07/25/2025
✨Employee Spotlight ✨
This month, we’re proud to shine a light on someone who not only supports others every day, but has walked the path of healing himself.
Read Clay's Story Below ⬇️🖤
Hello, my name is Clay.
When I first came to Heartstrings Mental Health, I was in real need of help. I had overcome a significant battle with substance abuse, getting clean in 2018. But even after the substances were out of the picture, something still wasn’t right. I realized then that the addiction was only a symptom, not the root cause of my struggles.
As I began to dig deeper, I uncovered the true challenges I had been facing: unresolved childhood trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with derealization, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and excoriation disorder. At the time, I didn’t understand the extent of my mental health issues. I believed I had simply done irreversible damage with drugs and that this numb, disconnected version of life was all I could expect.
I became extremely isolated, rarely leaving the house, avoiding social interaction, and feeling like a hollow shell. I wasn’t experiencing joy or sorrow..just nothingness..
Initially, I came to Heartstrings for medication management, following a referral from a doctor who was leaving their practice. That referral led me to Mary Rollins, and that connection changed my life. Not long into my treatment, I was introduced to Spravato (esketamine) as a possible treatment for my long-standing, treatment-resistant depression.
The impact was profound. Within the first few months, it felt like I had finally found the help I had spent years searching for. It was as if a therapist had entered my mind, helped untangle the chaos, and brought buried pain to the surface in a way that demanded healing. I cried, I opened up in ways I never had before, and most importantly, I started to let go.
Another critical part of my healing journey was the psychological testing offered at Heart Strings. Looking back, I personally feel like it was something I had to include in my story, because:
#1: It completely changed the way I viewed myself. It gave me a target to aim for, something to work on and get better at, rather than just guessing in the dark.
#2: Testing like this is incredibly rare and hard to come by. Outside of places like UK with waitlists of three years or more, it’s nearly impossible to access. That makes it a huge part of what sets Heartstrings apart and, in my opinion, a key selling point that more people should know about.
Heartstrings didn’t just provide me with treatment; they gave me compassion, support, and even a job. They believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. The care I’ve received here has been life-changing.
What I’ve learned is that mental health isn’t a one-time fix, it’s a lifelong journey. And managing it is not just important; it’s essential. I’m grateful every day for the support I’ve found at Heartstrings and for the opportunity to heal and grow.
