Stamford’s newly opened Alliance Center provides mental health resources for new mothers

A ribbon cutting hosted by the Stamford Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 10 celebrated the opening of the Alliance Center, a facility dedicated to providing the mental and emotional support parents need before, during and after a pregnancy. Their services consist of therapy, movement courses and support groups among other forms of support.

The Alliance Center is located in the northern section of Stamford at 16 Wire Mill Road and has a seven-person staff, including co-founders Carolyn Kagan and Jessica Vanderberg, who stated that they shared a dream of starting a business together that provided a necessary service to their community.

“Since the very beginning I always knew that this was going to expand beyond me,”said Kagan, a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience in mental health. Before partnering with Vanderberg, she ran the business as Alliance Therapy.

Kagan explained that the name “Alliance”emphasizes how the best care often requires an alliance of providers across professions— and, she recalled, it came to her in a dream over a decade ago.

“But,”she added, “I think in the last couple of years, considering how many challenges the mothering community has faced, it is the ideal time to expand the management and we knew that demand for services was going to be on the rise the moment we knew about Covid. It just made sense. I walked into the space a year ago. I knew that this was going to be home.”

“I think our origin story is part of the magic,”said Vanderberg, a social worker and full-spectrum doula who serves as the Alliance Center’s clinical director. “This has been a vision for me since I began down this path and met Carolyn at a pivotal moment. We were both at a workshop on racial disparities in birth outcomes and we happened to sit next to each other. We were both passionate about the topic, we started talking to each other and we really hit it off. Now five years later we were able to come together and do this.”

The entire center is designed to have a tranquil, welcoming atmosphere like the home of a close friend— a style touch that was noted during the opening ceremony.

“It’s a beautiful place that comforts you from when you first walk in the door,”Stamford Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Heather Cavanagh said in welcoming the Alliance Center to the city. “We’re glad to welcome you here at a time when mental health and wellness are at the forefront of our concerns, especially new moms.”

Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons, herself a mother to three boys, shared Cavanagh’s praise.

“I can’t tell you how inspired I am by what you’ve brought to our city here,”said Simmons. “In many ways it’s one of the most joyful moments in your life, but it can also be one of the most challenging times in your life. I think maybe we don’t talk enough about how so many women have the baby blues or post-partum depression and just try to juggle all of it.”

Simmons pointed out that two city employees in attendance at the event— Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion officer Carmen Hughes and Special Assistant to the Mayor Leah Kagan (no relation to Carolyn Kagan) were also mothers.

“We’re so passionate about supporting mothers in our city, but also support supporting women in business,”Simmons stated. “So, let me say that you two are powerful, bad-ass rockstars.”