When I was a kid, I wanted to be a singing, novel-writing, moviemaking psychiatrist. I always wanted to contribute something to the world and to be a healer and a creative. I did end up doing some singing. Wrote a novel, only watched movies and never went to medical school, so I am now a substance abuse and mental health counselor.
It brings me joy to be a witness to change when it happens, to be part of people’s journey, to see them grow in their relationships to self and others. It can also be frustrating at times because change is usually very gradual for all of us, and with substance use and mental health disorders, it is the nature of the beast that folks relapse, often multiple times, before settling into long-term recovery. And then, many never make it.
I am one of the lucky ones. I struggled in my own journey to find affordable therapy, so it is my passion now to offer services as we do at All Souls at a rate that people can afford. I started there a mere six months before the pandemic put a halt to face-to-face sessions. I had never thought much of telehealth but have been pleasantly surprised by how well it actually works! For those who have no transportation, which is true of many of our people, it is a godsend.
We here in Asheville are so fortunate to have places like All Souls Counseling, especially now when people have been through so much. I am proud to be part of it!
— Jessica Ringle Substance abuse and mental health counselor All Souls Counseling Center Asheville
We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we’ve never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.
We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.
Why we help: Passionate about offering affordable therapy
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a singing, novel-writing, moviemaking psychiatrist. I always wanted to contribute something to the world and to be a healer and a creative. I did end up doing some singing. Wrote a novel, only watched movies and never went to medical school, so I am now a substance abuse and mental health counselor.
It brings me joy to be a witness to change when it happens, to be part of people’s journey, to see them grow in their relationships to self and others. It can also be frustrating at times because change is usually very gradual for all of us, and with substance use and mental health disorders, it is the nature of the beast that folks relapse, often multiple times, before settling into long-term recovery. And then, many never make it.
I am one of the lucky ones. I struggled in my own journey to find affordable therapy, so it is my passion now to offer services as we do at All Souls at a rate that people can afford. I started there a mere six months before the pandemic put a halt to face-to-face sessions. I had never thought much of telehealth but have been pleasantly surprised by how well it actually works! For those who have no transportation, which is true of many of our people, it is a godsend.
We here in Asheville are so fortunate to have places like All Souls Counseling, especially now when people have been through so much. I am proud to be part of it!
— Jessica Ringle
Substance abuse and mental health counselor
All Souls Counseling Center
Asheville
Thanks for reading through to the end…
We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we’ve never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.
We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.
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Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.
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