Who We Are
Natalie Taylor (she/her)
President / Owner
I started Embrace for Change Corporation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) as a way to say, "Thank You" to those who have made the greatest impact in my life throughout the years. There have been many people in my life that have encouraged, mentored, accepted and believed in me when I felt alone dealing with personal and family issues. I wanted to create a place where I can do the same for others. Embrace For Change Corporation is a place for encouragement and acceptance. I will support you! I will encourage you! I will stand by your side in the darkest hour! I will believe in your strength and help empower you to overcome your grief, emotions, feeling of being alone, and help educate you on improving your own mental health. We offer a range of community support services, including counseling, case management, and support groups. Our services are designed to meet the unique needs of each individual client.
Natalie earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California (2011). She earned her Associate’s Degree in Human Services from Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis (2007). Natalie has worked in various financial settings and joins the practice with over 20 years of Finance experience and over 8 years of Human Resource Management experience.
Shannon Walsh, LMHC-A, NCC, CCTP (she/they)
Director of Support Groups & Community Events
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Associate; National Certified Counselor; Certified Clinical Trauma Professional
Shannon Walsh earned her Master’s of Clinical Mental Health Degree from IWU in 2023, with concentrations in trauma and grief. Shannon went on to obtain a Graduate certificate in Clinical Addictions Sciences from IWU as well. Shannon began her career at The Willow Center where she facilitated IOP, Seeking Safety, and DBT Skills groups. She has experience working with depression/anxiety, self-harm behaviors, suicidal ideation, substance use, disordered eating, and neurodivergence. Shannon is a trauma informed therapist and uses eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to assist clients in processing traumatic experiences, memories or events. EMDR is an evidence-based trauma treatment modality. Multiple studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference in a much shorter amount of time. Shannon has been a clinical mental health counselor in Indiana since 2023 and is working toward her LMHC in Indiana.
Her primary modalities include Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), Motivational Interviewing, and Solutions-focused therapy.
In her own words:
“This ‘work’ is my passion. I came into this work later in my life, as I spent a large portion of my life dedicated to caring for my children, engaging in advocacy and volunteer work. I am a lifelong Hoosier, though while my partner was in the Army, we lived in a few other states. Ultimately, when he retired from the Army, we knew it was time to go ‘back home again in Indiana.” However, we opted to not move back to the tiny rural town we grew up in and opted for Hendricks County! The juxtaposition of corn fields, highspeed internet, and Starbucks drew us in, and the wonderful people were definitely the icing on the cake.
We have lived here with our four children since 2015. We are both active volunteers within the county. I am currently one of the Board members for Hendricks County Pride and can be found jumping into volunteer throughout the state. In my free time, I enjoy working out, cooking, all forms of art, video games, music, and learning. I am also a tireless advocate for the LGBTQIA+ and disability communities. I believe in meeting people exactly where they are, which also means ensuring they are comfortable. As such, I typically can be found wearing an advocacy tee, jeans, and my Rainbow Vans in the office. You will also find plenty of fidgets, cozy blankets, and possibly a good joke or two. I am a very laid back and open-minded therapist who is passionate about ensuring clients feel safe and comfortable knowing there is never judgment in my office. Taking the first step to ask for help is BRAVE. I’m proud of you for that. Thank you for working to take care of YOU.”
Braeden Craig (he/him)
Community Outreach Coordinator
A current undergraduate student at Indiana University Bloomington, Braeden is passionately studying nonprofit management and youth development. Braeden has a past of working with scheduling, event planning, social media marketing, and more as he worked often within the Civic Leaders Center (CLC) at IU and Bring Change 2 Mind at Plainfield High School doing initiatives along those lines. He now works at the CLC as a First-Year Mentor for incoming freshmen, where along with helping freshmen navigate and excel their first years at IU, he also continues to work on marketing and recruitment tactics for the CLC.
In his own words:
“I have always had a passion for family dynamics and youth advocacy. I am a firm believer that the youth are our future, and far too often they are shunned away and ignored by the masses. Since I was a child, I have recognized the incredible role parents play in children reaching their full potential. I want to one day work for a youth advocacy nonprofit that does not only help children and teens follow their dreams, but gives parents the resources to help make that happen.
Furthermore, I have a great passion for marketing and outreach. Any company, small business, or nonprofit is only as successful as the marketing tactics allow them to be. I believe through various tactics of social media outreach and community engagement Embrace For Change along with any organization can more successfully do the mission it intends to do. My goal is to help as many people as possible learn and understand the mission of Embrace For Change and understand that it is a safe space for them to be.”