Breaking Barriers
March 31, 2026 @ 11:55PM — May 31, 2026 @ 11:55PM Central Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar
Breaking Barriers for Mental Health -- 31 Days of Self-Care Fundraiser
We're raising awareness for the importance of self-care for your mental health and raising funds for those who have barriers to accessing mental health from funding to locations, language, and culture. At HGI Counseling, we have male and female therapists who speak 10 language and related cultural norms. Help us continue our 48-year effort to support and provide mental health care to anyone from 5 years old to 99+ who want a little extra support to weather life's challenges.
This May, we're offering the "Breaking Barriers Challenge" – a month-long self-care campaign that encourages you to focus on your own wellness while raising awareness and funds for those who could benefit from counseling, but can't afford it.
Do what you love and rediscover the benefits of placing your well-being first. Self-care:
- is vital to a balanced life.
- reenergizes your internal batteries.
- helps your overwhelmed system reset.
- allows you an escape from the pressures of life.
- can be free and not take up a lot of time.
The Mental Health Gap We're Addressing
Houston's Reality:
- 1 in 5 Houston residents live under the national poverty line (20%)
- 31.7% of children under 18 in Houston lives below the poverty line, and this number is rising
- Health insurance hasn't caught up with our community's mental health needs
The Gaps We Fill:
- Health insurance that doesn't cover mental health services
- Insurance that only covers a small number of sessions
- Hard-working citizens choosing between groceries and electric bills, unable to afford therapy
- Those struggling with crushing financial stress who need support to outgrow negative beliefs about themselves
- Immigrants facing cultural and language barriers, using precious sessions just to find common ground
- Quiet kids overlooked in schools who take care of everyone but themselves
High-quality therapy is expensive, but at HGI Counseling, we offer sliding-scale fees depending on income, accept most insurances. That's where you come in. We can only offer lower fees with your support.
We also are often able to reduce the number of sessions needed for our clients because we use an innovative, collaborative approach to therapy, where we acknowledge the client knows themselves best and what they want to accomplish.
Examples of Self-Care:
- Runners might call their runs self-care
- Knitters may swear by the soothing rhythm of needles turning yarn into beautiful fabric
- Readers may find joy in losing themselves in the worlds of their books
- Swimmers may compare the freedom of buoyancy and slicing through water to the joy of life itself
- Bird watchers find that beautiful colors and playful behaviors melt away urban stress
Whatever brings you enjoyment, grounds you in your body, and takes you away from life's stresses is self-care.
When you sign up, you'll get a sample sheet of many self-care activities that you can mix and match throughout the month.