The Stone Soup Story
Everyone has an origin story. Ours started many years ago. We, Sharon and Kim, had been working together for over a decade at our separate practices, sharing stories at monthly meetings or when we would cross paths in between sessions. A common thread that brought each of us excitement was the idea of opening up a center. With many hardship events in our society in 2020, we felt like it was time to offer more.
We took our name "Stone Soup" from an old European folktale, in which a stranger comes into a struggling village and offers to conjure a delicious soup with a simple stone.
Beginning with the stone as the first ingredient, the kind stranger then entertains the villagers, and invites them to offer what they have to the soup. In the end, they all share a wonderful soup, and are nourished by both the food and the community.
This story embodies so much of what we believe in psychologically, and what we want to offer at our center among our staff and for our patients. When we bring many things together, it becomes a wonderful experience, fulfilling and rich. All of the different people, all of the factions, all of us, are important and valuable. When we can see the value of the parts, we benefit as a whole.
When you join us at Stone Soup Counseling Center, we hope for you to feel valued, accepted, and deeply nourished.
At Stone Soup Counseling, we are committed to creating an environment where everyone is seen, heard, and valued. We recognize that systemic injustices exist in our society and are committed to actively challenging and dismantling them. We are continuously educating ourselves, engaging in difficult conversations, and advocating for change both within our practice and in the broader community. We believe that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
Our staff include proud members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community and we affirm the diverse identities and experiences of all individuals. We strive for our practice to be a safe and welcoming space for clients of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. We are dedicated to providing culturally competent care and advocating for the rights and equality of LGBTQIA+ people.
We embrace the Health at Every Size (HAES) philosophy, which acknowledges that health and well-being are not determined by body size. We reject the stigma and discrimination often associated with weight and support our clients in developing a healthy relationship with their bodies, regardless of their size or shape. Our approach is rooted in body positivity, self-compassion, and holistic well-being.