LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Organizations are continuing efforts to support western Kentucky communities that were impacted by tornadoes earlier this month.
One trio of therapists in Louisville is doing what it can to help storm victims virtually.
What You Need To Know
- Transcends Counseling Services is a private therapy group made of three therapists
- The team is offering six free therapy sessions to those impacted by western Kentucky tornadoes
- The office is located in Louisville, but sessions can be completed by phone or on video
- The group is eliminating costs, transportation and insurance barriers
Lindsay Carney loves spending time with people she loves and helping those she barely knows.
Carney is a therapist and co-founder at Transcend Counseling Services, a private therapy group that provides individual, family and couples therapy.
The team is expanding services to support western Kentucky tornado recovery efforts.
“The effect of natural disasters goes far beyond the immediate event and crisis, and so there's a lot of long term mental health impacts that can occur after events such as a tornado,” Carney said.
The team of three is offering six free telehealth therapy sessions to anyone impacted by the tornadoes, giving them a space to discuss what happened and the effects it's had on their social and emotional well being while eliminating costs, insurance and transportation barriers.
“We know that those basic needs and not having them met for a period of time can cause symptoms of depression and anxiety," Carney said. "I'm sure we're gonna see an influx in PTSD depending on how close people were to these tornadoes."
The group is reaching out to organizations that are in communities helping people rebuild their lives to spread the word about the service.
“Over time, those relief efforts and people are going to be pulling back out of those communities. So we don't want those communities to feel abandoned three, six months down the road. We definitely want to be in it for the long haul,” Carney added.
Though there is already a lot on their plates, Carney hopes tornado victims will seek help early.
“This is probably one of the last things that people are going to think about needing, because they do need their basic needs before they can meet any other needs. But mental health is so important and even though it's something that we don't see with our eyes, on a day to day basis, it's something that is important to attend to and take care of,” Carney said.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by the tornadoes and needs professional support, you can start by visiting transcendcounselingservices.org.