The Refuge Center for Counseling
Elizabeth Schuler Edwards has a diverse work experience history, starting with their role as a Visitor Information Specialist at the Williamson County Visitor Center in 2013. Elizabeth then moved on to work as a Customer Service Clerk at Publix Supermarket from 2008 to 2015. Elizabeth joined Middle Tennessee State University in 2014 as a Graduate Assistant. In 2016, they interned as a Master's Level Counseling Intern at The Refuge Center for Counseling.
In 2017, Elizabeth began working at Centerstone as a School-Based Therapist for a few months. Elizabeth then returned to The Refuge Center for Counseling in 2017 as a Contract Therapist, and later took on the role of Director of Compassionate Care from 2018 to 2020. Currently, they hold the position of Director of Contract Therapists at The Refuge Center for Counseling starting from November 2020.
Elizabeth Schuler Edwards started their education at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where they obtained a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Liberal Studies with minors in Psychology and Mental Health Services. This was completed in the year 2014. Elizabeth continued their education at MTSU and obtained a Master's of Education degree in Professional Clinical Mental Health Counseling, which was completed between the years 2014 and 2016.
The Refuge Center for Counseling
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 them beginning—to offer affordable, professional counseling services in order to empower, educate and support individuals, couples and families in need. Amy and Jennifer had discovered that there were few opportunities for affordable counseling in the area, as many local therapists charge $90 – $150 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 – $100 per session and is based on each individual’s income level. In 2016, The Refuge Center served 2, 126 clients in 15,533 counseling sessions. 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 16 therapists, one Advanced Psychiatric Nurses, and multiple Master’s and post-Master’s level interns on staff. Each counselor has a different area of focus, including domestic and dating violence, adolescent behavioral issues, play therapy, addictions, marital therapy, grief and loss counseling, family counseling, and therapy for parent training and adoption-related issues. The Refuge Center for Counseling values systemic health, affordability, excellence, Christ-centered faith, education and hope.