Be. // Center for Holistic Mental Health and Healing

09/04/2026

✨ Meet Lori Smestad, MSE, APSW In Training✨ Be. Gentle
Lori provides counseling support to adolescents, adults, and families, with a focus on anxiety, social-emotional development, life transitions, and building resilience. She is passionate about creating a supportive and welcoming space where clients feel heard, empowered, and encouraged to grow.
Using a client-centered and strengths-based approach, Lori helps individuals build self-awareness, strengthen coping skills, and navigate challenges with greater confidence. She also incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to support meaningful and lasting change.
Lori currently serves as a school counselor at McKinley, where she works closely with students and families to support emotional wellness, healthy development, and academic success. Her experience in the school setting has deepened her passion for helping youth and families through compassionate, relationship-centered care.
As an in-training practitioner under the supervision of Dr. Carey Sorenson, Be.’s ECD and Lead Psychologist, Lori is excited to continue expanding her clinical experience while seeing clients at Be. as she furthers her professional training toward becoming an LCSW.
For her Be. Lori chose Be. Gentle as a reminder to approach oneself with the same kindness, compassion, and unconditional acceptance you strive to offer others.
Outside of her professional work, Lori enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and maintaining balance and connection in her everyday life.
We are excited to welcome Lori to the Be. team! 💙

09/03/2026

We’re back in our beloved space. 🤍

A place that has always been, and continues to be, a beacon of hope, healing, and connection for our community.

And now, we’re WELCOMING NEW CLIENTS.

If you or your child are ready for support, we’re here to meet you where you are, with compassionate, holistic care for children, teens, adults, and families.

Ready to begin?
Contact us directly or Complete our Client Intake Form:

https://www.beholisticcenter.com

Come as you are.
Be. where you are. 🤍

We believe that Be. is something to be cultivated, embodied, and practiced. That’s why we believe in a strengths-focused, holistic approach to health and healing.

08/29/2026

The Seasons of Be. 🤍

There are places that hold more than memories.

They hold pieces of us.

As I look around Be. today, I find myself thinking about all of the seasons of Be. that brought us here.

There was the season of BEginning, when Be. was just a dream taking shape. When the vision was bigger than the space, and the possibilities felt endless.

There was the season of BEcoming, when the walls began to fill with people, stories, laughter, tears, healing, connection, and community. When Be. became more than an idea. It became a place people could feel.

This last year was a season of stretching (many times when I felt I would break), growing, rebuilding, and BElieving.

And now, we find ourselves entering another season.

A season with more space.
More possibility.
More room for people to gather, breathe, heal, connect, and simply Be.!

This season does not erase the ones before it.
It is built upon them. We will never forget where we came from, but every season of Be. has left something behind:

A lesson.
A memory.
A person who changed us.
A dream that grew.
A moment that reminded us to keep going.

Every season mattered.

So this isn’t goodbye to one version of Be. and hello to another.

It is a thank you to every season that has carried us forward.

To the season that started it all, thank you.

To the seasons that stretched us, thank you.

To the season we are living now, we are grateful for you.

And to the seasons still ahead…

We are ready.

Same heart.
Deeper roots.
More room to grow.

This is Be.

And what a beautiful privilege it is to watch her become. 🤍

If you want to learn more about our collective, want to join our collective, or feel we could support you in a meaningful way please email [email protected]

08/28/2026

🎪✨ Back to School Bash at Edison Elementary! ✨🎪

A big Be. thank you to Edison Elementary School, Appleton for welcoming us to your Back to School Bash! 💛

What a beautiful way to kick off a new school year, carnival style! 🎈 From bouncy houses, games, and booths filled with fun, there was something for everyone. Most importantly, it was a chance for kiddos to reconnect with friends after a summer apart, while parents had the opportunity to connect with teachers, staff, other families, and community partners.

We are so grateful to be part of a community that understands that supporting children means surrounding them with connection, belonging, and people who care. 💫

A special Be. shoutout to Patty Dempsey and Emily Valence for spending the evening representing our Be. Collective and connecting with the Edison community! 🫶

Here’s to a wonderful new school year filled with curiosity, connection, growth, and plenty of reasons to Be. 💚

Please remember we are always here for you if you need a space to Just Be.!

Be. Connected. Be. Supported. Be. You.!

08/27/2026

🌈 Tonight, I came back to Be.

After the flood.
After the uncertainty.
After the disruption, the repairs, the waiting, and wondering what it would feel like to walk back into this space again.

And tonight, on my very first night back at Be., a rainbow appeared right over our space.

I don’t know if you believe in signs from something greater than ourselves, but I do believe that sometimes the timing of things can feel very sacred.

Across traditions, the rainbow carries beautiful symbolism: hope after hardship, renewal, protection, transformation, and a promise that the storm will not last forever.

And maybe that’s what our collective needed to see tonight.

A reminder that the storm happened, but it doesn’t get the final word.

A reminder that something beautiful can emerge from something difficult.

A reminder that coming back doesn’t necessarily mean returning to what was. Sometimes, it means stepping into what comes next.

Be. has always been about more than walls.
It is about being present. Being seen. Being human. Being held.

Tonight, I stood inside this space again and felt something I hadn’t felt in a while:

Hope and that I was exactly where I was supposed to Be. 🌈🤍

Here’s to new beginnings, restoration, and whatever beautiful chapter comes next.

We are back.
And we are ready to Be.

If we can support you on your journey to BEing in any way please reach out to [email protected]

08/22/2026

There was something so incredibly special about the music made by 4North at Be. Celebrated. 🎶✨

Their beautiful rendition of “You Are My Sunshine” — “Please Don’t Take My Sunshine Away” — seemed to capture the heart of the entire evening: connection, gratitude, joy, and the reminder that even in difficult seasons, there is still so much light around us.

Music has a way of bringing people together, and 4North filled the space with a warmth that could truly be felt. 💛

Thank you, 4North, for sharing your incredible talent with our Be. community and helping make this celebration so memorable.

And to everyone who came, supported, laughed, connected, gave, and simply was with us — thank you for being part of the sunshine. ☀️

08/21/2026

Thank You for Celebrating Be. ❤️‍🩹

Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude after such a beautiful Be. Celebrated evening. Thank you to everyone who showed up, celebrated with us, supported us, and helped us honor this next chapter of Be., the Be. Giving Season.

This celebration was about more than a space. It was about restoration, renewal, community, and remembering why we began.

When Be. was first created, the words “Be. Still” from Psalm 46:10 spoke deeply to my heart. Today, it is the words “and know” that speak the loudest. To know that God is present, He continues to guide us, He will ALWAYS send an army to help. And to know that even when things feel broken, they can be cleansed, restored and turned into something more beautiful.

And because of our incredible army: the generosity of our Be. family, friends, colleagues, and community partners, we were able to gift 15 people intentional experiences and items AND raise just over $5,000 to tornado relief.

Those donations will be given to support tornado relief through the Community Foundation of the Fox Cities, allowing the spirit of giving that surrounded our celebration to extend beyond our walls and into our community.

We’d love for you to enjoy a small highlight from our owner, Dr. Carey Sorenson’s, speech and take a little walkthrough of our space. This beautiful video was intentionally filmed and thoughtfully compiled by our wonderful community partner, Elizabeth Gilbertson. 🤍

And of course, an evening of celebration wouldn’t be complete without recognizing those who helped make it so special:

🍴 Roskums — thank you for the yummy food!

🍿 Fox Pops — thank you for the delicious snacks!

🎨 Prism Pop — thank you for bringing the fun with face painting!

🎶 4North — thank you for filling our evening with such beautiful music!

✨ Skin Specialties by Kelly and Sunstone Foot Zone by Mallory — thank you for providing opportunities for relaxation and renewal throughout the evening.

🔔 Deb Sommerhalder of Inner Sun — thank you for sharing your gifts and creating space for relaxation and connection through sound.

🎁 Cassandra Diaz of Authentically Me — thank you for your generous donation of sound to be shared..

🧺 Elizabeth Gilbertson — thank you for your beautiful gift basket and for all the ways you continue to show up as a community partner. We are especially grateful that you captured and compiled our celebration so thoughtfully.

🧘🏼‍♀️ Lululemon — thank you for your generous donation of yoga mats and for supporting our vision of making movement, wellness, and healing accessible within our community.

🎁 Veronica Beltran-Guzman of Beltran Insurance Agency — thank you for your extremely generous gift basket and for helping make our celebration and Be. Giving season so special.

🍱 Bristol Morgan Bank — thank you for helping support the complimentary charcuterie board that helped feed and welcome everyone who attended. Your generosity helped create such a warm and abundant gathering.

🌿 Riverview Gardens — a very special thank you for generously extending your parking and property to us so that we could accommodate and welcome everyone who wanted to come celebrate with us. Your kindness helped make it possible for our community to gather together, and we are so grateful for your support.

And to our entire Be. family, friends, colleagues, practitioners, supporters, and community partners—thank you. You made this possible, and are such an important part of this story. We truly could not do what we do without you.

If you weren’t able to attend but feel drawn to come experience Be. for yourself, please reach out to us! We would be so happy to welcome you, show you around, and share what this space has become.

This is Be.

A place to be still.

A place to know.

A place to be seen, heal, connect, and grow

Please hold in your heart that restoration is always possible

Blessings,
Carey & the Be. Family ❤️‍🩹

08/20/2026

08/20/2026

So blessed to have partnerships with such amazing providers! One of our silent auction items is being generously provided by Cassandra Diaz! And even better she will be providing a sound bath for anyone who feels moved to join this evening!

PLEASE BRING YOGA MATS OR BLANKETS

✨ Closing early today so I can help support Be. // Center for Holistic Mental Health and Healing at their rededication event this evening 🤍 My holistic practitioner journey started in this beautiful space and she has been through a lot over the past year. If you are free this evening, stop by and show some love 💕 I will be facilitating a sound healing experience at 5:15! More info in the event link here: https://facebook.com/events/s/be-celebrated-a-rededication-a/1563522551973417/

08/20/2026

Day 8 Reveal: Prism Pop Art! 🎨✨

We’re excited to welcome Prism Pop Art onsite tomorrow at Be. Celebrated! 🎉

Get ready to add a little extra fun to the celebration with face painting! 🎨🖌️ Whether you’re looking for something colorful, creative, or just plain fun, Prism Pop Art will be here to help you celebrate in style.

Come enjoy and connect with our community.

We can’t wait to see you tomorrow! 💛