The Refuge Center for Counseling began in 2005 and provides 38,000 counseling sessions for over 4,000 clients annually. Services are provided on a sliding-fee scale, based on income, so that everyone has access to care. Every person matters, and no matter what they can pay, where they live, or what they have been through, they deserve access to the very best care for their emotional wellness. Affordability, excellence and compassionate care are hallmarks of the services at The Refuge Center. Amy believes that the counseling process empowers people to become free of the burdens, barriers and shame stories that prevent them from experiencing freedom in their lives. Amy supports a culture of connection, character and continuous learning within the organization, with the goal being that staff feel seen, safe, secure and soothed.
Amy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has been in the field for 23 years. Her areas of clinical focus include trauma, domestic and sexual violence, grief and loss, and identity work. Brennan Manning said, “Many people between the ages of thirty and sixty-whatever their stature in the community and whatever their personal achievements- undergo what can truly be called a second journey. The second journey begins when we know we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the morning program.” Amy’s deepest passion is helping people as they begin their “second journey.”
Amy is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization (EMDR,) Brainspotting, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Trust-Based Relationship Interventions (TBRI), Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (L1), CAMS (Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality), ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training), The CRAFT Model (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) and is certified in the polyvagal theory Safe and Sound Protocol Training. She is also a Certified Grief Movement Guide. Amy is an American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Approved Supervisor and a Clinical Fellow of the association. Finally, Amy is alumni of Leadership Franklin and a member of Find Hope Franklin.