One of my first jobs after earning an MSW was at an addiction clinic on the Upper East Side. It was challenging work with a diverse population. I'll never forget their belief that every patient deserved to be cared for in a beautiful space. Life can so often feel oppressive. Seeking help shouldn't.

This philosophy stuck with me. In each clinic I worked at afterwards, I'd lug in my own furniture, lamps, decorations, artwork. Space conferred dignity. It facilitated the therapeutic process. Space truly mattered.

Years later, when I started my own private practice, I began subletting space by the day—an unusual thing at the time. I was intentional about the spaces I wanted to sublet and I wasn't ready for a full-time office yet. I needed time to slowly build my practice. While changing offices frequently was far from ideal, I was determined to work in a space that felt right to me, space in which I felt I could do my best work.

Fast forward a couple decades and I finally opened my first full-time suite on 5th Ave where I've remained ever since. Therapy can be lonely work and I always dreamed of creating a space to share with others—the kind of flexible and beautiful environment I so wished I'd had all those years ago.

Calm Space NYC was born with precisely this purpose. With more than 60 private offices across 7 floors, there's something deeply meaningful to me about opening doors for others, passing it forward.

— Diane Barnes, LCSW