Austin YWCA Offers Free Counseling To Women Vets, Crime Victims

AUSTIN, TEXAS — YWCA Greater Austin offers free Individual and Group Counseling Services to Women Veterans and Victims of Crime in North Austin and Williamson County, officials announced.

In addition to its South Austin location, officials explained, YWCA Greater Austin is now offering services in North Austin and Round Rock to facilitate access to individuals living and working in these areas. YWCA offers free counseling services to Victims of Crime and Veteran Women. All other services are available through a sliding fee scale which starts at $10.

Beginning in February, YWCA will be offering the following groups:

• "When Love Hurts: A look into families and intimate relationships." This group examines subtle patterns and dynamics that define abuse within a relationship. Participants will learn how to listen to and integrate intuition in the core of our everyday life. (All locations)
• WoVeN connects women Veterans of all eras and service branches and empowers them with information, education, and resources to improve their quality of life. By building strong connections among women Veterans, WoVeN groups are designed to enhance wellness, relationships, and career satisfaction. (South Austin Location)
• Support Group for Veteran Women: This therapeutic processing group provides a safe environment for women veterans to meet and share their experiences in the military and how and if those experiences affect them today (South Austin Location: Monday 6 p.m.)

“Therapy offers individuals a chance to improve all aspects of their life by addressing mental health concerns and challenges," YWCA Clinical Director, Laura Gomez-Horton said. "We provide counseling for individuals working through anxiety, depression, trauma, gender expression, grief, and other obstacles that may be affecting their ability to achieve their goals.”

Added Executive Director, Ángela-Jo Touza-Medina: “YWCA is committed to helping improve the lives of individuals in the Greater Austin community by making our services more geographically accessible and giving everyone an opportunity to heal without hurting their wallet."

Officials noted that YWCA Greater Austin’s Veteran’s Program is supported by a grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance, which provides funding to organizations serving veterans and their families. The programming for other clients is offered through a combination of county, city and philanthropic and individual giving.

“We are grateful to the organizations, companies and individuals, who allow us to prioritize mental health through the services we provide," Touza-Medina said. "Good mental health is an essential component of general individual health. It also enables financial health through individual empowerment and agency”.

For more information or to schedule a counseling appointment, call: (512) 326.1222.

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