Meet Briana Boyd | Founder & Certified Peer Support Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Briana Boyd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Briana, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve found that, unfortunately, unless someone has personal experience with a struggle, they cannot fully empathize or take action towards authentic improvement. For me, starting Insula Collective wasn’t so much a thought process as it was turning my experiences and skills into a solution for others. I’ve struggled with my mental health my entire life and have a history of suicide loss on my father’s side, having lost both my father and uncle to mental illness. I make it a habit to “check myself” and feel that while I didn’t always receive the support or resources I needed, I was ahead of many others in my community. I had health insurance (albeit the worst) and a parent who validated my diagnosis. My mom was willing to help guide me in navigating my care. Additionally, I began researching mental illness and advocating for myself from the age of 16. I have lived experience trying to get what I need from our mental health system and that informs my ability to try and understand how that may look for others.

Though I had been seeing mental health providers throughout my life, it wasn’t until 2022 when I first joined group therapy that I felt its immediate and palpable impact. Later, when I found a Black-specific mood disorder support group, I fell in love with the sense of community, representation, and understanding I found. At the same time, I was saddened to hear about the lack of resources, understanding, and help myself and other participants felt. More often than not, the sentiment was “we don’t matter and no one cares. This is the only place I can just be. Not even my friends and family get it”. Before I ever thought about taking action myself, I found myself wishing to simply increase the number of similar spaces for people of color.

Once I found myself once again unemployed, I decided to switch gears a bit in terms of my career. I felt very eroded and worn down from trying to create a seat for myself in the indie music industry I had worked in since the age of 17. I knew I was capable of handling myself in those environments, but I simply did not want to deal with certain limitations any longer. Feeling freed and empowered, I no longer had to worry about word of mouth and blackballing, for lack of a better word. I could now be myself in person and online, and who I am is someone who experiences mental health challenges and deeply cares about the emotional suffering of others. I decided to pursue becoming a certified peer support specialist in CA to bring more support groups to Black and Brown communities throughout LA and online. I have many ideas and future initiatives in the works, but the motivation for Insula Collective is simply to offer real understanding and support to others, especially when they are at their lowest.

What should our readers know about your business?

In Latin, Insula translates to “island”. We’re living in a time where it’s very easy to become isolated and alone and that can be especially dangerous in combination with mental health issues. At Insula Collective, we pride ourselves on our commitment to creating inclusive and accessible mental health resources tailored specifically for the BIPOC community. What sets us apart is our dedication to providing safe spaces where individuals can feel supported, heard, and empowered on their mental health journeys. My journey hasn’t been easy, but overcoming challenges has only strengthened my resolve to make a difference.

I’ve learned valuable lessons along the way, primarily the importance of resilience and community. Building Insula Collective required me to ignore the imposter syndrome, fear, and shame enough to try and create something positive. It’s bigger than me and I think that’s what’s forced me to follow-through with things – it’s not about me as an individual.

What I want the world to know is that Insula Collective is more than just a business—it’s a community. We’re big on hope, advocating for mental health equity and amplifying marginalized voices in the wellness space. Our story is one of resilience, empathy, and unwavering dedication to creating a world where everyone has access to the support they deserve.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Junior High in Glendale and Scribble in Highland Park are both very special for allowing me the opportunity to use their spaces to run our support groups. Apart from Insula Collective being there, they really are doing the work to provide resources and plain old space for young people of diverse backgrounds in Los Angeles.

I also want to shoutout Reparations Club and Pot Studio LA for what they do for the culture.

I recently moved back to the Highland Park area after about 3 years away and some of my favorite spots are Highly Likely, Antigua Bread, Highland Park Yoga, Kinship, and estuario. I like hiking at Debbs park and just going for a long walk nearby while enjoying podcasts.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to thank my therapist, Brandi Walker. When I found myself unemployed, on the cusp of losing health coverage, and struggling to figure out how to manage my finances and emotions she was very steadfast in her professional support of me. She could have easily said “peace. I cannot bill your insurance any longer so good luck and adios”. I would have completely understood. Instead, she offered me free weekly therapy during one of my most dark and unstable periods. It made me feel like I mattered and it’s genuinely the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. That empathetic human first approach is desperately needed and I appreciate her going above and beyond for me as a client.

Website: https://www.insulacollective.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insulacollective