For decades, Lisa Tindal helped improve the lives of countless people in Aiken County through her leadership in mental health and nonprofit services.

Tindal, who is now retired, has always has a passion for art. The Statesboro, Georgia, native chose to major in psychology at Georgia Southern University and found her passion by improving the Aiken community through mental health assistance, counseling and overseeing various programs with Mental Health America.

“I had begun my professional career in Statesboro with the Department of Family and Children’s Services,” Tindal said. “As a child, I guess I just was born with a lot of empathy toward others. I can remember as a little girl seeing children that seemed to need something extra.”

During her time with the department, Tindal oversaw child death protocols, adoptions and several other services for 15 years before taking a job at Children’s Place Inc., a local nonprofit that seeks to heal and mitigate the impacts of trauma in children and their families. It was a time and a position that Tindal said she “treasured.”

“I was doing the important work of Children’s Place, which is so important for families,” Tindal said. “… I had a case load – I guess of several families – where the children would come to Children’s Place, and they would each get a therapeutic treatment plan; and that plan was all-inclusive … I would then go in the home and show the parent how to carry that over in the home setting. 

“That’s really so instrumental,” she continued. “I never thought about it until I started working with adults in MHA (Mental Health America), but we were not only helping the child – we were helping the parents.” 

Tindal’s passion for helping others recover from trauma is rooted in part by her own experiences as the survivor of a previous abusive relationship, which she said resulted in some “horrific” trauma. 

“My father was abusive toward my mother, and in some ways, my grandfather was abusive toward my grandmother,” Tindal said. “So there was a great generational cycle. I’m now married to a wonderful, kind, patient man who calls me an enigma wrapped in a riddle … he just allows me to be me, which is an absolute gift for anyone.”

Despite some of the darker days of her family’s past, Tindal and her children have managed to thrive. She is happily married to her “wonderful” husband, Greg, who she met through a friend, and is a proud mother and grandmother.

“I had a conversation with my children last year,” Tindal said. “… I told them both, ‘You have broken generational cycles, and I’ve helped you in some way. But because of your strength, you’ve done it on your own.'”  

Tindal’s past experiences are what fed her passion for helping people improve their lives through mental health services. She was especially drawn toward helping young women and expectant mothers recover from domestic violence and other abusive situations.  

Her mentor at Children’s Place was Peggy Ford, who continues to act today as the nonprofit’s executive director. Ford said she recognized how “deeply” Tindal cared about women and children, and believed she had more talent and more to offer than she could act on in her position at Children’s Place. 

“I saw that there was a vacancy in the leadership at Mental Health America of Aiken County,” Ford said in an email. “I knew she possessed leadership qualities, and I approached her to gauge her interest. We often laughed about me kicking her out. It was never that, it was recognizing her strengths. She, of course, went on to become the executive director of Mental Health America of Aiken County for several years.”

As the executive director of Mental Health America of Aiken County, Tindal spearheaded several programs aimed at improving the lives of abuse victims. This led to Tindal’s involvement with Nurture Home, a transitional home for young expectant mothers.  

“It was hard work,” Tindal said. “There weren’t all happy stories, but it was meaningful work.” 

Tindal’s involvement in community improvement extended beyond her work with her participation in groups like United Way, One Table and local anti-domestic violence efforts.

“Through her leadership, Nurture Home, a transitional home for women and their children, was revitalized and the cottage was built,” said Sharon Rodgers, president of United Way of Aiken County. “Lisa initiated many support groups and outreach programs. She is greatly missed in our nonprofit community.”

After more than 20 years of working on the front lines of mental health, Tindal eventually decided to retire. Leaving mental health services made her realize how critical it is for people who make a career out of taking care of others to also take care of themselves.

“Self-care is very important,” Tindal said. “I didn’t really realize how important self-care was until I was no longer in the helping circles. Sometimes, unknowingly, it becomes a buffer or blinders to taking care of yourself.”

Retirement enabled Tindal to reconnect with her artistic side. She writes and paints, and believes artistic expression can be a powerful tool in improving mental health. 

“Anything that you do with your hands that you put yourself into, it is so soothing,” Tindal said. “It’s almost like a release of endorphins. You’re self-soothing. It’s been a real gift to come back to art for me. It’s truly evidence that it’s never too late to do something you feel like you’re created to do.”

Tindal also is working on publishing a children’s book called “Look at the Birds,” inspired by a verse from the book of Matthew in the Bible. Tindal said her book is “geared” toward young children and encourages them to manage feelings of worry or stress.

Her faith has had a profound impact on her life, and women of the Bible have inspired her greatly; but she said trusting in faith wasn’t always an easy task. 

“As a child, I was raised in the kind of church that made you absolutely terrified of God, which is common in the South … when you’re scared from the pulpit, you have a journey where you kind of meander around that,” Tindal said. “Faith is a journey. It’s a journey. It’s a continual seeking.” 

Tindal believes her own life has been a journey, as well. She thinks bad experiences don’t have to be a hindrance, but can be a measure of success later on in life.

“I’m focused on helping people see you can use your past as a reference for how far you’ve come, but you don’t have to use it to show how far you can go,” Tindal said. “… When you believe your life can be different, that’s the key that’s going to open that door.”