Hayley Caddes and Colin MacDonald are flipping the script on what real-world mental health support can look like for teens and young adults in their home environments. In 2023, they teamed up to launch Not Therapy: a one-stop-shop mental wellness concierge and coaching service empowering young people to build a life they’re excited about living.

They’re not therapists. That’s by design.

Caddes and MacDonald have been in their clients’ shoes. They are young people who struggled with a gamut of mental health issues and self-destructive behaviors as teens, and their transformative journeys started during their adolescent years in psych wards, therapeutic boarding schools, and wilderness programs. But as anyone who has been through a program knows, re-entering the real world is when the hard work begins. Caddes and MacDonald found that the lack of on-demand support and community, coupled with therapeutic burnout, could stop their hard-won momentum in its tracks.

They started Not Therapy to fill this gap in the type of support they needed as teens and young adults themselves. Having blazed their unconventional paths to success and built fulfilling lives despite their early challenges, they are uniquely qualified to show other young people how to transform their limitations into strengths and navigate the complicated reality of becoming an adult in today’s world.

Not Therapy’s approach is tailored to teens and young adults who feel like traditional or clinical options just haven’t been the right fit, given them enough support, or yielded the results they want. They specialize in working with young people who are transitioning out of therapeutic programs back into the real world or who have been to programs in the past. Based on what was most important from their own experiences, they have developed a strategy rooted in personal agency, authentic and relatable guidance (they’ve been there), and achieving outcomes.

“One great coach or mentor can change the entire trajectory of a young person’s life,” says MacDonald. “When working with us, you can expect a realness you don’t get with most clinical approaches.”

As coaches, he and Caddes remind young people that improvement is possible, even on the toughest days. They are there to listen when clients need to vent, seven days a week. They are there to give actionable advice - tested in their own lives - seven days a week. They help young people identify goals in all areas of their lives, build a foundation for success, and provide real-world guidance and accountability every step of the way.

For any young person who feels burnt out on therapy, is leaving treatment, or is just looking for support from someone relatable who gets them, Not Therapy has your back. Please reach out to info@nottherapycoaching.com or visit our website to set up a free consultation call and explore Not Therapy coaching for you or your child.

About Not Therapy

Not Therapy Coaching provides concierge-level support for teens and young adults who feel like therapy hasn’t been the right fit or who are transitioning out of therapeutic programs back into the real world. As young people who have been in our clients’ shoes, our approach to mentorship is rooted in personal expertise and empowers young people with relatable support and actionable tools, 7 days a week, to build a life they’re excited about living. Don’t just take our word for it - see what our clients and their parents have to say at nottherapycoaching.com