Mission, Vision,
and History

The Refuge Center for Counseling opened in December 2005 as the vision of its founders Amy Alexander and Jennifer Gillett. Amy and Jennifer had a strong desire to serve their area of residence—Williamson County—which is recognized for its wealth, oftentimes overshadowing those who are in need. To live among great prosperity and to be in need is often to feel invisible.

The Refuge Center’s mission was clear from the beginning—to offer affordable, professional counseling services in order to empower, educate and support individuals, couples and families in need. In 2022, The Refuge Center updated the mission to further encompass the growth experienced since it’s founding. Aligning with the founding mission: The Refuge Center exists to offer excellent, accessible and affordable mental and emotional healthcare services in support of a transformational impact on communities. Amy and Jennifer had discovered that there were few opportunities for affordable counseling in the area, as many local therapists charge $90 – $175+ per session. They wanted to offer therapy to those who could not afford those fees, so they created a sliding-scale fee structure that ranges from $25 – $125 per session and is based on each individual’s income level.

The name for the center was inspired by a passage in Isaiah which says, “It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and a hiding place from the storm and the rain.” (Isaiah 4:6) Beyond being a place to receive affordable and professional counseling services, The Refuge Center has also become a place where people are able to find hope and healing from the storms of their daily lives.

The Refuge Center currently has more than 70 counselors and Master’s level interns on the team. Each counselor has a different area of focus, including anxiety, depression, domestic and sexual violence, addictions, marital therapy, grief and loss counseling, family counseling, divorce adjustment, parenting challenges, and therapy for children and teens. To learn more about our services, click here.

The Refuge Center for Counseling values systemic health, affordability, excellence, Christ-centered faith, education and hope.