- The need for more therapy for moms and moms to be in our neighborhood is large.
- TheOasis Center for Women & Girls has a new after-hours counseling program.
- The after-hours services are between 5 to 8 p.m. on weekdays and on Saturdays and Sundays.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The need for more therapy for moms and moms to be in our neighborhood is large.
TheOasis Center for Women & Girls has a new after-hours counseling program.
When I talk to Ashley Leland about her three kids all you can hear is the pride in her voice. The mother of three describes her time raising her kids as rewarding, but many times challenging.
"I know how hard it is to not be able to have someone to go and talk to," Ashley Leland the Tallahassee mother said. I know what it's like to have to bury what you're going through at home so you can get a day's work done. I know what it's like to feel like no one is no one cares. I know what it's like to feel like no one is listening."
She wishes she had asked for help more often.
The Oasis Center for Women & Girls is looking to give moms help with a new after-hours counseling program.
"This after-hours counseling consists of 12 free sessions with licensed therapists," Cinthya Dominguez, the Oasis Center for Women & Girls Director of Empowerment Programs said. "It will be in person. And if the client chooses after their first session in person, they will be able to do virtually, if that works better with their schedules."
The program is funded through a grant from the Florida Children's Services Council.
The program is for women raising children, soon-to-be moms, and female guardians.
Mental Health needs for female caretakers have grown.
"Sometimes just having 45 minutes, 50 minutes to talk to someone and have that space and just admit to yourself like I'm not okay right now. But I want to be," Kristel Avilus, a licensed clinical social worker at Oasis Center for Women & Girls said.
The after-hours program works for moms who don’t have the flexibility to seek help during the workday.
“Women with primary care of their children have very diverse schedules," Dominguez said. "So it's super important for us to be able to provide services that they will be able to, we can empower them to navigate those schedules.”
The after-hours services are between 5 to 8 p.m. on weekdays and on Saturdays and Sundays.
Leland, a working mom herself, knows how hard the balance of work and self-care can be.
"A program like this would have just really helped me to just put things into perspective, it would have allowed me to be more present. It would allow me to really enjoy the moments right before my daughter left for the Air Force," Leland said.
It’s regret she doesn’t want another mother to feel.
And as the intake counselor of the new after-hours counseling programs, she’ll be the first person you get to meet on your journey.
"Until you give it a try, you just never know. And what do you have to lose?" Leland said.
The counseling program is free. They want all types of caregivers including grandmothers or aunts. They also have limited spots for transportation to get here and there’s a childcare service available during the sessions. To learn more about the after-hours services you can go find information here.
