Breaking the Stigma: A Conversation with Tips for Maintaining Mental Health

This Mental Health Month, Willow Wellness, Milton Counseling Collaborative, The Mentally Fit Founder, and William James Gifts have partnered to bring you an interactive event and a valuable discussion on mental health.

Join us for a powerful and inspiring mental health conversation to break the stigma and learn actionable steps to live with mental health challenges. The stunning William James Gifts has opened its doors after hours to welcome guests for an event curated with mental wellness in mind.

Tickets are $25 and also include access to:
🟢A P.Y.O. (pick your own) floral bouquet bar from Winston Flowers with mental health affirmations (a $55 value)
🟢Gluten-free charcuterie cones from Boards for Days and delicious mocktails
🟢Shop a gorgeous array of locally-sourced gifts and gluten-free goodies with 10% of sales going to NAMI Massachusetts.
🟢Professional photography from Moira Sweetland Photography
🟢Networking with fellow business owners and professionals in the Milton area

Attendees are encouraged to send in their questions with registration so panelists can address their mental health concerns during the event.

Panel Overview and Panelists

Even though the topic of mental health has gained visibility over the last decade, there is still stigma associated with mental health---living with a mental illness, managing mental health with medicine, and finding practical advice for mental wellness in everyday life.

Our panel of mental health experts and advocates will have an open and honest conversation about breaking the stigma of mental health and ways to maintain your mental wellness in your everyday life.

Panelists will answer your questions about mental wellness and touch upon topics such as:

• Addressing mental health disorders with a whole-body approach
• Ways to manage anxiety in the moment and long-term
• Deciding whether medicine is right for you
• Owning your mental health story and why this is important for growth
  
  Panelists:
• Dr. Priya Hippolyte, DNP, PMHNP-BC; Founder of Willow Wellness
• Lisa Morin, LICSW; Founder of the Milton Counseling Collaborative
• Lauren Elizabeth Perna, Mental Health Advocate, The Mentally Fit Founder
• Calli McPherson, Owner of William James Gifts

Speaker Bios

Dr. Priya Hippolyte, DNP, PMHNP-BC; CEO & Founder, Willow Wellness PLLC | Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner | Holistic Mental Health Advocate

Priya is a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 10 years of healthcare experience. She is the founder of Willow Wellness, a modern mental health practice that provides personalized, evidence-based care for children, teens, and adults. Her work focuses especially on supporting women and teens during life transitions, offering a balanced approach that includes mindful medication management and supportive therapy.

Her doctoral research, “Quality Improvement Program Investigating the Practice of Integrative Psychiatry on Patients with Depression,” shows the value of holistic mental health care—highlighting that effective treatment goes beyond medication. Priya combines psychiatry with practical lifestyle strategies, including nutrition, movement, and sleep, to improve overall well-being.

She is also dedicated to mentoring future psychiatric nurse practitioners and promoting sustainable, whole-person care. Priya brings a warm, empowering perspective to mental health, encouraging others to build resilience and create lasting change.

Lisa Morin, LICSW; Founder of the Milton Counseling Collaborative

Lisa Morin, LICSW is the founder of Milton Counseling Collaborative, a private practice offering compassionate, experienced, and affirming therapy for children, adolescents, and adults navigating anxiety, depression, PTSD, and school related stressors. With over 20 years in the field, including 14 years as the Director of Counseling at Milton Academy, Lisa blends evidence-based practices with a real, down-to-earth presence that helps clients feel both supported and understood.

Her style is collaborative and grounded in connection. She helps clients step back, take a breath, and sort through life’s challenges in a way that feels manageable, meaningful, and long lasting. She believes therapy should feel like a conversation with intention while also building insight, strengthening coping tools, and supporting meaningful, lasting growth.

Lauren Elizabeth Perna; Mental Health Advocate, The Mentally Fit Founder

Lauren Elizabeth Perna is an award-winning community organizer, entrepreneur, writer, and fierce mental health advocate with over 20 years of experience in communications, marketing, and community engagement.

She brings a lifetime of anxiety and depression management to her advocacy work, where she is known as The Mentally Fit Founder. Lauren's powerful story of living and eventually thriving with mental illness has been featured in many places, including HealthCentral, NAMI, and McLean Hospital’s Deconstructing Stigma Campaign. As the Chief Community Officer of the Chronic Boss Collective, Lauren supports ambitious businesswomen living with chronic conditions, like mental illness.

She is the CEO and Head Writer of Lauren Perna Communications, a marketing communications company that elevates the stories of companies in the life sciences/healthcare ecosystem.

Calli McPherson, Owner of William James Gifts

Calli McPherson is a mom, wife and small business owner. In 2018, at 18 weeks pregnant, McPherson was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Calli McPherson has inspired audiences with features on Channel 25, the Hub Today and Boston Moms. Her Celiac diagnosis combined with entrepreneurial dreams, McPherson launched William James Gifts, a gourmet gluten free gift basket company, in August of 2020. Fourteen months later she opened her first storefront location, offering gourmet gluten free foods, gifts and of course, her gift baskets. McPherson is on a mission to help others realize that Celiac is not an end but rather, a beginning of a stronger version of themselves.