Franklin, Tenn. – The Refuge Center for Counseling, a nonprofit with a mission to educate, support and empower those in need, recently offered its 100,000th counseling session since its founding in 2005. The milestone speaks not only to the excellent, affordable care offered by the center, but also to the important need for mental health care that exists in the Middle Tennessee community.
“When we opened our doors 12 years ago, we knew the need was great, but we never could have imagined just how great,” says Amy Alexander, co-founder and executive director of The Refuge Center. “The 100,000 counseling sessions we have offered represent more than 14,000 lives in the Middle Tennessee area that have been changed thanks to the healing power of therapy.”
Lauren May is one of the thousands of people who have found hope at The Refuge Center. In honor of her 27th counseling session last month, which she completed on her 27th birthday, she used social media to raise $2,000 for the nonprofit that she credits with helping to save her life.
“The Refuge Center for Counseling has provided me with so much more than an opportunity for healing—they have equipped me with the tools to rediscover and reclaim my hope and strength,” says May. “I am embracing my emotional health with a gracious heart that the people of The Refuge Center for Counseling were not afraid to get their hands dirty when it came to pulling me out of the mud and mire of my mind until I was able to firmly stand on my own two feet again.”
The Refuge Center has grown 15 to 50 percent each year since its founding, and it is on track to reach 15 percent growth over the prior year by the end of December.
“We are proud of our growth because it means that more people are getting the emotional and mental support that they need, which makes our community an overall healthier place,” says Alexander. “We look forward to continuing to expand our resources and services so that we can serve even more of our neighbors.”
To learn more about The Refuge Center for Counseling, visit therefugecenter.org.
