and trust to mental health services. More than just a counseling center, CCWA has become a beacon for innovation in wellness care, offering trauma-informed therapy, wellness-based interventions, and a holistic model for emotional and psychological growth with deep roots towards changing the landscape of mental health care.
“Ending mental health stigma, dream big, and find your voice,” says Fortier, founder and licensed counselor, summing up the mission in one powerful sentence. “We’re not just here to provide therapy, we’re here to inspire individuals, leaders, and communities to grow through adversity and take ownership of their healing stories.” There is nothing wrong with you for seeking help, and it is a strength to reach out and ask someone to walk through challenges with you.
More Than Counseling: A Vision for Change
As a former Navy service member and mental health advocate with over two decades of experience in the field, Jaclyn Fortier brings a deeply personal lens to her work. Her professional path, from graduate school, to working at several community and national agencies for trauma recovery and domestic violence prevention and safety, to counseling center creator and founder, has been shaped by firsthand experiences of adversity and now fuels her national advocacy to de-stigmatize mental health care across sectors with an encouraging message for others of hope and change..
Through public speaking, writing, and leadership consulting, Fortier is expanding the role of the modern counselor. Her newest projects include:
- Speaking engagements focused on healing through story telling.
- Educational writing on wellness, mental health stigma reduction, and self-mastery
- Wellness culture consulting for emerging leaders, corporate teams, and mission-driven organizations
This consulting arm is designed to help companies and leaders embed psychological safety and intuitive decision-making models into their workplace culture, addressing burnout, emotional fatigue, and disconnection at the root.
A Culture of Healing at Work
Under Fortier’s leadership, CCWA is also reshaping the mental health profession itself. Through its internal programs, the practice has become known for offering a safe and supportive environment for therapists, where clinical professionals can thrive, care for themselves, and feel part of a greater healing mission.
The “culture consultation” model has been adopted by forward-thinking leaders, combining wellness strategy with emotional intelligence and values-based leadership design.
From Stigma to Storytelling
Fortier’s initiative is grounded in the idea that sharing through story telling is the medicine. By normalizing conversations around mental health and modeling what healthy expression and support can look like, she is charged not only to grow her centers but also to grow the emerging mental health profession.
“Our goal is to open more doors for clients, for clinicians, and for communities,” says Fortier. “We believe every person deserves to find their voice, and every workplace has the potential to be a space for connected humanistic wellness.”
Connect with Jaclyn Fortier
To learn more about Jaclyn’s work or Carolina Counseling Wellness Associates, visit her official website (jaclynfortier.org) and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
About Jaclyn Fortier
Jaclyn Fortier is a licensed counselor, founder, and advocate for mental health, empowerment, and workplace well-being. After overcoming personal adversity as a young mother, she built her life from the ground up, eventually founding successful counseling centers in North Carolina. Today, she speaks, writes, and consults on topics such as mental health care, healing leadership, and building psychologically safe cultures. A former Navy service member and first-generation college graduate, Jaclyn uses her voice to help others find theirs.
About Carolina Counseling Wellness Associates (CCWA)
Carolina Counseling Wellness Associates (CCWA) is a North Carolina-based mental health and wellness center founded by licensed counselor and advocate Jaclyn Fortier. Committed to ending mental health stigma, CCWA offers trauma-informed therapy, workplace wellness consulting, and holistic emotional care across both in-person and virtual platforms. With a team of high-quality specialty providers, CCWA creates spaces where clients and clinicians alike can heal, grow, and thrive through story, connection, and purpose-driven care.
