Sandy Bassin, Founder & Executive Director

Most people think of adolescence as just a phase, something every kid moves through and comes out the other side of. But for girls, the stakes are different. Girls are twice as likely as boys to experience a mental health disorder, and too often, confidence is the first thing they lose. Not because they're lacking anything, but because girls face higher risks of internalizing their struggles (depression, eating disorders, self-doubt), absorbing it all quietly in ways that rarely show on the surface, while most of them are doing it without nearly enough support. For Sandy, this is more than research. It's her own story.

Sandy grew up like a lot of girls. She had a loving family, good grades, friends and was involved in sports and the arts. But when adolescence hit, her confidence quietly disappeared. Anxiety crept in, the pressure to fit in became overwhelming. By 16, she had developed an alcohol use disorder, and an eating disorder followed not long after. It was during that time she made herself a promise: one day, she would create something that would have a positive impact on the lives of girls.

Now nearly twenty years in recovery, she founded Her Story believing that girls need to be supported, seen, and surrounded with the protective factors that build resilience before a crisis takes hold. Sandy holds a degree in psychology and has spent the past decade working in the behavioral health field. She lives in New York with her husband and four children and Bernadoodle, Bowie.