Who we are
Built by people who needed this.For people who need this.
Come As You Are isn't an organization — it's a response. A community that grew out of lived experience with what it feels like when there's nowhere to go.
Our mission
To make feeling less alone actually accessible.
We believe connection is medicine. Not metaphorically — actual peer connection, the kind where you look someone in the eye and know they've been there too. We exist to make that available to everyone, regardless of income, diagnosis, or background.
Our vision
A world where everyone has a circle.
Our long-term vision is a network of peer wellness spaces in every city — community-run, trauma-informed, and radically welcoming. We're starting with one space. But this is meant to grow.
How we do things
Our philosophy
Peer, not professional
Our hosts are trained community members who've been through their own stuff. That lived experience is the credential.
Presence, not performance
You don't need to have a breakthrough or seem like you're healing. You just need to show up. That's it.
Access, not gatekeeping
Free sessions, sliding scales, open doors. No insurance. No diagnosis. No referral. Anyone can walk in.
Safety without surveillance
What's shared in the room stays in the room. No notes. No records. No one tracking your progress.
Grief is welcome here
We don't rush you past the hard parts. You're allowed to sit in what's difficult for as long as it takes.
Joy is welcome too
This isn't only a space for suffering. Laughter, lightness, and hope are part of healing too.
Our story
How it began
2019
Ashley hosts the first peer circle — a group of five friends sitting on a living room floor, talking about what wasn't working.
2021
Word spreads. The circle outgrows the living room. The community hosts its first public session in a borrowed studio.
2022
Come As You Are officially incorporates as a nonprofit. First grant received. First paid community host.
2023
The physical space opens. A former retail unit transformed into a sensory room, community lounge, and session rooms.
Now
Hundreds of community members. Weekly sessions. A waitlist. And a model beginning to replicate in other cities.