New Lipscomb Family Therapy Center opens for community
Janel Shoun-Smith |
To see a photo feature of the grand opening click here.
New therapy center offers convenient relationship care services for the public
Lipscomb University launched its latest community service venture May 14 with the grand opening of the Lipscomb Family Therapy Center, a therapy center offering mental health and relational care services at discounted rates.
Much like a teaching hospital, the Lipscomb Family Therapy Center, located at 3839 Granny White Pike, is able to offer services at discounted rates on a sliding scale, because it utilizes a team approach to care. Lipscomb Master of Marriage and Family Therapy interns offer services under the supervision of licensed therapists.
The Lipscomb Family Therapy Center specializes in treatment of individuals, couples and families, using a relational approach to mental health care. Some examples of the type of problems treated at the center are pre-marital or marital issues, depression, anxiety and parent/teen conflict. The center also offers a play therapy room, stocked with toys and art equipment, and staff who have specialized training in play therapy, often used with children who may have suffered from abuse.
The new center’s director Justin Briggs is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a clinical fellow and approved supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
“The Lipscomb Family Therapy Center is a new and valuable resource to the community,” Briggs said. “Due to our operating structure, utilizing Lipscomb interns, we are able to offer affordable mental health and relational care to individuals, couples and families who may not be able to afford it elsewhere. We are open to anyone needing help and have worked to make the center as convenient as possible for potential clients in any income bracket.”
As part of its service mission, the center partners with local organizations such as Christian Community Services Inc., a local program that helps families move toward financial stability; the Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry; and The Well, a nonprofit coffeehouse and outreach ministry located across from the Lipscomb campus; to connect with clients in need of affordably priced mental health care.
The Lipscomb Family Therapy Center offers its services to all members of the Nashville community. It is conveniently located on three Nashville bus routes and offers evening and weekend hours. Anyone interested in scheduling an appointment or learning more about the services offered at the center can call 615-966-5300.
The center’s location is also convenient for residents of the Green Hills and Oak Hill neighborhood surrounding the Lipscomb campus. Parking is available in the therapy center’s driveway, at the Lipscomb Academy lot or across Granny White Pike.
The center held an open house Thursday, showing off its newly renovated facility located between the Lipscomb Academy campus and Granny White Church of Christ.
“In this house will be healing,” said Chris Gonzalez, director of Lipscomb’s master’s program in marriage and family therapy. “In this house people who have lost hope will find it again.”
“In the coming years, we hope to establish additional therapy centers in other locations around town and to make a positive community impact in ways that Lipscomb hasn’t been able to before,” Briggs said.
The Lipscomb Family Therapy Center is pursuing a Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education accreditation, the highest accreditation in the marriage and family therapy field.
To learn more, visit http://www.lipscomb.edu/familytherapycenter.