Client Testimonials
Families, Couples and Individuals. Many of our clients have shared how The Refuge Center for Counseling has helped them through life’s challenges. How can we help you?
May 2nd 2011
Female, Age 38
“It is difficult to even begin to explain how God has used The Refuge Center in my journey to healing. The words spoken by my counselor, the pathway I have been led down, and the encouragement was like water to a weary soul. I’m not sure I would have been able to have completed this path without the assistance of the sliding fee scale, both with the medication management needs and the trauma work. Please rest assured knowing that you have been the hands and feet of the Savior to me and I am deeply grateful.”
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April 4th 2011
Female, Age 24
“My Counselor has helped me realize I have some deep-seated co-dependency issues and provided me with resources and support to address these issues. My counselor has also helped me deal with a lot of emotional pain resulting from my current unhealthy relationship, but in a very tactful, respectful, and extremely supportive and empowering manner. She has given me the hope, when I thought I was going to be planning to start my life over alone. I can’t express the comfort I have experienced through my counselor’s excellent listening skills coupled with her objective observations and keen analysis. In addition, I probably would not have been able to seek this treatment if it were not for the sliding fee scale. Thank you for understanding therapy can be very expensive, which discourages people from getting help.”
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March 29th, 2011
Female, Age 44
“The Refuge Center has helped my husband and I through counseling to become better people and actually enjoy our lives and enjoy being together! We look forward to the rest of our lives together!”
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March 15th 2011
Female, Age 11
“The counseling makes me learn it is OK to feel sad, mad, happy, etc. It also makes me feel like I’m actually being talked to, whereas if I’m talking to others I don’t feel like I’m being listened to as much. I feel much happier than I would have if I didn’t come here. I feel so much safer and I know that it’s OK to be upset about something. I probably would have been so sad about my parents but now I feel even happier.”
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March 15th, 2011
Female, Age 9
“My counselor has helped me a lot. I’m so happy now that my mom can let me have a nice girl to help me better than my mom. It is so cool I can trust her. She has a beautiful personality.”
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March 10th, 2011
Female, Age 36
“The Refuge Center has helped me to release the negative messages I have lived with. It has helped me to release some of the depression I was carrying. Talking about my problems has made me feel better physically and emotionally.”
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March 9th 2011
Female, Age 23
“I came in with a lack of understanding of who I really am and left with a real sense of self love, understanding, and awareness. I now know that many things happen to us and they are simply just that. We decide who we are and what affects us. I have left here with a bag full of tools that can help me no matter what life throws my way. I will always remember how I was able to work through my childhood sexual abuse. I can look back now and can forgive. I see that I don’t have to feel ashamed or broken. My counselor has helped me feel whole and alive.”
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February 24th, 2011
Female, Age 28
“The Refuge Center has helped me tremendously! Thanks to the sliding scale, I was able to get counseling for my divorce. While in counseling, I also was able to work through grief counseling about my mom and her battle with brain cancer. I am ever so grateful for The Refuge Center and would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about counseling.”
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February 22nd, 2011
Female, Age 27
“Before I started counseling, I was in a very dark place emotionally, spiritually, and physically. And when I started my sessions, I began to see the light-a light that touched me and drew me out of the pit and placed me on solid ground again. Without the support of my counselor, I wouldn’t have found a healthy place! I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I praise God for utilizing The Refuge Center in my life.”
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January 19th, 2011
Female, Age 32
“Without the Refuge Center, I wouldn’t be here today. I was in a very bad place when I found TRC and made that first phone call. I’d already begun looking for ways out an it had become such an obsession of mine to end the pain I was feeling that I wasn’t able to see any alternative. I only sought help to hold on a little longer until I could make certain that the people in my life would be okay without me.
After that initial call, I was placed with a counselor who, from the beginning, somehow managed to strike the perfect balance of warmth, support, and professionalism to put me more at ease than I ever thought to be in such a situation. TRC’s sliding fee scale made it possible for me to meet with him nearly every week and, with his help, I’ve made tremendous progress towards overcoming the depression, anger, and anxiety issues that I’ve been fighting for nearly all of my life. Even when it got very hard to return each week (because, let’s face it, therapy is hard work), the progress that I’d made thanks my therapist and TRC made it possible for me to pull myself up and continue on. I’ve been in therapy off and on for seven years with nearly a dozen providers and I’ve never had that before, nor have I ever found someone who made me feel like maybe I’m worth the work both the therapist and I put into the process.
Now I find that while I still struggle with some sadness and anxiety, I’m more content than I ever dreamed I could be and I’m able to see-again thanks to my therapist and TRC-that every day is a gift and that I should appreciate each one that I have. In short, The Refuge Center and my therapist quite literally saved my life and I’ll be forever grateful.”
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December 16th, 2010
Female, Age 28
“I cannot begin to explain how grateful I am for The Refuge Center! The expert level of care, combined with compassion and respect for my personal faith, is more than enough blessing, but to have all of this for a reduced fee? Seriously amazing! I will forever be grateful to The Refuge Center for their care and guidance!”
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December 13th 2010
Female, Age 27
“I’ve learned to get my problems out and not be judged or afraid to be weak. I don’t feel worthless anymore. I’ve got a little more perspective. There’s no way I would have been able to afford counseling. I am just grateful and I have recommended The Refuge Center to at least 10 people. Thank you!”
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December 10th 2010
Male, Age 53
“The Refuge Center has helped me and my family during a crisis time by providing a place and people to listen and counsel regarding family struggles. When life seemed to be crashing in on all sides, including financially, it was a God-send to have people serve us with understanding that we couldn’t fully compensate them.”
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December 2nd 2010
Female, Age 30
“My time here has gotten me through a lot. I appreciate my counselor more than I can say, and I’m so grateful for the time we’ve had together. Counseling wouldn’t be an option for me without the sliding scale, so I was very eager and excited to find out about the Refuge Center. Thank you for what you do!”
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December 1st 2010
Female, Age 16
“Counseling has really been a positive thing. The laid-back and Godly atmosphere of the whole place is comforting and being able to talk to someone who understands me is an appreciated new freedom. I can tell anything and never worry about being ratted out or anything. I can say what I want about things in my life that are good and bad without offending anyone. I’m reluctant to ask for help unless it’s offered me, and here it is. People are here for me, even if I’m angry at my family or just want someone else to talk to.”
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October 1st 2010
Male, Age 11
“The Refuge Center helped me with my bullying, talking to more people, and making new friends.”
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August 1, 2010
Female, Age 42
“The sliding fee scale has helped me get faith-based counseling for my daughter and I. This is hard to find in this area. There’s plenty of faith-based agencies, but few places that accept a reduced fee. Without that reduced fee, I wouldn’t have come but maybe once of month, if at all. I was pleasantly surprised at our counselor’s expertise in drawing things out of us and in helping us resolve issues. My daughter and I have a much improved relationship thanks to Refuge.”
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July 16, 2010
Female, Age 40 & Male Age 41 (parents of teen female served at Refuge)
“Our daughter has completed six months of counseling at The Refuge Center. We are very happy with the results of her treatment. Our goal for our daughter was to find alternative solutions to deal with her stress in healthy ways, in order to replace her cutting tendencies. She has learned how to recognize when situations begin to make her think about cutting and then is able to resist. She either surrounds herself with family and friends, talks to someone, or prays. We would highly recommend The Refuge Center to everyone.”
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July 8, 2010
Female, Age 16
“I started out at Refuge because of my difficulty with dealing with stress. I was really unsure about what my experience here would be like but I was surprised by how much it helped. It didn’t take long at all for me to feel comfortable enough to really open up, and in the few short months I’ve been here I feel like I have made a lot of progress. I’ve come to enjoy coming to The Refuge knowing that I have someone there who cares and is so willing to listen. I have no doubt in my mind that I will reach all the goals I’ve set for myself at Refuge.”
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June 29, 2010
Male, Age 17
“The Refuge Center has helped me a lot over the past couple weeks. It has allowed me to vent out a lot of stress and keep focused on more important things. It has had a positive effect on my mental attitude and is still helping me now.”
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June 28, 2010
Female, Age 47
“I felt like we were loosing our son before we brought him to The Refuge Center. Now I feel like we have him back. We couldn’t have afforded to take him anywhere else. We really needed help.”
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June 25, 2010
Female, Age 10
“The Refuge Center has helped me have a peace of mind and it has also helped me understand that it is okay to cry and express my feelings. My counselor is a truly great person and is someone I can really talk to. I had lost my way after my dad died and my counselor helped me to find my way. I am now much more relaxed than before. My life was so intense until now. My counselor is a true friend.”
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June 12, 2010
Female, Age 34
“I began attending weekly counseling sessions at The Refuge Center in September 2009. I could never afford therapy if it weren’t for the sliding-fee scale. When I was going through one of the most difficult seasons of my life, the counseling gave me tremendous peace and healing. My therapist is incredible. I have experienced major breakthroughs over the past six months. I look forward to continuing each week and always feel uplifted after my sessions. Thanks for making this wonderful resource available and accessible to our community!”
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April 22, 2010
Male, Age 40
“I first came to The Refuge Center to get some help for my teenage son who was facing difficult challenges and crucial life choices. Not only did my son make a great deal of progress, but I also realized that doing some intensive work on my own issues was imperative. With my counselors help, and the use of EMDR, I was able to face the deep seated wounds that I had held from an extremely traumatic childhood. I overcame the fear, anxiety, and intimidation that held me back for a lifetime. For this I am deeply grateful. The changes that I am experiencing are wonderful. I finally feel like I am becoming free to be the person I was always meant to be.”
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April 10, 2010
Female, Age 22
“I cannot put into words how much The Refuge Center has changed my life for the better. The sliding-fee scale has made it possible for me to visit my counselor once a week. He has helped me to understand who I am, to see my strengths and to find my purpose. For the first time in my 22 years I have peace in my life. Thank you so much.”
April 2, 2010
Female, Age 42
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March 31, 2010
Male, Age 31
“To be completely honest counseling is tough! It’s one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. But it has been worth it. All of the hard-work and tears have not been fun or easy. Yet, it has been extremely liberating and life-changing. The tools that counseling has given me will go with me for the rest of my life. I’m not completely out of the clear yet, but I am close. And I will ultimately end up being victorious over my struggles. The fact is: if I would not have come to counseling, I would have never made it this far on my own. It would’ve been easy to quit at several points along the way, but I didn’t, and it is paying off. I am coming closer and closer to reaching my full potential in life. I would recommend counseling for any and everyone who is going through a difficult season, no matter how severe or mild. I believe in what they do at the Refuge Center and would recommend anyone to this place.”
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March 24, 2010
Parents of 10 year old child who received service at Refuge
“The Refuge Center has really saved our family. Our second daughter has a sensory defensiveness (huge issues with clothes, hair, socks, shoes, anxiety, anger and depression) which was controlling our whole family’s lives. Her counselor has given us tools to use to help her and has given her the confidence to be the best that she can be. Her Refuge Counselor (as she calls her “Her Person”) is someone that makes her feel special and not afraid of situations that would normally have thrown her into a downward spiral of anger and depression. She has overcome so many hurdles in the last year and a half. I have no idea where we would be if we hadn’t found The Refuge Center and. Also, being a Christian based counseling center has been such a blessing! Our Refuge counselor has helped each and every one in our family…we all know we have a friend and confidant in her.”
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March 20, 2010
Female, Age 50
“I was given this counseling center’s name by a professional counselor with high recommendations. The sliding-fee scale made it affordable because money can really become an issue when you are already dealing with financial hardship. My counselor at Refuge has been great! He gives you the incentive to work through the issues, traumas, and hardships that incapacitate you on so many levels. He has given me hope that I can free up my mind to become all that God intended me to be and helped me to realize that all that I’ve come through will allow me to help others in ways I never thought possible before. That’s exciting!”
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March 18, 2010
Female, Age 36
“I began going to the Refuge Center to help deal with some post traumatic stress I had from a situation I had at work. I was introduced to EMDR and was very intrigued. The first couple weeks were very stressful and I became very skeptical that it would even work. I continued my sessions and discovered that the nightmares and anxiety I had over the situation became less and less and I was aware that the situation brought me less stress as the sessions continued. Toward the end of my six weeks in session I was not having any nightmares and much less anxiety. I am a firm believer that with persistence EMDR can be really helpful.”
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March 1, 2010
Female, Age 24
“I walked into The Refuge Center as a shell of a woman, unaware of any strength left within me. Through the patience, compassion and sensitivity of my counselor, I slowly found healing and redemption in my story. My counselor helped me make sense of every emotion and pain I was experiencing and allowed me to be honest. My counselor walked through the trenches with me, and by God’s grace I have emerged as a new, strong, healed and whole woman. I have discovered great freedom and joy in this journey and I am eternally grateful to those at The Refuge Center.”
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February 24, 2010
Female, Age 51
“I have been seeing my Refuge counselor for two years now and she has literally saved my life! After a very nasty, long, drawn-out divorce, which I didn’t see coming, my life fell apart. I was so hurt, sad, angry, and scared. I didn’t know how to start picking up the pieces or how to move on with my life. My counselor guided me through all the channels and held my hand the whole way through this journey. Because of my counselor, I am a better, happier and content person. Thank you.”
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February 23, 2010
Female, Age 23
“The Refuge Center has helped me in finding out how to cope with situations and people in my life. I’ve been to a few different counselors around Nashville but feel that for the first time, since coming to The Refuge Center, I can dig deep to the roots of my problems and feelings. I am making so much progress towards being a healthier individual. I am so thankful I’ve met with my counselor!”
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January 19th, 2010
Male, Age 10
“The Refuge Center has helped me learn to become calm and to be able to control myself.”
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January 18, 2010
Female, Age 32
“At the age of 31 the thought of going to counseling for the first time was almost more overwhelming than the high amount of anxiety I was experiencing on almost a daily basis. With the gentle but constant nudging of close friends and the affordability of counseling sessions, I went for one session and continued to go for the next 19 months. Through my sessions at The Refuge Center, I began the journey to discover who I truly am as an individual. The Refuge Center provided me a safe place to bring my hurts, fears, and misperceptions of myself. I know find myself being a huge advocate for counseling and the multitude of benefits it can provide. I also know that once of the main reasons I was able to continue going to The Refuge Center after my first session was because of the sliding fee scale.”
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November 24, 2009
Female, Age 24
“EMDR was a tool that provided great healing to dark areas of my life. I now feel confident in who I am and have taken away great tools to manage my anxiety. Through this process I have felt freedom for the first time in about two years.”
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October 21, 2009
Male, Age 24
“I feel as though this has been the most helpful therapy I have ever received. I now have direction, hope, and alot of goals to work on. My counselor is a great therapist. I would definitely recommend him. It has been hard work, and there is more work to be done, but now I know where I am going.”
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August 19, 2009
Female, Age 43
“When I first came to The Refuge Center I was about to lose my family. The ongoing counseling is putting my family back together little by little. I started the EMDR process for the things I had pent up inside (old memories of a kidnapping, and abuse growing up with an alcoholic parent.) I had alot of hidden feelings concerning people in my life. I now feel like I have conquered these things, and my feelings toward certain people are changing day by day. My anger at God was a real factor in how I lived my life. I now understand that He had not abandoned me, and I feel like I can now trust Him in my life.
The sliding scale has allowed me and my family to receive the help we so desperately needed. I want to thank The Refuge Center for all they have done and are continuing to do. I would highly recommend the EMDR process to anyone with unresolved issues. Thank you, Refuge Center, for helping me get a new lease on life.”
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August 05, 2009
Female, Age 38
“My counselor is amazing!The Refuge Center has helped me more in the last three months than in all other years in counseling. I am more accepting and loving of myself but also have learned that boundaries are also a part of love. The EMDR radically changed controlling behaviors that I have struggled with for many years. My life is so different now that I see myself differently! I am so thankful and blessed I’ve come to know these great people at The Refuge Center!”
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June 11, 2009
Female, Age 46
“I have been blessed by the counseling of The Refuge Center since September of 2007. My counselor has counseled me through the toughest time period of my life. In the course of the past two years I have been through a divorce, was a victim of a brutal attack by my ex husband and sustained traumatic physical injuries, and have buried my beautiful teenage daughter who was in a fatal automobile accident. There are no words that could adequately express my gratitude and thankfulness for the services that The Refuge Center provided and continue to provide for me. Not only has the counseling and support been a blessing but the added relief of being able to pay on a sliding scale has been vital. When you’re in crisis mode the last thing you want to worry about is how in the world you’re going to pay for the help that you desperately need. Thank goodness, even when I couldn’t afford counseling, I was able to still take advantage of the services provided. The Refuge Center was and is a lifeline for me. I pray that it thrives and grows and is able to help countless other women.”
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Female, Age 26
“I was going through a really difficult time in my life, struggling with minor depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem when a pastor recommended The Refuge Center to help me navigate the phase in life I was in. I came to the center directionless, lacking hope and full of confusion….At the end of my treatment I left confident, hopeful, empowered, and ready to embrace life and my dreams.
Had it not been for the sliding-fee scale, it would have been nearly impossible to receive the regular treatment that I needed. I’ve never been one to want an experience to be wasted on me, especially a transformative one, so I really appreciated that the fee I paid weekly would be used to keep the center alive and active so that others could have a safe place to heal and to be restored.”
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March 10, 2009
Female, Age 46
“The Refuge Center saved my life. I was dying inside and out from my abusive marriage. The moment I met my counselor, her precious face and words glowed and gave me a glimmer of hope that eventually became a bright sunshine in my life. I live in Florida now. Everyday I walk outside I still feel that ray of sunshine and it reminds me of the kind of people at The Refuge Center who brought me out of the darkness. I thank God each day for Refuge. I was financially broke and they still saw me. I know God lives in each and everyone one of their hearts. Now they are helping my precious daughter. The cycle has continued but I know with the help of the Refuge Center, she will also see the sunshine.”
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February 12, 2009
Female, Age 31
“The EMDR therapy that I have had at Refuge Center has really helped me! I feel it has been very beneficial to my present situation and has helped me diffuse the negative thoughts and feelings that have held me back and plagued me. I would recommend this type of therapy to anyone who has tried other things without much improvement. So thankful and glad it worked. Thank you Refuge Center!”
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December 25, 2008
From Kristi Mclelland, Women’s Ministry Director at Strong Tower Bible Church in Franklin, TN
“The Refuge Center is making help, healing and transformation possible for so many people who could never access it otherwise. The therapists and staff at The Refuge Center truly make their lives count for something. Their contribution in the lives of their clients is the difference between a continued death and a spark of resurrection!”
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December 19, 2008
Female, Age 21
“I was sexually abused for five years when I was a little girl, however I didn’t get counseling until recently at the Refuge Center. I am now 21 years old. My counselors suggested I do a process called EMDR to help with processing the abuse. It was a really tough few months, but I am so glad I persevered through the process. Now that I am done with EMDR, when the images from the abuse come up I feel so freed from them. I don’t feel like the abuse makes up who I am anymore, not even a part. And now I know that in some way God is going to use some of the hardest years of my life for His glory. It’s empowering looking back to see what I really went through and to realize that even though that happened to me I was able to overcome the hardness of it and move on as a healthy person. I really liked EMDR (although the process does seem a little strange at first) because it didn’t make me forget what happened to me, it made me deal with it, which was my goal. I am getting married in May and feel so freed from my past and excited about the future with my husband. I delayed getting counseling for so many years not because I was scared of it, but because I couldn’t afford it. When my pastor told me about the Refuge Center and its sliding scale I was so happy that I could get quality counseling at an affordable price. My counselors were very professional in the sessions and flexible with scheduling. They cared about me as a person and helping me be a healthier individual, which means a lot. I hope this testimony has helped or reached out to someone struggling. God has you and always will. Keep you’re head looking up. May God bless you all.”
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December 17, 2008
Female, Age 44
“My 10 year old daughter and I experienced a traumatic event. She was not able to move on and was having fear and panic spread into her daily activities. Her counselor was able to give her the skills to put it in its proper place. She was able to use calming techniques that helped her tremendously. She also learned to apply them in other aspects of her routine and is back to being happy, calm, and self-confident. Thank you.”
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October 21, 2008
Female, Age 37
“The Refuge Center has been a huge blessing for our family. Left with very little money, the sliding scale made it possible for my children to still receive the counseling services needed to get through a very tough time. Now, instead of just coping with things and trying to “get by” we are able to work through our issues and heal.”
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August 19, 2008
Male, Age 41
“It was a true blessing to find a place that could help my 13 year old daughter’s rapidly changing emotional needs. It is comforting to me that The Refuge Center is Christian based and that the fees are so reasonable.”
Parents, Ages 30 & 27- testimonial for children who received services, Ages 7 & 12
“Our children’s counselor has been a blessing to both of our daughters. She is easy to talk to and our girls just love her! The sliding fee scale has made it possible for us to get therapy for our children. Without this scale their much needed therapy would not have been possible. Thank you all for everything!”
