Full Breakdown
Northwestern Family Institute Launches Free Therapy Services for Mental Health Awareness Month
5/7/2026, 11:09:55 AM
Core Initiative: Free Therapy for the Community
During May, designated Mental Health Awareness Month, the Family Institute at Northwestern provides free therapy each year through its Bette D. Harris Family & Child Clinic. The program targets children, adolescents, couples, families, and individuals who might otherwise lack access to mental-health services. Therapy is provided in English, Spanish, and Mandarin, with both in-person and teletherapy options available.
Background: Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental Health Awareness Month, observed each May, highlights the prevalence of stressors such as ongoing wars, gun violence, and other societal challenges. The Institute positions its outreach as a response to the heightened emotional burden many experience during this period.
Key Figures & Services
The Institute, described as a national leader in relationship-based behavioral health, emphasizes the role of relationships and family dynamics in reducing distress and building resilience. Therapist Danny Lopez, a clinician at the Institute, focuses on creating safe conversational spaces, safety planning, and mindfulness techniques to help clients manage trauma and overwhelm.
Data & Statistics
- More than 1,200 people receive services from the Institute annually.
- The free-therapy clinic serves clients in three languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin.
- Services include individual, couple, family, and child therapy, delivered both in-person and via telehealth.
Official Statements & Responses
The Institute’s leadership frames the free-therapy initiative as a means to provide nonjudgemental, relationship-based care that equips clients with coping tools for trauma, work stress, and relational challenges. Lopez emphasizes that safety planning and grounding exercises can “create a certain level of safety” for patients facing overwhelming circumstances.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Creating conversational spaces, having openness to express feelings and fears in a nonjudgemental way,” — Danny Lopez, Therapist
- “ When patients are feeling overwhelmed, Lopez said taking deep breathes and using mindfulness techniques can be effective.” — Danny Lopez, Therapist
- “a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms our ability to cope, causing lasting negative effects on our mental, physical, social and/or emotional well-being,” — Danny Lopez, Therapist
Why It Matters
By removing financial barriers, the Institute’s free-therapy program directly addresses the surge in mental-health needs during a month marked by collective stress. Offering multilingual, flexible delivery formats expands reach to diverse populations, reducing long-term impact of untreated trauma and fostering community resilience.
What's Next
Looking ahead, the Institute plans to sustain its free-therapy program each May, monitoring demand and exploring additional language options or service formats to broaden accessibility.
