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Photo by Emily Dorio.
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Photo by Emily Dorio.
When it comes to booking a self-care service such as a yoga session, a blowout or a nail appointment, the process is straightforward.
Simply head to a website, select your service of choice and enjoy said service that very day. But one crucial area of wellness is, traditionally, not as easy to navigate — mental wellbeing. It was that seamless approach to self-care that inspired owner and holistic life coach Clara Belden to create The Happy Hour, a modern wellness company of licensed professionals redefining the status quo of mental wellness services. Now, with a newly opened studio in Twelve South, connecting with professionals to help you become the happiest, healthiest version of yourself is as easy as walking in and talking it out.
Though the Happy Hour has been hosting popups around Nashville since 2018, opening a physical location was always part of Belden’s vision. All services (individual or group) are led by THH’s team of licensed professionals, including certified holistic life coaches, licensed professional counselors, and licensed clinical social workers.
“I always knew I wanted to start a company that helps the community,” Belden says. “The vision just kept growing, which led us to open our own storefront, which was always the dream—creating a space that was in a popular neighborhood, among other popular businesses, and didn’t look like a therapy office. It looks like a fun, cool place to hang out where you could create a community. Physical space is a big part of our vision and destigmatizing working on your mental health.”
Just as its charming two-story exterior exudes modern comfort and approachability, the offerings inside The Happy Hour continue to redefine mental wellness. Guests are welcome to hang out in the first-floor lounge and sip some tea before their appointment, utilize the journaling space, or check out the lending library and take a book (or leave a book) at no cost. An outdoor seating area overlooking Sevier Park provides a serene spot to reflect and connect, and the second floor is home to private one-on-one conversation rooms. Guests can even select their favorite essential oil to fill the room during their session for added comfort.
“It’s such a great vibe. It’s super calm and what our hope was, and what we’ve heard is, you just feel at ease immediately,” says Belden. “The designs and the artwork that we chose were all super intentional to take people into their five senses, ground them, and make them feel like they could take a breath.”
With a wide variety of services to choose from, THH offers something for everyone and works with each guest to help them find the service that best suits their needs. Guests can choose from one-on-one sessions with a licensed therapist or life coach, group classes, or a customized mix of their choosing, all with an emphasis on mind-body connection. The best part? Booking is simple, seamless, and same day.“You can go to our website, click ‘book now,’ and choose when you want to come in and who you want to see. We really wanted to make it as simple as it is to go book a yoga session or a manicure, because it is just another part of your self-care routine,” Belden says. “The way our model works allows you to work on whatever you want to in the midst of the problem. We’re always able to serve you within twenty-four hours, but a lot of times just walk in. We recommend booking three hours in advance, but there’s always somebody here who is either a licensed therapist or a certified coach who would be able to help.”
The THH team understands the importance of mental wellness, and through a simplified, modern approach, aims help everyone on their unique journey. “[Mental health] is such an important thing because it affects literally everything we do. If we don’t start our lives and our days from a place of grounded and healthy mental wellness everything else is negatively impacted,” says Belden. “My biggest hope is that we can help people change their lives, and start to feel comfortable talking to others about their mental wellness journey.” (2911 12th Ave. S., 615-953-3934; thehappyhournash.com)