Garden Refuge Nonprofit & Counseling Center

07/06/2026

My favorite gym shirt says: I work out to burn off the crazy. Funny fact - we do burn emotions in a manner of speaking, like we burn calories.

When we have a surge of emotions, or experience chronic stress and abuse, our bodies store those emotions, much like it stores calories from food. Those stored emotional calories are called PTSD and CPTSD

07/02/2026

Free concert in Springfield near Governor's mansion. We'll be there again tomorrow night. Come say hi, participate in research, get a glow bracelet and enjoy the free music!

06/14/2026

This one is near and dear to my heart.

The more I looked into the magic mirror, the more I felt human, the more I told my children about the horrible curse I had been under, the more I sought their trust. If they expressed fear or hurt from the past, I would say, “I was sick. I’m not doing that now.” Nothing was truly resolved by m...

06/09/2026

Join us at the Levitt Amp Concert this Thursday night for free bluegrass and country rock! We'll have a table at the back end of the field, across from the stage.

Bring your lawn chairs and picnics! Enjoy 10 weeks of free, live concerts in downtown Springfield right across from the Governor’s Mansion.

05/14/2026

We loved participating in the Urban League family event at Jaycee park on Saturday. We were there, helping family write down stories about a relative who overcame a trial, decorated a tree and then laminated the stories. Multiple studies have shown that knowing family stories is protective. The list of benefits is LONG.

05/01/2026

Is your therapy trauma-informed?

Stabilization comes before healing begins. The nervous system must learn safety, regulation, and how to complete the stress cycle to regain calm and focus.

05/01/2026

Need therapy. Don't have insurance? Subsidize policies are available for as little as $8/mo for an individual earning $30,000/yr. Check out the calculator at the link. Garden Refuge accepts BCBSIL

Find, compare and buy affordable, comprehensive health insurance. Access savings on premiums, deductibles and copays and enroll in less than 10 minutes.

04/22/2026

It isn't every day we get to work on the other missions of GR. Today we helped set up the community garden at Hope Springs. Coming together to provide a beautiful space is always amazing. A favorite gardening trick - twine to mark out straight lines.

04/17/2026

Counselor: Licensed Practitioner of the Healing Arts. Accepting Medicaid.

04/15/2026

Araxie Jensen will be at the Inaugural Religious Trauma Symposium at Harvard Divinity School this week. Just a little reminder from Garden Refuge: Faith should promote healing, not hinder it.