Refuge Center offers affordable counseling services
By Carole Robinson, staff writer
crobinson@williamsonherald.com
Ten years ago, Sandy found herself completely without hope. Born with a catastrophic heart problem and not expected to survive the week, her son lived to see his 13th birthday before his damaged heart finally gave out. A few years later she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a double mastectomy, her husband left her.
“For years I was crawling through life – the shell of the person I used to be – I had no purpose,” she told a group at a fundraiser for The Refuge Center for Counseling. “Tragedy hits every age and every socio-economic level. The Refuge Center changed my life. I want to live – I want to laugh.”
Even in a county known for its wealth, there are many who are struggling financially and need counseling services. Often they feel invisible, said co-founder Amy Alexander during a recent fundraiser.
After completing their Master’s Degrees in Marital and Family Therapy, Williamson County residents Amy Alexander and Jennifer Gillett had a strong desire to serve the people within the county who have an unserved or underserved need.
“The waitress who works at Cracker Barrel who finds out her three daughters had been sexually abused and would like them to go through therapy cannot afford a sliding scale that begins at $60 a session,” Alexander said. “We wanted to create a scale in which anyone had access to therapy, no matter what their income level or insurance.”
There is a real need to provide counseling services for regular people dealing with life’s issues, she added.
With help from a foundation set up by their husbands and a founding board member, The Refuge Center opened in 2005 providing services in a Christ-centered agency serving clients who were victims of domestic violence, had attachment issues regarding adoption and marital problems. The goal was to eventually be able to serve the whole family on one site and their vision was to create the opportunity for every individual and family, no matter what the income level, to receive therapeutic resources.
During that first year, Alexander, Gillett and one intern treated 30 clients. The second year they had 284 clients and additional therapist came on staff. The third year they saw 530 and the first quarter of 2009 they already had more than 300 clients. Considering each individual is seen an average of 10 times, “We stay busy,” she said.
Addiction, job loss, marital strife, parenting issues, abuse, grief and loss – The Refuge Center exists to offer affordable professional counseling services that will empower, educate and support individuals, couples and families in need using a “sliding payment scale that meets people where they are,” Alexander said.
The scale at The Refuge Center for Counseling ranges from $10 to $85.
About one third of the referrals are for family or relational problems. Alexander said. Another third is domestic violence or sexual abuse.
“We have a very close relationship with the shelters in the area,” she said. “We have an alliance with the Child Advocacy Center and Mercy Children’s Clinic.”
At the Center, specially trained therapists offer a broad range of specialized therapies including art therapy, play therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, internal family systems, EMDR – eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy that assists in moving the impact of a trauma from center stage in the brain to a memory, and dialectical behavioral therapy to help overcome the affects of anxiety, child abuse, domestic violence, identity issues, parenting problems, relationship issues and more.
The Refuge Center receives referrals from more than 35 local including child advocacy center, churches, health clinics, domestic violence shelters, but “someone can pick up the phone and talk to us,” Alexander said. “We will hook them with the right therapist. Right now our number one reference resources are our current and former clients.”
To offer the sliding scale payment plan, The Refuge Center relies on funding from churches, individuals, special events, grants and foundations.
“Each session costs about $63,” Alexander said. “The average payment is $28. We have to raise $35 to scholarship clients.”
Since The Refuge Center is a non-profit agency, its success is dependent upon the generosity of donors and volunteers that provide time and talents in administrative, marketing, technical areas and more.
Fundraisers are also an important means for accruing resources. There will be a songwriter’s night at the Boxwood Bistro on July 16 from 6 -10 p.m. featuring songwriter, Doug Johnson, who wrote "Three Wooden Crosses," which was recorded by Randy Travis.
For information about services, or to contribute, check out the Web site at www.therefugecenter.org or call 771-1155.
By Carole Robinson, staff writer
crobinson@williamsonherald.com
Ten years ago, Sandy found herself completely without hope. Born with a catastrophic heart problem and not expected to survive the week, her son lived to see his 13th birthday before his damaged heart finally gave out. A few years later she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a double mastectomy, her husband left her.
“For years I was crawling through life – the shell of the person I used to be – I had no purpose,” she told a group at a fundraiser for The Refuge Center for Counseling. “Tragedy hits every age and every socio-economic level. The Refuge Center changed my life. I want to live – I want to laugh.”
Even in a county known for its wealth, there are many who are struggling financially and need counseling services. Often they feel invisible, said co-founder Amy Alexander during a recent fundraiser.
After completing their Master’s Degrees in Marital and Family Therapy, Williamson County residents Amy Alexander and Jennifer Gillett had a strong desire to serve the people within the county who have an unserved or underserved need.
“The waitress who works at Cracker Barrel who finds out her three daughters had been sexually abused and would like them to go through therapy cannot afford a sliding scale that begins at $60 a session,” Alexander said. “We wanted to create a scale in which anyone had access to therapy, no matter what their income level or insurance.”
There is a real need to provide counseling services for regular people dealing with life’s issues, she added.
With help from a foundation set up by their husbands and a founding board member, The Refuge Center opened in 2005 providing services in a Christ-centered agency serving clients who were victims of domestic violence, had attachment issues regarding adoption and marital problems. The goal was to eventually be able to serve the whole family on one site and their vision was to create the opportunity for every individual and family, no matter what the income level, to receive therapeutic resources.
During that first year, Alexander, Gillett and one intern treated 30 clients. The second year they had 284 clients and additional therapist came on staff. The third year they saw 530 and the first quarter of 2009 they already had more than 300 clients. Considering each individual is seen an average of 10 times, “We stay busy,” she said.
Addiction, job loss, marital strife, parenting issues, abuse, grief and loss – The Refuge Center exists to offer affordable professional counseling services that will empower, educate and support individuals, couples and families in need using a “sliding payment scale that meets people where they are,” Alexander said.
The scale at The Refuge Center for Counseling ranges from $10 to $85.
About one third of the referrals are for family or relational problems. Alexander said. Another third is domestic violence or sexual abuse.
“We have a very close relationship with the shelters in the area,” she said. “We have an alliance with the Child Advocacy Center and Mercy Children’s Clinic.”
At the Center, specially trained therapists offer a broad range of specialized therapies including art therapy, play therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, internal family systems, EMDR – eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy that assists in moving the impact of a trauma from center stage in the brain to a memory, and dialectical behavioral therapy to help overcome the affects of anxiety, child abuse, domestic violence, identity issues, parenting problems, relationship issues and more.
The Refuge Center receives referrals from more than 35 local including child advocacy center, churches, health clinics, domestic violence shelters, but “someone can pick up the phone and talk to us,” Alexander said. “We will hook them with the right therapist. Right now our number one reference resources are our current and former clients.”
To offer the sliding scale payment plan, The Refuge Center relies on funding from churches, individuals, special events, grants and foundations.
“Each session costs about $63,” Alexander said. “The average payment is $28. We have to raise $35 to scholarship clients.”
Since The Refuge Center is a non-profit agency, its success is dependent upon the generosity of donors and volunteers that provide time and talents in administrative, marketing, technical areas and more.
Fundraisers are also an important means for accruing resources. There will be a songwriter’s night at the Boxwood Bistro on July 16 from 6 -10 p.m. featuring songwriter, Doug Johnson, who wrote "Three Wooden Crosses," which was recorded by Randy Travis.
For information about services, or to contribute, check out the Web site at www.therefugecenter.org or call 771-1155.
