NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans business is giving people a place to smash, splash and let go of whatever's been weighing on them.

Break Room NOLA is a smash-and-splash therapy center where visitors can break things and paint to manage stress and anxiety.

"Break Room Smash NOLA is a place where people can come relieve their stress, their anxiety, their worries, their fears, their frustrations," said Casme Barnes-Carter, the owner.

It starts with a marker and a plate. Before anything gets broken, visitors write down what's been on their mind, then suit up and get to work.

"After that you get dressed up, you get suited up, and you break things. You go crazy," Barnes-Carter said.

The space also includes a splatter room, where visitors trade broken dishes for bright colors and walk away with a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

Barnes-Carter said the idea came from a personal moment when she broke a plate during a frustrating time. Her work through her nonprofit, Daughter of the King, helping children through difficult situations, also pushed her to create a place where people could let go healthily.

"A lot of them carry a lot of hurt, guilt, shame, abuse, and when I realized what that felt like for me, I wanted to experience that," she said.

Creating a welcoming environment has always been a priority alongside what happens inside the smash room.

"Break Room NOLA is a space where people come in, and they feel the warmth of the employees. I pray over this space," Barnes-Carter said.

In less than three years, more than 10,000 people have visited the center. "We've probably serviced more than 10,000 people to date, and we've been open a little less than 3 years," Barnes-Carter said.