Eating disorder and mental health not-for-profit celebrates 10 years

When Breathe Therapies’ clinical director, Shelley Perry, founded the small eating disorder and mental health not for profit organisation 10 years ago, she certainly did not expect to be spending their anniversary during a global pandemic.  

Following her own battle with an eating disorder she experienced shortly before training to become a mental health nurse, Shelley decided to set up S.E.E.D, a local charity that provided support groups for those struggling with an eating disorder themselves. After realising the need for an eating disorder treatment service in 2010 in Lancashire, Shelley founded Breathe Therapies as the treatment arm of the charity.

With the belief that all individuals have a plan and purpose for their lives, Shelley wanted to deliver professional treatment and therapy without a waitlist for those suffering with an eating disorder, mental health, weight management and wellbeing.

Over the past 10 years, the Lancashire-based non-profit has treated over 400 individuals and provided support for their families through support groups, treatment and holistic therapy; countless lives changed for the better due to the services Breathe deliver.

Shelley explains “I couldn’t begin to fathom just how many people we would help when I started Breathe Therapies 10 years ago. But, having my own experience with an eating disorder, I knew it was possible to recover”. This very quickly became the fire that fuelled the mental health nurse to utilize her knowledge and passion to do the same for others; “I knew I had to create Breathe Therapies so that we could help others to live their life to the fullest, and not feel trapped by their mental illness”.

Many service users show their gratitude to Breathe Therapies and the impact the team has had on their lives. One mother of a Breathe client explains; “We will never forget one of the first meetings our daughter had with Shelley, when Shelley said to her "You can recover." This gave her the hope and belief she so desperately needed, we all so desperately needed. The team at Breathe Therapies never gave up on our daughter's recovery, even in the most difficult of times, and for that we will always be grateful.”

To celebrate the monumental anniversary, the team at Breathe Therapies are continuing to develop their team and services to best service the community, and have launched their Corporate Mental Health & Wellbeing programmes towards the end of the year.

Shelley’s vision for the next 10 years for Breathe includes improving accessibility to waiting list-free treatment, educating people about mental health, eating disorders, obesity and wellbeing, and continuing to make people well.

For more information on Breathe Therapies and the services they provide, please visit www.breathetherapies.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 01772 915735