Today we’d like to introduce you to Autumn Walsh.
Hi Autumn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
What happens when you pair a full-service, state-of-the-art day spa with elite mental health therapy? Total bliss.
We looked around the nation and noticed a glaring lack of truly holistic healing. Because let’s face it: stress and trauma stubbornly live in the body, and modern life is a lot. As a proudly women- and queer-owned business, we also survived enough unethical industry nonsense to say, “Enough.”
We built a safe, inclusive sanctuary to heal your mind, body, and spirit in one convenient stop—while ensuring our therapists actually feel safe, too. Welcome to the ultimate, unapologetic vibe shift in wellness.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth sailing? Only if you count sailing through a Category 5 hurricane of construction delays, corporate drama, and a massive learning curve.
While our hearts and entire bodies were fully invested, bringing this to life was a wild ride. For starters, we had to dodge some aggressive, retaliatory energy from old employers who weren’t exactly thrilled to see us break free.
Then came the building itself. When we first walked in, it was literally just gravel and vibes. We built this sanctuary from the ground up, which apparently, in contractor-speak, means “start the job, get bored, and randomly disappear.” After firing the ghosts and hiring a reliable crew, we finally turned that gravel into a gorgeous reality.
But our biggest hurdle was learning the ropes of running three entirely separate businesses at once. Balancing a mental health clinic, a luxury day spa, and a community event center with yoga and movement classes meant jumping in headfirst.
Through it all, our guiding light was absolute authenticity. We came from organizations that used words like “inclusivity” and “compassion” as cheap marketing buzzwords while practicing the exact opposite behind closed doors. We built this space to break that toxic cycle. The values we preach are the exact values we live by every single day. There is zero fakeness when you walk through our doors. We actively encourage our staff to show up as their genuine, authentic selves—no corporate masks allowed.
It took time to curate a soul-attuned dream team that actually breathes diversity, empathy, and care. It hasn’t been a smooth road, but we proved that you don’t have to sell your soul to build a sanctuary.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The Deeply Layered Approach to Care
We are a truly holistic, trauma-informed sanctuary specializing in **traumatology, sex therapy, and neurodivergent/queer-affirming care. While we treat a broad range of mental health needs using advanced, evidence-based psychotherapy, our core philosophy is simple: talk therapy alone is not enough!!
You can try to cognitively reframe your thoughts for 20 years, but if stress and trauma are physically trapped in your nervous system, you stay stuck in a cycle. We refuse to put the mental load back on the client by telling them to go home, figure out a meditation app, and find a yoga class. That isn’t trauma-informed—it’s just adding to your to-do list.
Instead, we built a fully integrated ecosystem. Our clinicians work hand-in-hand with wellness specialists to curate a seamless, personalized treatment plan. You can finish an intense EMDR session and walk right across the hall for an integrated massage to release physical tension, or hit the cold plunge to calm inflammation.
We firmly believe that self-care must be accessible to absolutely everyone, not just privileged classes. While we run special promotions where therapy clients receive completely free spa services, our therapy clients always receive an additional 40% off our already highly competitive spa prices. Taking it a step further, our brilliant massage therapist, Sarah, hosts a “pay-whatever-you-can” promotion during the last week of every single month to guarantee that financial barriers don’t stand in the way of deep somatic healing. Even our day spa is open to the public, offering a pampering experience rooted in genuine, trauma-informed care from the moment you step inside.
What Sets Us Apart & Makes Us Proud
Ultimately, we want to work ourselves out of a job. We want to help you balance your mind, body, and spirit so you can leave the cycle behind and live your life. Our absolute proudest moments come when clients who were skeptical after decades of traditional talk therapy tell us their lives have completely transformed.
Equally proud is the culture we’ve built for our team. This field is emotionally demanding, and we protect our staff fiercely. We know we’re doing something right when our team walks through the doors smiling. We take our clinical work incredibly seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. It is entirely common to walk down our halls and see our therapists taking a quick breather by filming a ridiculous social media trend or sharing a loud laugh. We burn off steam, we stay human, and we keep the energy authentic.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Collaboration Over Competition
When it comes to finding a mentor, our best advice is to look for someone who has already successfully walked the path you’re on and shares your core values. For us, that was Nicole. As the former owner of a large group practice, her professional advice and consultation were absolutely priceless in helping us flatten our learning curve. A great mentor doesn’t just teach you how to run a business; they help you protect your peace while doing it.
As for networking? Our entire philosophy boils down to collaboration over competition.
This is the mental health and wellness field—one would think we all share the same goal of healing the world. Unfortunately, you will run into people and organizations that are completely inauthentic in their practice, treating care like a cutthroat corporate game. We actively reject that. We don’t see other local businesses as rivals; we see them as potential teammates.
Our best advice is to physically get out into your community, introduce yourself, and meet new people. There is absolutely no reason a mental health group practice can’t collaborate with the fun coffee shop down the road. We host numerous community events that partner with local organizations so we can all network together while fostering genuine human connection.
At the end of the day, isolation is where trauma thrives, and we need community to heal. When you shift your mindset from “how do I get ahead?” to “how can we build a sanctuary together?”, networking stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like a movement.
Pricing:
- We accept most major commercial health insuracne plans and offer slising scale services for those in need
- All therapy clients receive an additonal 40% off non-provider spa services
- Pay whatever you can massahe the last week of each month. YOu can $5.00 and still receive a 60 minute massage to help reset your body and mind
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elementspgh.com
- Instagram: elementspgh
- Facebook: elementspgh
- LinkedIn: https://linktr.ee/elementscounselingandwellnessspa
