Today we’d like to introduce you to Karli Baldus.
Hi Karli, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story began as a high school teacher at Muskegon High School. I absolutely loved my work and even earned a Master’s degree in Drama and Theatre for the Young, believing I would teach there until retirement. Over time, however, frequent administrative changes and shifting teaching assignments began to take a toll. Despite building an incredible program that earned a national scholarship, budget cuts eventually reduced my salary to the point that it became difficult to make ends meet.
That’s when I made the decision to return to school to become a mental health therapist. I went on to become a Registered Drama Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Limited Licensed Psychologist. I worked in three different private practices and expected to continue in that role indefinitely—until COVID changed everything.
During that time, I began noticing two major issues in the field. First, clients often seemed stressed or even traumatized by the process of finding and accessing care—before therapy even began. The finding a therapist, scheduling, and navigation of services felt overwhelming for many. Second, therapists themselves were struggling. Many were isolated working from home, while others were overwhelmed by high caseload expectations in larger practices.
Out of these experiences, The Healing Village was born—a practice designed to feel like a true community for both clients and therapists. My vision was (and still is) to create a supportive, collaborative environment where clinicians are connected, valued, and united in the shared goal of providing a welcoming, inclusive, and healing space for everyone who reaches out for help.
The Healing Village officially opened its doors in February 2024 with two therapists and one assistant devoted to guiding clients with warmth and care—whether by text, phone, or in person. Today, our team includes three therapists, an intern who provides care to Medicaid clients and offers reduced-rate services, and two dedicated office staff members who embody the heart of our mission.
As we continue to grow, we’re always looking for therapists who share our vision—those who want to provide compassionate, quality care and help us build a stronger, healthier community together.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was definitely challenging. While I knew I could cover the start-up costs through my client work, I didn’t anticipate just how much extra time and energy it would take to build the business while continuing to provide high-quality care to my clients. As the practice grew, so did my responsibilities—training new staff, offering supervision, and developing policies and procedures to support our expanding team. It’s also been an ongoing challenge to navigate the constantly changing rules and reimbursement structures of different insurance providers.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Healing Village. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
As I mentioned earlier, what truly sets The Healing Village apart is our deep commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone. Our team is intentionally built with care — each person chosen for their compassion and dedication to supporting others. One of our office staff members is pursuing a degree in social work, and the other is a retired special education teacher. Both bring empathy and understanding to every interaction, whether it’s through text, phone, or in person.
We continually strive to make our services accessible and responsive to the diverse needs of our community. Our goal is always to help people find the support they need — even if that support ends up being outside our practice. We’re fortunate to have clinicians who work with clients across the lifespan, from children to older adults, and who are dedicated to ongoing professional development to better serve a wide range of needs.
To foster a healthy and supportive environment, our founder meets regularly with each staff member to ensure they feel cared for, valued, and supported — a key part of maintaining a positive workplace culture and preventing burnout.
Mission Statement
A mental health counseling practice committed to a safe and healing process from the moment you reach out for help.
Vision Statement
The Healing Village strives to provide a safe, welcoming environment that is committed to curiosity, compassion, congruence, communication and continued learning to create healing for individuals, couples, families, and communities in Michigan.
What makes you happy?
Seeing our staff genuinely love what they do and hearing how happy our clients are with their care fills me with so much joy. From the beginning, my goal was to create a workplace where people look forward to coming in each day — and it’s incredibly rewarding to hear that reflected back from the team.
In a time when it can be hard to trust people and systems, I’m grateful that our clients and staff can trust in our commitment to the mission and vision of The Healing Village. Knowing that we’re building a space grounded in care, connection, and integrity reminds me every day why this work matters.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thehealingvillagemi.com
- Instagram: thehealingvillagemi
- Facebook: The Healing Village
- Yelp: The Healing Village
