Musician Brian Welch is better known to Korn fans as “Head” — the guitarist and founding member of the nü-metal band that formed in 1993.
Now, at 55, he’s taking on a new role as a mental health advocate with the launch of Atlantic Behavioral Health, an organization that runs outpatient treatment centers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
“[When I was younger] I felt the depression, kind of like a dark cloud over me from day one,” Welch said in an Instagram video. “And I was like, 'What's wrong with me? What is this? What do I have to be depressed about?' I just couldn't put my finger on it and it just got worse and worse as the years went by."
Eventually, Welch sought out traditional therapy with a psychiatrist, but the one-on-one sessions never quite clicked for him.
“I didn’t have a group, I didn’t have the community,” he said. “I wish I’d had a program like Atlantic back then because you have that scholarly wisdom, but also conversations with peers that are going through similar things as you."
For Welch, partnering with Atlantic is not just a business venture — it’s a multi-faceted healthcare program that combines individual therapy, group therapy, and medication management. And it’s something he’s proud to introduce to the people who need it most.
“I know what it feels like to live at the bottom of a dark pit, but I also know if you put in the work, the light will come back on, and Atlantic is going to help so many people find that light switch," he told Variety.
"I believe if I can completely change the trajectory of my mental and emotional health, anyone can — Atlantic can be such a precious tool in helping people to achieve just that.”
A version of this article originally appeared in the 2025 Mental Health Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
Header image via Yabee Eusebio
