The Brookline Center is dedicated to providing access to affordable, outstanding mental health care. We invite you to explore our stories and discover how, together, we are creating a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

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Client Stories

Hope, Healing, and Celebration: Stories from our Gala Co-Chairs

Every child deserves to be heard, supported, and equipped with the tools they need to navigate life.

We Are Transforming Family Wellbeing

Not long after moving her family back to Brookline, Emily Foster Day noticed that her first-grader, Beckett, was having a harder time adjusting than she had expected. His struggles at school signaled he needed more help than she could provide at home, and his pediatrician suggested that Emily turn to The Brookline Center for support.

Resilience and Hope: Nancy and Madelyn’s Story

Mother and daughter Nancy and Madelyn generously shared their inspiring story at the Women at the Center Kickoff in March 2024.
Photo of Dr. Swamy standing by window smiling.

Boldly Breaking Stigma: A Doctor’s Path To Healing

A lot of us feel alone in the ways we suffer,” says Dr. Lakshman Swamy. “But it doesn’t have to be that way.”

Another Chance at Life: Trudie’s Story

“Why am I still here?” A year ago, this was Trudie’s constant refrain. Severe depression coupled with numerous medical concerns prompted a string of hospitalizations, and none of the treatments she tried helped.

A Place to Belong:
Jonah’s Story

From early on, it was clear that Jonah needed more support than his school and parents could provide.

A Future Made Possible:
Zeny & Karen’s Story

The change in their relationship was, says Zeny, “like a 180—from we couldn’t talk to each other unless we were screaming to, literally, my mom’s like my best friend.”

Donor Stories

From Seeking Answers to Providing Solutions

M-PATH's mission resonated deeply with Tanya’s own experiences as a mother, former teacher, and someone who has faced her own mental health challenges.

We Are Transforming Our Community

Masu Haque-Khan and Badar Khan's commitment to the Center has grown, driven by the urgent need for accessible mental health care.

Four Decades of Making an Impact

Spend a few minutes in Carol Steinman's company, and one will quickly recognize the voice of an impassioned supporter. Carol’s commitment to The Brookline Center began when a friend, recognizing Carol’s expertise as a licensed social worker, invited her to join the Center’s Board, sparking a journey that has spanned nearly four decades. 

Opening Doors for Student Mental Health: The Ruderman Family Foundation

Through a robust partnership and multi-year investments totaling nearly $1 million, the Ruderman Family Foundation has been a driving force behind the expansion of The Brookline Center’s bryt program across Massachusetts.  

Boldly Investing In Innovation

“Better outcomes for patients is the ultimate goal,” says Brookline Center Board Member Pam Lodish, who together with her husband Dr. Harvey Lodish, made the most significant individual gift in the Center’s history to date: $1 million to seed fund The Brookline Center Innovation Institute. 

Two Generations, a Singular Commitment to Brookline: The Kaplan & Peck Families

Cathy Kaplan first got to know the Center as a young mother in need of help. Forty years later, her daughter, Jane Kaplan Peck, joined the Center’s Board of Directors.

Long-Time Brookline Residents Shape Their Legacy: Nancy & Reddi

Nancy and Reddi chose to give to The Brookline Center’s Legacy Society, where donors transform the lives of adults, children and families in need for years to come.

Addressing a Need in Their Backyard: Soumen & Sutanuka’s Story

“We intend to be here for a long time, with a child who will be entering the public schools soon. We get so much from living here, and we want to contribute what we can in return.”

Program Stories

We Are Transforming Care in Community Health

The Brookline Center’s M-PATH program has launched a groundbreaking initiative to help primary care providers (PCPs) better identify and support young patients showing signs of early psychosis.

We Are Transforming Integrated Care

The Brookline Center with the support of Accelerate the Future is piloting a new approach using the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). Integrating mental health services directly into primary care settings, the model improves care access and enhances clinical outcomes.

We Are Transforming Early Psychosis Care

For 15 transformative years, CEDAR has been changing the trajectory of young lives affected by early psychosis.
Governor Maura Healey

We Are Transforming Mental Health Support for Students

Thanks to an unprecedented $13 million state investment by Governor Maura Healey and the Massachusetts Legislature, students at more than 45 schools across Massachusetts will have access for the first time to The Brookline Center’s bryt program.

We Are Transforming Parent Mental Health

The Brookline Center's network of group therapy programs is creating new pathways to mental health support for overwhelmed parents.

We Are Transforming Wellbeing for Women and Girls

We asked three long-standing WAC leaders to reflect on the group’s origins and its remarkable growth.
Yellow flowers in the outdoor therapeutic space at the Brookline Center

We Are Transforming Where Care Is Delivered

The gentle scent of flowers, a slight breeze, the warmth of sunlight— these calming elements of nature are now part of the therapeutic experience at The Brookline Center.

Boldly Envisioning The Future of Mental Health Care

While most mental health innovation focuses on enhancing the existing system, the Innovation Institute seeks to change the fundamentals of the system itself, aiming to transform systems of care by changing where care is delivered, how we provide care, and who provides care.

A Bold Approach To Early Psychosis Intervention

Early intervention is critical to improving life outcomes for youth experiencing psychosis, and The Brookline Center’s CEDAR (Center for Early Detection, Assessment and Response to Risk) Clinic is one of only three programs in Massachusetts that provides care when young people are just beginning to exhibit signs and symptoms. 
Child sitting at laptop, smiling.

Boldly Advancing Mental Health In Urban And Rural Schools

Schools are the best place to connect, engage, and provide young people access to mental health services,” says Dr. Carolyn Castro-Donlan, Project Director of the Massachusetts School-Based Telebehavioral Health Project (THP).

Boldly Bridging Gaps in Psychosis Support

Our Massachusetts Psychosis Access and Triage Hub (M-PATH) program aims to fill this critical gap, helping connect young people with psychosis services that best meet their needs. The program also offers families interim support, including education, care coordination, and guidance from peers and family partners.

Boldly Growing bryt’s Statewide Impact

Nationwide, roughly 50% of students with serious mental health challenges drop out of school. The Brookline Center’s bryt program is changing this trajectory, transforming how schools support students with the most serious mental health challenges and school culture around mental health. 

Boldly Harnessing The Power Of Nature

In November, The Brookline Center broke ground on a new Outdoor Therapeutic Space, marking a milestone in the Center’s mission to develop innovative approaches to care. Harnessing the proven healing power of nature, the space will provide multiple benefits for clients and clinicians.

Boldly Improving Veterans’ Care

A partnership between The Brookline Center and Soldier On, a Massachusetts nonprofit that provides transitional housing and services for homeless veterans, is helping former servicemembers across the state manage their health more effectively.  
Father and son sitting together smiling.

Boldly Paving A Path For Urgent, Personalized Care

Increasing demand for outpatient mental health services has led to longer delays in accessing treatment. Without timely access to care, people with urgent needs have few options outside of seeking treatment at hospital emergency departments.