Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Underhill.
Hi Sarah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey with Wellbeing Connection really began long before I knew it would become a nonprofit. I’ve struggled with my mental and emotional health most of my life, though I didn’t understand why for decades. Growing up with a sister who had severe special needs—she was nonverbal with a seizure disorder and frequent grand mal seizures—created trauma that I carried without even realizing it. For years, I kept asking myself “what is wrong with me?” and seeking answers through counseling and psychiatry since I was 14.
Like many people trying to cope with undiagnosed trauma, I turned to alcohol for 25 years. It felt like my body was constantly on fire, and drinking was the only thing that seemed to help. It wasn’t until I was 40 that a counselor finally helped me understand that what I was experiencing was trauma. That revelation changed everything.
When I quit drinking at that same time, I suddenly had clarity and time I hadn’t experienced in decades. I was feeling so much better, but I became acutely aware of the stigma surrounding mental health struggles. I saw how ashamed people felt about their challenges, and I knew from personal experience how isolating that shame could be. While I had been fortunate to have access to excellent care throughout my life, I realized that many people in our community didn’t have the financial resources for the support and self-care they desperately needed.
That’s when Wellbeing Connection was born. Our mission is to create a movement that will inspire compassion for mental health by connecting our community to holistic resources, education, and support—all at no cost. We’ve grown to offer support groups, yoga, art therapy, sound therapy, iRest, HeartMath training, suicide prevention and drug prevention trainings, Facebook Lives with mental health professionals, and teen programming.
What makes me most grateful is that I haven’t done this alone. Amazing people like Amy Barnes, Sharon Fancher, Jack Caudill, Christy Arenscheild, and Diane Herman have come alongside me, and many continue to lead various aspects of our work. My life continues to have its struggles, and honestly, I couldn’t have built this organization without their support and dedication.
Wellbeing Connection has become both my way of giving back and my own continued healing journey—creating the kind of compassionate, accessible community I wish had existed when I was struggling alone.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not—it’s been far from a smooth road, both personally and organizationally.
On a personal level, starting a nonprofit while managing my own mental health challenges and life circumstances has been incredibly demanding. Recovery isn’t linear, and there have been times when my own struggles made it difficult to show up consistently for the organization. Leading something focused on mental health while actively working on your own healing creates a unique vulnerability—you’re putting yourself out there in a very public way about topics that are deeply personal. These personal struggles have required me to step away from active leadership for over half of Wellbeing Connection’s life, trusting our volunteers, board members, and staff to keep our programs running and our mission alive.
Organizationally, we’ve faced the typical nonprofit challenges but amplified by the sensitive nature of our work. Funding for mental health initiatives can be particularly challenging, especially when you’re trying to keep everything free for participants. We’ve had to get creative with fundraising and rely heavily on grants, community donations, and volunteers. We’ve relied on volunteers tremendously, which brings both incredible support and its own set of challenges. Coordinating volunteers, managing different availability and skill levels, and maintaining consistency when people’s circumstances change has been a constant juggling act. There have been logistical struggles too—finding appropriate spaces for our programming, managing growth while maintaining quality.
But each struggle has taught us something and made us stronger. The challenges have also shown us how much our community needs what we’re doing, which keeps us motivated to keep going.
My own journey is proof that healing is possible. After facing my deepest challenges in recent years, I’ve experienced dramatic improvements in my mental and emotional health through small daily changes – reducing toxins in my environment, eating mostly organic whole foods, walking, yoga, EMDR trauma therapy, BrainPaint neurofeedback, HeartMath emotional regulation training, art therapy, reading the Bible, and prayer. I’ve even been able to work with my psychiatrist to gradually taper off my medication. I want everyone to know there is hope, and that small, consistent steps can lead to profound transformation.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What I’m most proud of are the conversations that no one will ever know about. The person who approaches me after a yoga class to share they’re struggling. The parent who reaches out because their child is battling addiction. The individual who finally feels safe enough to say they’re not okay. These quiet moments – when someone realizes they’re not alone and that help is available – that’s where our real impact happens.
We’ve been incredibly fortunate to build connections with amazing therapists and mental health professionals throughout our community. One of our greatest strengths is being able to connect people to the right resources for their specific needs. Sometimes we’re the bridge between someone’s struggle and their healing journey.
What sets us apart is our commitment to keeping everything free and accessible, removing financial barriers that often prevent people from getting support. But more than that, it’s the lived experience that informs our approach. Having walked through addiction, trauma, and mental health challenges myself, I understand the shame and isolation that can keep people from seeking help. We work intentionally to create spaces where vulnerability is met with compassion, not judgment.
We’re not trying to replace professional therapy or medical care – we’re trying to be a safe first step, a supportive community, and a resource hub that helps people find their path to healing.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe that at our best, humans become the people we needed in our deepest struggles and during our most desperate times. At our worst, humans can cause other people’s greatest challenges.
Looking back on my life and the work of Wellbeing Connection, what some might call “good luck” I see as people choosing to show up for one another. The counselor who finally helped me understand my trauma at 40 wasn’t luck – that was a professional who chose to really listen and connect the dots. The volunteers, board members, and staff who stepped up when I had to step back weren’t lucky coincidences – they were people who saw a need and decided to meet it.
What some might call “bad luck” – my sister’s severe disabilities, my own trauma and addiction struggles – these were certainly challenges that shaped my path. But even in those difficult circumstances, there were people who chose to be present, to care, to help.
My faith in God deeply informs this perspective and this work. I believe I am called to love my neighbor as I love myself, and that’s really what Wellbeing Connection is about. I’ve tried to become the person I needed during my darkest moments – someone who would listen without judgment, who would say “you’re not alone,” who would help connect people to resources and hope.
The people who have joined this mission, who volunteer their time, who share their stories, who show up for our programs – they’re all choosing to be the person someone else needs. That’s not luck; that’s humans at their best, creating the very support systems and communities we wish had existed when we needed them most.
When we see our struggles as opportunities to serve others facing similar challenges, what might have seemed like misfortune becomes purpose.
Pricing:
- All classes are free/donation based
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thewellbeingconnection.org
- Instagram: @newalbanywellbeing
- Facebook: @newalbanywellbeing
