Building Emotional Wellness
The Toll of Continuous (and Ineffective) Therapy on a Family
For over five years, behavior therapists, counselors, and social workers came into our home 3 to 5 hours at a time, five days a week. My neuro-typical daughter flipped out one day and said, “Mom, can we just have one dinner alone without somebody watching us?” I remember sobbing uncontrollably at church, away from the watchful eyes of my kids, feeling crushed between the multimillion deals I had just made, with people who staked their careers on me, and the crumbling, suffering mess at home. Despite every available help from the government, healthcare, and school systems, I eventually almost lost my daughter. I’ll give my daughters, who are both thriving now, the choice to share what happened when it’s no longer so raw and when they’re ready.
The Birth of a Nonprofit Driven by Conviction
When I started developing curaJOY, many savvy investors, close friends, and even family asked me why I made curaJOY a nonprofit when there’s clearly a desperate need (thus a strong business opportunity) for what we do. It is because of this conviction: Family emotional wellness is too important to be dragged down by business interests, personal egos, and bureaucracy! Supporting families’ social and mental health is the only reason why curaJOY exists, the basis of all our decisions, and I wanted it to stay that way forever.
The Need for a Movement Beyond Personal Gain
Our emotional wellness affects every aspect of our lives and each other’s lives, from physical health, academic performance, career stability, and productivity to substance abuse, crime, disability, and violence. curaJOY needs to be a movement and needs to be bigger than me. It may seem like the world runs on money, but it is people that make the world go round. People matter! Let’s build them.
Caitlyn Wang
Chief Joymaker, Founder
Caitlyn Wang is a global business leader who has, for more than 20 years, led marketing and product development teams in China, Taiwan, and the US to bring products from concept to market for companies like Harman, Acer, and Amazon. She believes empowering children with EQ skill sets is an investment in how society can create a generational shift in mindset and behavior. “We are changing the world, one child at a time,” says Caitlyn.
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4 Reasons for the Mental Healthcare “Workforce Shortage”
I am really tired of articles about “workforce shortages” in mental health. The questions these articles pose, such as:“How do we increase the workforce?”And “Where are the mental health professionals?”imply that:1. This problem just happened randomly.2. It would be solved if mental health professionals showed up. Those are the wrong questions and the wrong conclusions.My … Read more -
Who Will Help?
As the founder of a nonprofit organization in the process of getting off the ground, I think it’s important to show vulnerability, but finding the line can be challenging. If you’re too vulnerable, people will be put off; lacking vulnerability is inauthentic. Maybe this is too raw. Maybe it isn’t. We are all fighting invisible … Read more -
Behavioral Healthcare: Helpers in Crisis
Why is it so hard to get care? Behavioral healthcare is an umbrella term that includes treatment for mental health, substance abuse, learning differences, and disordered behavior resulting from mental illness or disability. Behavioral therapy and behavioral programs include talk therapy, detox and substance abuse treatment, occupational therapy, inpatient and psychiatric treatment, behavioral therapy for … Read more
