From Foster Care to Founder: My Journey to Building an Award-Winning Mental Health Clinic

If you had told 12-year-old me that I would one day own and operate an award-winning mental health clinic, I would have laughed—maybe even cried. Because at 12, I was just another girl in care. Another file in the system. Another kid surviving in a world that told me, silently but consistently, that I probably wouldn’t amount to much.

But here I am.

I’m Rose Degenhardt, therapist, advocate, and founder of Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc. in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia. And this is not just a business story—this is a story of beating the odds, rewriting narratives, and proving that with grit, resilience, and purpose, even the most unpredictable beginnings can lead to extraordinary outcomes.

Growing Up in Care: Surviving the Statistics

Growing up in foster care means learning very quickly that stability is a privilege. You become your own advocate, your own anchor. Every move, every new home, chips away at your sense of safety. The statistics around youth in care are brutal—higher rates of homelessness, addiction, incarceration, and mental health struggles. Education often falls by the wayside. Dreams feel like luxuries.

And yet… I always had dreams.

Even when school felt like climbing a mountain with a broken foot—thanks to undiagnosed dyslexia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—I still pushed. I had to study twice as long as others, read things three times over, ask for clarification that felt humiliating, and manage intrusive thoughts and compulsions that no one understood at the time.

But I kept going. Because I knew something: the people who hurt me didn’t get to write my ending.

Grit, Not Perfection

People often ask me what made the difference. It wasn’t one person or one moment—it was grit. I didn’t get to be perfect. But I did get to be persistent. I learned how to self-regulate before I even had the language for it. I learned to adapt, pivot, and grind—skills that are now cornerstones of my therapy practice.

Eventually, I earned my Master’s degree and became a certified clinical counsellor. But more importantly, I built a practice rooted in empathy, lived experience, and professional excellence.

A Clinic with a Mission

When I opened Venture Counselling & Therapy, I didn’t just want to offer therapy—I wanted to create a brave spacefor people who, like me, have walked through fire. We now have a team of incredible therapists, many of whom specialize in play therapy, trauma, addiction, anxiety, and helping families rebuild.

We don’t believe healing happens in silence or shame. We believe it happens when people are met where they’re at, with compassion, creativity, and a fierce belief in their worth.

Today, our clinic serves hundreds of individuals and families. We’ve been recognized for innovation in community mental health care. We are growing, thriving—and disrupting the idea that only certain kinds of people can make it in this field.

Woman. Business Owner. Neurodivergent.

Being a woman in business is already a challenge. Add to that a foster care background, neurodivergence, and a deep trauma history—and let’s just say, there were more than a few closed doors. There were rooms I had to fight to be in. Voices I had to learn to ignore.

Dyslexia makes paperwork hell sometimes. OCD makes decision-making feel like a maze. But I’ve also learned how to build a team around me that complements my brain, not competes with it.

What some call limitations, I call my superpowers. My brain makes me detail-oriented, empathetic, and fiercely creative. I see the world differently—and that’s exactly what made Venture successful.

For the Kids Still in Care

To the kids still bouncing between placements, wondering if they matter: you do.

To those with invisible disabilities who are dismissed as lazy or dramatic: you are not.

And to the women who feel like the odds are stacked against them every time they enter a boardroom: your voice belongs there.

Why I Do This

Every child we support at Venture Counselling is a reminder of why I started. I do this for the little girl I was, who deserved more. And I do it for every person who never felt safe enough to ask for help.

Because healing is possible. Because you can defy the odds. And because sometimes, the most broken roads lead to the most beautiful places.

Thanks for walking this one with me.

—With heart and hope,

Rose Degenhardt, MA, RCT, CCC

Owner & Founder, Venture Counselling & Therapy Inc.