Our impact

CHALLENGES WOMEN FACE TODAY

60%

of caregivers are women

83%

of single parents are moms

15%

of moms face major postpartum depression

“I have seen enormous damage done to women because of the emphasis placed on responsibility for pathology that they did not in fact have, when the origin of the problem was really in the social world around them.”

Dr. Teresa Bernandez
Former psychiatrist and Michigan State University faculty member, 1980

We help women, older teens, men, and gender diverse individuals to:

  • recognize and get out of abusive situations

  • alleviate isolation and develop a circle of support

  • stop second-generation effects of trauma

  • succeed in school (over 1 in 5 of the clients we serve are students)

  • survive emotionally and financially and protect themselves and their families when a long-term relationship ends

  • co-parent through divorce

  • build their resumés and self-esteem to return to employment and stability

Overall, in one year our nonprofit saw a 50% drop in the reporting of serious anxiety and depression among personal counseling clients.

Thanks to generous donors and sponsors, in 2022 we provided:

of individual personal counseling through our Soundings, Jumpstart, and Room To Talk programs.

11,014 hours

of free divorce education and support to help women through the loss of a long-term relationship.

70 sessions

of affordable career coaching and financial coaching, enabling individuals and families to get back on their feet.

155 sessions

51 MomShare

support group sessions, at no charge, to build parenting skills and reduce social isolation for new moms. Total attendance was 728.

were responded to by our front desk staff, answering questions and connecting people with resources.

Over 1200 calls

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

  • "My therapist has given me so many tools and has really made me feel hopeful that I can overcome my struggles and have a good life."

  • "Going Solo helped give me strength when I didn’t know I had strength."

  • "My counselor was always very understanding of what I needed and always knew what to say. It was also helpful that we’re both trans and have had similar experiences. She was great."

  • “If you are a black man or a black woman it is hard to find people who are of color. There’s a small handful of us who can find a person who can actually listen to us because our voice might be different or the way we speak may be different. So it was nice to be with someone who might not have been through what I’ve been through but looks the same way and understands.”

More tangibles of our impact

A majority of clients also improved on other dimensions: “greater confidence,” “feeling more in control of my life,” and “better able to deal with life’s challenges.”

59% of Women's Center counseling clients are supporting themselves and/or their children; 27% of these have young children.

Our counseling clients are about twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts than other Washtenaw County women and 9 times more likely than men. At the end of counseling last year, the percentage of Women’s Center clients who were severely anxious/depressed was less than half than when they started.

Our therapists help clients address the impact of systemic inequities (such as unequal pay, racial discrimination, caregiving responsibilities, undocumented status, legal and financial consequences of divorce, coercive relationships) on their emotional, financial, and physical health.

Your contribution helps someone who is facing a critical life challenge to get support.