Four Years of Mala

Four Years of Mala!

Today marks four years since the Mala Child and Family Institute was born.

Four years ago, my team and I chose to lead with our hearts. Not with a business plan or polished branding (because to be fair, we didn’t even know those things existed back then), but with our truth and vulnerability.

I’ve always been open with my team and this community about my story: the heartbreak of losing my teen brother to suicide, the daily beauty and complexity of raising my autistic son, being neurodivergent, and the  journey of being an immigrant.

And here’s what I’ve learned: vulnerability wins.

Because when I opened up, others did too. People began to show up fully with their pain and their light. I started to have faith again in how resilient people are. Even with histories full of loss, trauma, or challenge, they still choose to believe in something better. They still choose to create.

The Mala team have taught me that people crave innovation not for ego, but because they carry inside them the dream of forming something beautiful. From our training programs to our DEI department, from art therapy to occupational therapy, medication management to play therapy… every new offering at Mala came from someone’s hope. Someone’s belief that we can build something bigger than ourselves.

This journey has shown me how brave people are.

They push through discomfort.
They speak truth when it would be easier to stay silent.
They make hard decisions.
They believe in magic, even when the world tells them not to.

Over the past 4 years, we’ve also learned to celebrate every win big or small. Because with every step forward comes a setback, and with every setback, another chance to learn. We’ve learned that people want to help, if only we give them the invitation. People are aching to give love.

But this journey has also shown us how far we still have to go. Our locations are in cities with access and privilege, and that means the most vulnerable and those with the least resources aren’t always being served. Not everyone will believe in us, or even understand us. We will disappoint someone. And when that happens, we’ll learn, we’ll grow, we’ll let go, and we’ll let God.

And above all else, I’ve learned that I know so very little. I am small. I am not in control.

But, as my wise therapist reminds me:

I am not helpless.

And with the support of those around me, I can do big, hard, beautiful things.

So what do I hope for in the next four years?

I hope for grounding, stability, and for clarity in every department of their WHYS, their HOWs, and their guiding pillars.

I hope each director feels so supported that they can grow, lead, and innovate in their most authentic way.

I hope we find a way through a nonprofit or otherwise to serve people with less access, in honor of every soul who walks through our doors.

To the people who make Mala possible:

To Ryleigh Strong, our steady, thoughtful Chief of Operations: thank you for your courage to see the truth in systems and lead with unwavering commitment to what’s right.

To Antoinette Ulmer, our fierce Director of DEI: thank you for your courage to speak hard truths with love and help us build a culture rooted in equity, authenticity, and belonging.

To Dr. Brooke Landry, our Director of Clinical Training: thank you for your courage to advocate fiercely for trainees, and to lead with heart and belief in our future providers.

To Dr. Katie Sawchuk, our Director of Psychological Assessment: thank you for your courage to center client dignity and honor emotional safety in the evaluation process.

To Katy Bachleda, our Director of Occupational Therapy Program: thank you for your courage to question the status quo and advocate for neurodivergent kids to be heard and supported in their fullness.

To Dr. Richard Dopp, our Medical Director: thank you for your courage to hold space for complexity, resist rushing solutions, and lead with humanity in every clinical decision.

To Doug Gardner, our Director of the Play Therapy Training Program: thank you for your courage to protect the sacredness of childhood and remind us that healing can begin with play and deep attunement.

To our incredibly hardworking admin team: thank you for being the stable spine of this place. I can never fully show you how much I appreciate you.

To our brilliant supervisors: thank you for guiding our trainees with wisdom, heart, and ethics, and for modeling that learning and growth never ends.

To our talented providers and trainees: thank you for doing this sacred work with soul and devotion, and for staying committed to your own inner work along the way.

To my family and friends, thank you for believing in my dreams and supporting me.

To my children, thank you for being my teachers and inspiration.

To our clients: thank you for trusting us. You are why we exist.

Thank you for four powerful, humbling, heart-expanding years.

With all my love and endless gratitude,

Hasti Raveau, Phd, LP
Founder & CEO