Charlie Blue Curlett isn’t an ordinary Wheaton Terrier. Sure, he loves to run around the living room, chew on his many toys, meet new people, share a few puppy kisses, and do all the typical things you’d expect from a precocious puppy. But at two years old, he’s already an accomplished volunteer therapy dog. His name is front and center on the building at Charlie Blue Therapy in Flower Mound, and though you’ll never see him leading therapy sessions, he does provide an experience like no other when called upon.
Sometimes, that’s exactly what someone needs to find peace and joy amid their mental health journey — even if only for a moment.
“Charlie is our mascot and Chief Experience Officer. More importantly, he inspires the connection we strive to have with people,” Charlie Blue Therapy owner Jonathon Curlett said. He and his wife, Melanie, recently opened the facility as a passion project to create more mental health service solutions in the community. “People act differently around him, and it’s hard not to fall immediately in love with him.”
He added, “It’s incredible watching people open up after spending time with Charlie. He loves people and is a natural at what he does.”
According to recent statistics, more than one in five U.S. adults are living with a mental illness. What’s more, approximately one in five kids ages 13 to 18, either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness. While significant progress has been made to raise awareness, reduce lingering misconceptions and stigmas, and encourage those suffering to seek help and find a support network, more work remains to ensure everyone has access to the care they need.
Thankfully, Flower Mound and the surrounding communities have become hubs for mental health professionals. But as Curlett pointed out, there can never be enough access to quality mental health services, especially when people are experiencing waitlists and endless searching for help nearby.
This is where Charlie Blue Therapy can help.
Charlie Blue Therapy’s mission is to help as many people as possible navigate some of the most challenging parts of their lives in a convenient, personalized, and accepting atmosphere. Their licensed therapists and counselors offer in-person and Telehealth appointments for all ages, with a special focus on children, adolescents, and families.
The Curlett family’s idea to open a business focused on counseling and therapy, as well as make their family dog the face of the organization, was born from their own struggles and need for family therapy and counseling services. While living in Austin three years ago, one of their two daughters was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. She was only 11 at the time and ultimately went through a two-year ordeal where she endured chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. This was traumatic for her, her sister, and the entire family. After being transferred to North Texas for treatment at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, they were blown away by the impact of the therapy dogs there.
“Children’s Medical Center had every resource you could think of. The visit from a therapy dog was only a small piece to what they do, but it had such a big impact,” Curlett said. He grew up in Flower Mound, but had lived outside DFW for a few years before returning in 2022 to seek care for their daughter. “We saw the therapy dogs walking around at the hospital, and they totally changed the atmosphere in a room when they walked in. Everyone was happy and opening up, and we saw it with our daughter, too. In fact, she kept talking about how she missed her own dog, Charlie Blue, after an extended hospitalization.”
The next thing Curlett knew, he was getting young Charlie Blue certified as a volunteer therapy dog.
“Obviously, he doesn’t provide therapy. But he brings an atmosphere and a calming effect to our clinic,” he said. “As we were looking for mental health services for our family, we saw the need in our own community. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any good ones here locally. It’s just that there is more demand for mental health services than what each community can keep up with. My wife and I have been in the healthcare industry for many years, so I immediately thought, ‘This is our chance to use that experience to make a difference in our own community. Let’s open a clinic and try to improve access to care, hopefully helping all those people that may not otherwise get a chance to talk with someone when they need it most.’”
So far, so good. Charlie Blue Therapy is accepting patients and hopes to build on its success as the New Year begins. Curlett said they are also looking to hire more licensed mental health professionals and possibly expand into other areas if everything goes as planned.
“I hope we continue to be part of the solution for the community. I want people to know we’re here to help,” Curlett said. “I want people to read this and ask, ‘Where do I fit in?’ Maybe they know someone going through a tough time and could use a little help. Maybe they know a counselor or therapist and could ask if they’ve heard about our clinic. We welcome anyone that finds a reason to connect with us on any level. We want to figure out different ways to help.”
That will, of course, mean more work for little Charlie Blue. But from the looks of it, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Learn more at charlieblue.com
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