We recently connected with Sarah DeVizio and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. Innovation comes in all shapes, sizes and across all industries, so we’d love to hear about something you’ve done that you feel was particularly innovative.

We were coming up on our first anniversary of opening and as a therapist, I am keen on reflecting. I noticed that a big portion of our customers were therapists or people working in the mental health field. With that in mind, I decided to host the first-ever TherapistFest. Working as a therapist can be an isolating career. We get the amazing opportunity to connect with our clients regularly, but often we’re pretty siloed from other mental health professionals. I wanted to create a space for therapists to come together and feel celebrated. So for our one-year anniversary, I invited 60 local therapists to an alpaca farm! We were able to come together, share our stories, connect with like-minded colleagues, and feel a sense of belonging. We created a “Yearbook” with contact information for all who attended so everyone could stay in touch. It was a really special event! We were asked by many when the next TherapistFest is, so we’re planning to make it a semi-annual event.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In 2016, I graduated from the top social work program in the country (Go Blue!) and began a career in counseling. I started with in-home counseling for those who could not consistently get access to an outpatient office, then began working as a mental health counselor at a behavioral school in Central Jersey. During that time, the world shut down for the coronavirus. I saw the mental health of all my students and their families declining with social isolation and increased anxiety and stress. About 18 months after the first shutdown, I decided to go into private practice and help others by providing outpatient counseling services.

Through all of these experiences, I felt that something was missing. So many clients were experiencing very similar struggles. So many clients called dozens of therapists only to be met with a waitlist. So many clients spent hundreds of dollars each week to get their kids and themselves quality care. I felt there had to be a better solution.

I began to brainstorm a way to bring people together and strengthen a community conversation about healthy habits for the mind, and that’s when I decided to develop a new space in the mental health industry.

In October of 2022, I opened New Jersey’s 1st Mental Health Shop in my hometown- Chester, NJ. Homecoming: The Mental Health Shop is a touchstone for all those curious about mental health. We are a warm welcoming retail store working to promote healthy and fun access to mental health practices. We believe that everyone deserves to feel like the best version of themselves and that starts with health.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

As a therapist, I had never owned a shop before. And on top of that, I’d never heard of anyone else opening a mental health shop- so there was no blueprint! There has been a steep learning curve for me. I asked for lots of book recommendations and read every business book I could get my hands on. Although there is not one “holy-grail” book, I found these two to be most helpful: 1. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker – This book highlights the importance of connection and community.
2. Obsessed: Building A Brand People Love From Day One by Emily Heyward – This book talks about branding most authentically.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Throughout my life, I have worked hard to achieve the next goal or item on my list. I was very focused on our opening for months before October, then focused on the first event, and then focused on our first holiday season, and I continued to focus on the next thing. It wasn’t long before I noticed that wasn’t savoring any of the journey. About halfway through our first year, I hired an employee. Her main task was to give me time off! I needed to shift my focus to being present. What was the point of creating community and connection if I was just facilitating it, but not participating? Since then, I have worked to be more intentional about my time at the store and my time outside of the store. My off-hours give me the energy and rest I need to focus when I’m at the store.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thehomecomingshop.com
• Instagram: @thehomecomingshop
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehomecomingshop

Image Credits
Samantha Catherine Photography Maureen G Nowak Photography