May Mental & Emotional Support Grant Awarded to Firefly Wellness Counseling

We’re excited to announce the $10,000 Mental and Emotional Support Business Specific Grant winner for May 2023:

Congratulations go to Anne Rice, who founded Atlanta-based Firefly Wellness Counseling, LLC, a private therapy practice.

Here is some of what Anne shared with us:
By the time I had graduated high school, I’d known four people who committed suicide and many more who had attempted. The suicide rate increased by a statistically significant 8% between 2020 and 2021 for 15 to 24-year-olds. And according to the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey results for Georgia, 43% of high schoolers experience significant depression. There is an incredibly significant need and not enough affordable services. Our vision is to be the go-to therapy practice for anyone who needs affordable, high-quality care [through a] full-fledged group therapy program for teens who are struggling with anxiety and depression and whose parents cannot afford individual therapy.

Our vision is also to be able to provide more sliding scale and pro bono spots to clients, particularly in the Deaf and LGBTQ+ community. Our staff of Black therapists is gender diverse and we also have a clinician fluent in American Sign Language. Potential clients reach out to us because of our unique backgrounds, but many have not been able to afford our fees and our sliding scale spots remain full. It has been so hard to consistently provide care to economically disadvantaged clients while also supporting our business and I am hoping to expand our services in a way to support them through group therapy programs.