Hope,
Healing and Connection

For young adults with mental health challenges

Holistic support and community to help you through a crisis. Click here to get started.

Our Story

We lost our precious son, Garrett, to suicide at age 23 on September 7th, 2017. Garrett truly represented all that was good in the world. A kind, compassionate soul who was always there to listen, he was also bright, extremely athletic and had a quick wit. When he began to struggle, even though he was surrounded by loyal friends and family who loved and supported him, he felt alone. He craved a supportive, holistic place to heal, but it didn’t exist.

 
 

To create a legacy for Garrett and to help others, we established Garrett’s Space.

Garrett’s Space is dedicated to addressing gaps in treatment for young adults experiencing distress due to mental health challenges. We are working to reduce suicides in young adults by providing programming and a holistically focused center that promotes wellness, healing, self-worth and resilience.

Who We Serve

Our programming supports young adults between the ages of 18-28 who:

  • Struggle with depression/anxiety or other mental health challenges

  • Can benefit from additional connections and support and from learning strategies and skills for coping during difficult periods

  • Can benefit from being in a safe environment to share their feelings and challenges and from listening to others who are struggling with similar lived experiences

  • Currently are seeing or are willing to see a therapist, psychiatrist, or another mental health provider, in addition to participating in Garrett’s Space programming 

  • Can commit to attending groups regularly and engage in groups in a respectful and collaborative manner 

  • May also be interested in movement, breathing and relaxation exercises and exploring the mind-body connection, to improve well-being

  • Lives within 50 miles of Ann Arbor

The Vision for our Residential Center

Our goal for the center is that it be a supportive space with a non-medical feel, a retreat from the outside world where young adults feel safe and supported. We believe this type of place could have helped Garrett, and we are convinced that it will help many young adults who are having difficulty navigating this increasingly complicated and hard world.

We hope to locate the center in a place surrounded by nature, in the midst of a tranquil woods with walking paths.

The residents will be embraced by a warm community of social workers and other caring staff, and shall have continued access to their treating mental health professions through telehealth capabilities at the Center.

 
 

Residential Center Services offered will include: group support, including support from peers who have experienced similar struggles; coping strategies for broken relationships; support for families; peer support from young adults who have experienced similar struggles; and an extensive array of holistic options focused on teaching healthy behaviors and promoting wellness. This includes meditation, yoga, art and music.

Help Us Build Our First Residential Center

In the News

  • Medicine at Michigan

    “What Comes After”


  • The New York Times

    “How to Help Someone With Grief After a Sudden Death”

  • Michigan Public Radio

    “After Losing Son to Suicide, Parents Work to Close Gaps in Mental Health Services for Young Adults”

  • Concentrate

    “New Ann Arbor Nonprofit Offers Virtual Mental Health Programming for Young Adults”

  • Variety

    ‘The Prom’ Star Jo Ellen Pellman to Appear at Go24forGarrett’sSpace for Suicide Prevention

View All Media Coverage

I have suffered from serious depression my entire life. There have been many times that I didn’t want to live. I can’t tell you how much I wish Garrett’s Space existed when I was younger. The key to depression and getting better from it is not being alone. That’s why what Garrett’s Space is doing is so important.

— Andy Lassner, Executive Producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show

 

As a member of the LGBTQ community, I know that spaces like this that focus on treatment holistically are in dire need. A space that welcomes everybody regardless of their background is exactly what we need. I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of Garrett’s Space.

— Jo Ellen Pellman, who starred in the Netflix show, “The Prom”

 

We’re living in a very tough and hard time for young people. I know that Garrett’s Space will be a lifeline for so many young people who will use it as an opportunity to express themselves and to help one another. I’m delighted to be able to be one of your supporters.

— Jamie Raskin, Congressman representing Maryland’s eighth district who lost his son to suicide.