Samantha Mathews
Samantha Mathews
Andrée Collective serves female survivors of complex trauma who have fled situations of intimate partner violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in a two fold manner: employment and therapy. Founded by Samantha Mathews. Andrée Collective offers professional job training in various aspects of the wedding industry while also providing group and individual evidence-based trauma therapy with licensed mental health professionals.
Survivors partner with and learn from event professionals in various aspects of the wedding industry, while completing professional training and goal-focused career coaching. In addition to employment, survivors engage in regular group and individual evidence-based trauma therapy with licensed mental health professionals. Combining therapy with employment allows for a unique trauma-informed environment where survivors work and heal in a compassionate, empowering setting.
About Samantha Mathews:
Samantha Mathews is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor and founder of Andrée Collective with an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Sam discovered her passion for serving female trauma survivors at the start of her career in nonprofit fundraising with a domestic violence/sexual assault dual agency in North Carolina and has spent the last ten years gaining invaluable experience in the field while laying the groundwork for Andrée Collective. Her mother was a domestic violence survivor which makes this work deeply personal.
Domestic violence is a pervasive issue with profound impacts that often affect current employment and new job opportunities. Survivors often face challenges that hinder their ability to secure and maintain employment, ultimately affecting their financial independence and stability.
The wedding industry in the U.S. is a 70+ billion dollar industry. Andrée Collective uses the lucrative event planning profession to give survivors job opportunities. Survivors are paired with professional event planners to learn the wedding planning business, opening the door to flexible, high wage income. Each student completes a 9 month paid apprenticeship in the for-profit wedding industry, learning customers service along with professional skills and expectations. Job coaching, resume help and other services are provided to assist students in moving forward in wedding industry careers.
Andrée Collective also provides pay-what-you-can group therapy along with free financial literacy classes.
This unique combinations allows survivors to gain on-the-job experience and a solid work history for resumes and references, in addition to mental and emotional healing. Andrée Collective works with each student to identify goals for success and helps each survivor move forward to a more stable and safe future.
