Congresswoman Kathy Castor stands proudly with a group of women in front of a building bearing her name. She cut a blue ribbon that hung over the entrance to commemorate the grand opening of Kathy’s Counseling & Wellness Center.
The center is a new facility that is part of the Helen Gordon Davis Women’s Center, a nonprofit organization that helps Tampa Bay women succeed in their personal and professional lives. The original counseling center in Hyde Park has been serving the Tampa community since the 1970s.
The program provides counseling services to women, men, families, couples, teens, and children ages 9 and older, providing support and resources to approximately 400 to 500 clients each year. 82% are women. 38% have an annual income of less than $14,000. 24% are single parents.
Photo credit: Tassie TierneySusan McIntyre, Director of Counseling and Wellness, Helen Gordon Davis Women’s Center.“There are success stories of people going from being deeply depressed, negative, and hopeless to being in the driver’s seat of their lives and saying, “I can decide on a path that is fulfilling for me.” says the center. Susan McIntyre, Director of Women’s Counseling and Wellness;
Responding to growing needs
As the need for mental health support increases, the Women’s Center believes it is necessary to expand its efforts. Caster, who has worked with the Women’s Center for many years, spearheaded fundraising efforts for the building.
“We are seeing an increase in mental health issues for all people, especially women who have to care for their families and put food on the table,” Castor says. “Everything has reached a point of catastrophe now and we need an outlet.”
Thanks to community support and the efforts of anchors, the center secured a $1.2 million federal grant to make the new building a reality and provide free therapy, an important community service.
Thanks to this grant, the center is now able to offer the first 12 counseling sessions to clients free of charge. Through these sessions, the center supports underserved adults who lack the resources necessary to receive mental health help. One of her clients is Bobby, who just finished 12 free sessions and wants more.
When Bobbi Kingsbury stumbled upon the Women’s Center Counseling Center, she was struggling with the weight of financial insecurity, unresolved childhood trauma, and the possibility of impending homelessness.
Bobby says counseling has given him new validation and coping skills.
“I don’t feel as helpless or hopeless as I did 12 sessions ago,” she says.
Photo credit: Tassie TierneyBobbie Kingsbury said her counseling sessions through the Helen Gordon Davis Women’s Center provided her with new validation and coping skills.
“When I came to this place, I really didn’t want to live and felt hopeless…I don’t even make enough money to survive, so it’s very stressful and very depressing,” Bobby says. Masu. “That’s why it’s so important to have a place that offers 12 free sessions.”
As Susan McIntyre emphasizes, treatment should not only be available to those who can afford it.
“Most of the people we meet either don’t have insurance, counseling isn’t covered, or have high co-pays. And they really need their mental health.” “It’s my job to help underserved groups of people who may be…” McIntyre says.
Contribute to the community in many ways
Kathy Castor Counseling and Wellness Center is located on Sly Avenue at the upper end of Seminole Heights, bordering several communities whose residents are often underserved, at risk, and without access to free counseling. Masu. The center goes beyond simple counseling to improve the surrounding community by serving civic organizations and promoting mental health in schools.
Having worked at the Women’s Center for more than 14 years, McIntyre has seen firsthand how important it is to go beyond counseling and support services to provide mental health education to the community. That is the core and fundamental goal of the new center. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the center’s calendar is full of wellness seminars and events.
The center will continue to host monthly community events to educate the public on important topics related to mental health, such as prevention and overcoming trauma, and to encourage people to be ok, especially during stressful or difficult times. The plan is to let people know that it’s normal to not be able to feel things. McIntyre calls this a “healthy mindset” activity.
The center also provides graduate students in counseling-related fields of study with valuable training in clinical settings to meet degree and experience requirements.
Casey, who declined to give her last name, is one such student. She has been working at the center since November, which she says is a safe space for both clients and counselors-in-training.
Photo credit: Tassie TierneyCasey is a counselor-in-training who has gained valuable experience in the clinical setting at Kathy Castor Counseling & Wellness Center.“We learn techniques to deal with stressors, and a big part of that is having a community that we feel safe talking to,” Casey says. “Counselors feel safe and heard, which allows us to be 100 percent with our clients.”
The Kathy Castor Counseling and Wellness Center is a hopeful organization that meets the mental health needs of our community through community education programs, free therapy for underserved populations, and valuable training for future counselors. It marks the beginning of a new era.
“We want people to know it’s here,” Castor says. “Women and families have a lifeline. When you don’t know where to turn, you can turn to (the center).”
To reach the Helen Gordon Davis Women’s Center Counseling Line, please call. 813-210-9719. For more information, please visit our Women’s Wellness and Counseling Center.
This article was produced under an underwriting agreement between 83 Degrees Media and the Helen Gordon Davis Women’s Center, a program established by the Center to help women in the Tampa Bay area achieve professional and personal success. Introducing.
