Today we’d like to introduce you to Christa Welch.
Christa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was raised by an incredible mom – Bettianne, our “original Betty”, who taught me strength, perseverance, and how to get back up when life knocks you down. I started Betty Center in her honor to share her indomitable spirit and remarkable legacy with others.
My mom Bettianne was a trail blazer. A fierce advocate and forward thinker. A single mom who fought for child support enforcement. A tireless voice for my special needs brother. A female role model for me and so many others who knew and respected her. A loving mom and nurturing, proud Grammie. A woman WAY ahead of her time.
Bettianne raised me to speak out against injustice, speak up for those in need, and never settle for mediocrity. She modeled the values of intelligence, integrity and strength, coupled with a wicked sense of humor and impeccable style. She never let life keep her down. It often hit hard but she always, always got back up. After her untimely death in 2013 – and following a number of difficulties in my own life (divorce, breast cancer and a NICU baby) – I decided to radically change course. What choice did I have?!? The alternative — standing still — wasn’t an option. And I knew what my mom would have said: “Keep going. There’s more to be done in this world.”
So I got my Master’s degree in social work while working and raising 2 kids as a single mom. And after much planning and plenty of support from friends and family, I opened Betty Center in July 2023. Today, Betty Center is a space where women and their families come to heal, learn, connect and grow. We are here to help women find their way forward – through motherhood, grief and loss, parenting challenges, empty nesting, new jobs, retirement, and career confusion, loneliness, young adult exploration…
With Bettianne’s wisdom as our guiding Northstar, we proudly help women navigate the twists and turns on life’s journey.
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?
Starting a business has its own unique challenges, obviously, but quite honestly, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. Creating and building our ever-expanding Betty Center community to support and strengthen women and their families is an honor and privilege, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity.
Of course, it’s never that simple and there have certainly been moments where I’ve questioned myself, especially when it comes to staying focused on our business growth. We’re committed to reaching deep into our local – and eventually regional – community to ensure we’re meeting the needs of those who most need our help, Our biggest challenge this year, in particular, has been to maximize our clinical therapy caseloads while continuing to expand our additional services including our Professional Betty providers, in-person and virtual support groups, and quality workshops and events. With four clinicians providing therapy to more than 100 current clients, we are stretched thin and have less time to focus on these important non-clinical offerings to the community. Balancing our offerings while maintaining a clear, consistent message gets tricky at times. But we’re definitely up for the challenge!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Betty Center LLC?
Welcome to Betty Center, a unique environment for women and their families seeking to heal, learn, connect and grow. We offer exceptional mental health therapy services, support groups & workshops, and professional consults for women of all ages and life stages and their families. We are a space to belong, a platform for change, a balm for your soul, and a “gym for your brain”.
We are named in honor of my beloved late mother Bettianne — our “Original Betty” — a fierce advocate for the broken, lost and marginalized and a visionary woman of grace and grit who was truly ahead of her time. Bettianne taught me to get back up when you fall, speak out even when it’s uncomfortable, and never back away from doing what’s right. Her moxie, pioneering spirit and tenacious legacy live on here at Betty Center, where our goal is to support women and their families on life’s journey.
We like to say we’re not your “typical” therapy practice. Yes, we’re licensed clinical social workers and experts in our areas of focus. We treat adults, children & teens, couples and families for depression, anxiety, ADHD, neurodivergence and other concerns. We help our clients navigate transitions including divorce, death, career transitions, empty nesting, addiction and loneliness. In that regard, Betty Center could be confused for a traditional therapy practice.
Except we’re not. We offer our clients more than mental health counseling. In fact, we have clients who don’t even come to us for therapy. Some attend support groups for divorce, small business/entrepreneurial assistance or adult caregiving. Others have found a lawyer or financial planner through a free Professional Betty consultation. Some read our newsletter for tips on mental health and wellbeing, meet with one of our parenting coaches, or attend a book club. Still others use our space to host a knitting group, a business meeting or just some plain old fun, as our friends at Real BFF’s Annapolis did when they hosted their Galentine’s Party at our office last February.
Speaking of our office, did we mention how beautiful it is? We designed it with our clients and community members in mind. It’s more like a beautiful living room than a medical office. We have candy, snacks, hot tea, scented candles. Books, crossword puzzles and temporary tattoos. Squeeze balls and a gratitude jar and bubbles and…you get the idea. Our office is gorgeous, warm and welcoming (if we do say so ourselves) and we love sharing it with the community. Everyone who comes through our doors says “I feel like I’m in a fancy living room!”, which is exactly the vibe we were going for. Because my mom Bettianne was not only a dedicated social justice warrior but a wonderful hostess with impeccable taste. Hospitality was ingrained in me from an early age and it’s an important part of the Betty Center experience. We want our clients to feel at home. Safe. Welcome, supported and embraced.
We are creating a vision for our clients of what their lives can be. So many come to us in the midst of difficult life circumstances and storms that often have them reeling and fearful of the future. When they enter through our Betty Center doors, they immediately understand things are different here. They feel seen, heard and excited about their next steps. We treat them like family because they truly are. We are all on this journey of life together and we need each other to get through the tough times, the bumps in the road, and the confusing crossroad moments that can often define our future.
Betty Center is here to pass my mom’s legacy of strength, persistence, determination and bravery on to those who may need a gentle reminder to keep going, push through, make friends, take risks or try something new. We are defining the next generation of therapy practice – a place where healing isn’t only about individual support but includes a holistic approach to the whole woman and her family. A place to empower women through community, connection, learning and growth.
We believe we have sparked a revolution right here in Annapolis. We are honored to be the first women’s center in our community, and we are excited to grow into other regions of the DC/MD/Baltimore area in the coming months & years.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a fairly self-conscious kid, although I managed to hide it pretty well. I was super smart (not bragging, just the facts) and was always set apart into the “smart kid” classes even at a very young age. As a child and teen, I didn’t embrace that side of myself…I think because I desperately wanted to fit in with the “cool kids” and being smart, in my opinion, was definitely NOT the way to be popular. In fact, I worked pretty hard to hide my intelligence until I got to college and finally figured out it wasn’t something to be ashamed of.
My mother believed strongly in the importance of community, so I was always involved in many activities including Girl Scouts, choir, soccer and field hockey teams, and church events. She also exposed us to culture, art and civics, so I was perpetually being dragged to museums, Broadway shows, festivals and fairs, and (insert activity here) throughout my childhood, which of course I’m grateful for now but at the time I believed it confirmed my nerd-adjacent status.
I was surrounded by an amazing cadre of supportive aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other loving, caring adults who helped my mom – then a single mother of three – raise us with guidance, tradition and a shared sense of family belonging, a blessing for which I am eternally grateful.
Pricing:
- Individual Therapy – $185/sessioin
- Family & Couples Therapy – $195/session
- Professional Betty Consults – free for 20 minutes
- Parent Coaching – $100/hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bettycenterconnect.com
- Instagram: @bettycenter_maryland
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettycenter
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betty-center-llc
