ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Over the last year, many people have suffered from anxiety or depression and wanted to see a licensed therapist.
But with the average price of a session costing $80 to $175 an hour, it's not very affordable. So when the pandemic hit, a local therapist realized she needed to help.
"The therapist can offer a lot of tools that you can use at home, at work, in your relationship, with your children. And it's so beneficial," explained licensed therapist Katie Schubert, who's been in private practice for over six years.
During the peak of COVID-19, she realized her services were desperately needed but many couldn't afford them.
So she teamed up with a local non-profit group Project No Labels to start a program called, "Dear Self, You're Worth It," which offers discounted or free therapy at Cypress Wellness Center.
"In Cypress Wellness Center, I have two student interns, who work in the program and they see clients anywhere from $30 to $50 a session. 'Project No Labels' can step in and cover the entirety of the cost for the client, if it's needed," Schubert explained.
While other discounted programs can take months to get an appointment, she says at Cypress Wellness Center you can be seen right away either in person or through telehealth for any challenge you're facing.
"Relationships are really struggling right now. People are having a hard time staying married or being okay with their partner, anxiety, depression. What I'm also seeing a lot of is that people have been in isolation for a really long time and have a lot of anxiety about re-entering society and what that looks like," Schubert said.
If you're still apprehensive about talking to a stranger, she says don't be.
"Once people open the door to it, they realize that it's a lot easier than they thought it would be, and they also realize that it's a lot more helpful than they could ever imagine," Schubert said.
Cypress Wellness Center and Project No Labels began this discounted program in January 2020 and has already conducted over 800 sessions with many covered by Project No Labels completely at no cost.
The group is also offering Art Therapy, as they've teamed up with a pottery studio, The Hive in St. Petersburg.
The Center offers group therapy classes for children as well.
For more information, visit cypresswellnesscenter.com or www.projectnolabels.org/mental-health-program.
Cypress Wellness Center is located at 4244 Central Ave, St Petersburg. You can reach the center by calling 727-308-6094.