Workplace Wellness for Businesses that Give a Damn
mental health + education and relational support for Nashville’s business owners, leaders, and their teams
You care about your people. So do we.
Running a business isn’t just strategy and spreadsheets—it’s leadership, culture-building, and carrying the quiet emotional weight of being the person others rely on. Whether you manage a team or run a growing business, your workplace is a living system—and mental health is at its core.
At The Gaia Center, we’re here to help you support that system—with therapy, education, and culture-shifting resources designed for real-world teams. You don’t need to be a therapist for your employees (in fact, please don’t 😜). But you can be the kind of leader who helps people feel safe, supported, and empowered to grow.
Want to make some immediate gains for your team with just 15 minutes of your time?
Download our free guide, 5 Keys to Cultivating Psychological Safety— And Why it’s the Secret Weapon for Culture AND Results in your Business.
Why workplace mental health matters (even if you don’t have an HR department)
When your team feels safe, respected, and resourced, everything improves:
Communication gets clearer (and as Brené Brown says, “Clear is kind”
Conflict is easier to navigate
Retention increases
Innovation and collaboration thrive
But that doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intentional leadership—and sometimes, a little outside support.
Topics We Speak & Teach On:
Mental Health 101 for Managers
Burnout, Boundaries, and Beyond
Cultivating Psychological Safety in the Workplace
Equity & Inclusion That Actually Matters (AKA… DEI education that isn’t full of cliches and platitudes and helps you walk your talk)
Self-Care Without Shame or Gimmicks
Navigating Conflict with Compassion
Supporting LGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergent Employees
Custom topics on request
All offerings are rooted in trauma-informed, systemic, and culturally aware care. No corporate jargon. No fluff. Just real, human-first, actionable tools.
Our Services for Leaders and Teams:
The Gaia Center offers practical, people-first support for both the leaders of a business and the employees who keep things moving.
For Leaders:
1:1 Therapy or coaching for business owners, founders, and managers
Leadership support sessions for burnout, boundary-setting, and imposter syndrome
Consulting on workplace culture and psychological safety
Lunch & Learn workshops on topics like stress, boundaries, communication, and more
For Teams:
Individual therapy referrals for employees (telehealth and in-person)
Custom resource toolkits for mental health in the workplace
Group support or coaching for burnout recovery, communication, or workplace stress
Education on trauma-informed leadership and wellbeing at work
Let’s Build a Better Work Culture—Together.
You don’t have to do it alone. Whether you want to offer your team access to high-quality therapy at a special rate, host a workshop on whole-person well-being, or simply talk through what’s not working in your current culture—we’re here.
Let’s make mental & relational health part of how your business thrives.
meet your trainers
Clara Ndiraya, LMSW (she/her)
Clara is a therapist, social worker, and organizational leader with a background that bridges clinical care, nonprofit leadership, and social justice advocacy. As Director of Social Justice & Community Engagement for The Gaia Center, Clara leads initiatives that expand equity and access to mental health care. Her approach is relational and eclectic, rooted in anti-carceral and anti-colonial values, and she specializes in working with expansive thinkers and emotionally complex people who "don't fit in." In addition to her clinical work, Clara has directed nonprofits and community programs focused on re-entry, equity, and healing, doubling service delivery and building innovative systems of care. She now brings that same perspective to organizations, speaking and consulting on topics like mental health at work, sustainable leadership, equity in practice (not just in policy), and creating cultures where both people and systems can thrive.
Valerie Martin, LCSW, PCC, CHPC (she/her)
Valerie is the founder and clinical director of The Gaia Center. In addition to her clinical background and current PhD studies, she is a Certified High Performance Coach and credentialed by the International Coaching Federation as a Professional Certified Coach. After entering into solo practice in 2017, Valerie started expanding The Gaia Center team in 2020, and learning to step into true leadership and entrepreneurship has been like getting another masters degree (also known as… building the plane while flying it.) She loves supporting other leaders and business owners (whether they have a background in psychology or not) to run values-driven teams and businesses. Val also a weird obsession with systems (#EOSLIFE!), and is obnoxiously particular about formatting. 🤓