02/20/2026
People often ask where the name Sondercove comes from. The truth is that my intuition had finally told me that it was time for me to move. It was time for me place one foot in front of the other. That I could no longer be okay with what was, in the moment. Learning to listen to my body first has been quite the skill to fully understand. So, I was drafting documents for the creation of the organization you know today, Sondercove Wellness. Words were coming to mind, just not the words that fit my understanding of the world we are collectively trying to survive in, each in our own unique way. I wanted something that captured what I hoped people would understand about the individuals the organization would someday serve and give honor to my people (the providers), the folx who would trust me enough to go on this journey with me. Words were coming up, but nothing was fully resonating.
A word came from nowhere, Sonder. I'd never heard this word spoken before. Nor had I ever read it on any text. So, of course, I Googled it. Immediately became discouraged because I did see many other businesses with this name. Problem is, it made me feel good internally. I sat with this name for days, experiencing so much ambivalence, eventually giving up completely on the idea of starting my own business. Yes, all because of a name. I am very territorial in nature so when I am developing or creating, I naturally assume, it's so unique, no one else has the name, Kind of like I did with all of my kid's names. Has that ever happened to you? Well, anyway. All of my close friends will tell you; my laptop is never far away, so I, put the phone down and slid the computer onto my lap. A simple word had my mind and heart in a chokehold. Sonder was something new, certainly unfamiliar. Something refreshing like when you drink pop (soda) too quickly and the sensation travels to your nose lol! When I read the definition, I knew this would be the name.
The word sonder was coined by John Koenig and refers to the profound realization that every person we pass is living a life as vivid, complex, and layered as our own. It is that sudden awareness that we are the main character in our own story, yet merely a background character in countless others.
When you truly sit with that idea, it changes how you move through the world. It changes how you approach someone. It forces you to make meaning of a simple “I’m doing okay” or a repetitive “good” said in passing. It makes you want to ask, “What happened?” or “Are you really okay?” It invites you to accompany every experience with empathy. It slows judgment, even when what you are witnessing makes you uncomfortable because it is unfamiliar or you simply do not understand. It reminds us that the person standing in front of us carries unseen histories, private battles, quiet victories, disappointments, dreams, and decisions that shaped them long before we ever met them. It honors that everyone is in the midst of becoming.
At Sondercove, this understanding is foundational. We do not see people as diagnoses, “cases,” or problems to be solved. I certainly do not see any of our providers as disposable or absent of their own unique experiences and challenges. I recognize that each person walking through our doors or doing this work alongside me is living an intricate and ongoing story. Often, we are meeting someone in a single chapter, sometimes a painful one, but never the whole book. Sonder keeps us grounded in humility and respect. It reminds us to approach every interaction with curiosity instead of assumption.
The word cove adds another layer of meaning. On the surface, it may seem simple. I have always found solace near water. I love nature as it is, organic, yet complex in its making. But when you look up the definition, a cove is a small, sheltered space along the shoreline. When you consider that image, you realize it is a place where the waters are calmer. It is not meant to be a permanent escape from the ocean, but it offers a pause. A moment to breathe. A place of refuge. A space to gather both mentally and physically before returning to open waters.
When we put these two words together, Sondercove becomes more than a name. It becomes a commitment. A sheltered space where your full story is acknowledged. A place where complexity is honored, not pathologized. A place where lived experience is centered, not dismissed or overshadowed by the hustle and bustle of performative reaction. We are a space steady enough for people to unpack what they are carrying without fear of being reduced to their hardest moments.
Sondercove exists because we believe everyone is navigating something. And everyone deserves a space where they can be seen in their fullness while they find their footing again. - Dominique Christian
Sondercove.
A sheltered space where your full story is honored.
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