Maria Scrimenti

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.