BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Going to the gym and eating well are critical to your health. So is your mental health, and you don’t need to be experiencing trauma to check out the Wellness Studio on Highland Road.

“Anyone, in any part of their journey, you can find something to connect to,” said Dr. Mary Kathryn Gastinel, a licensed professional counselor.

Dr. Gastinel and Dr. Katie Fetzer welcome everyone inside this mental health outpatient clinic. Once inside, you’ll notice unique decorations and knick-knacks fill each room.

“We really wanted to create rooms that were themed and interactive and had a meaning and a message that challenged your thinking,” said Anthony Ryan Auld, a TV personality.

Auld, a cancer survivor and Project Runway winner, put his fashion passion to the test in designing each room.

“We had such a great time doing it. It was fun to come up with the different themes for each room. We’ve got this really cool astrology room, we’ve got this 70s music room, and this is in Baton Rouge and Covington. We also have a book wall,” Auld said.

A welcoming environment is just part of the equation when it comes to being confident about prioritizing your mental health.

“Sometimes we must talk with somebody that can be unbiased and objective to be able to help us, guide us through that problem,” said Dr. Katie Fetzer, a licensed professional counselor-supervisor.

Experience is not a requirement — experience as a patient, that is. Gastinel, Fetzer, and the staff at the Wellness Studio have been assisting patients in their mental health journeys since 2012.

“I think that fear of going to counseling is I am going to be judged, and that’s one thing people can take away from all of this, is that you are met with no judgment,” Gastinel said.

If you are ready or even just slightly interested in having a conversation, giving the Wellness Studio a try may help relieve some of the mental strain we can all relate to.

“No matter what problem you are experiencing, no problem is too big for you to overcome. And we want people to know that,” Fetzer said.

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