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A new Black-owned counseling center is bringing mental health services to a Virginia community with a focus on making support more accessible.
Inspire You Counseling Center officially opened Monday, Sept. 28, in Portsmouth. Hometown founders George DeGroat and Geravis Brown launched the center to create a space where people can openly discuss trauma, grief and emotional well-being.
The new center also reflects the founders’ commitment to bringing mental health resources back to their hometown.
Inspire You Counseling Center opens in Portsmouth
DeGroat, who serves as CEO of Inspire You, described the opening as a major personal milestone.
“This is like a dream come true,” DeGroat said about bringing mental health services back to Portsmouth.
The center aims to provide a welcoming environment where community members can seek support and discuss challenges that can affect their emotional well-being.
Its mission also places particular attention on making mental health support more accessible within the Black community.
Black-owned center focuses on mental health
Mental health remains an important conversation in communities where access to culturally responsive support can play a role in helping people address emotional challenges.
At Inspire You Counseling Center, the founders are creating a space where clients can talk about difficult experiences, including trauma and grief.
The center’s opening gives Portsmouth residents another local option for seeking counseling and discussing their mental health.
For DeGroat and Brown, the launch also carries a personal connection because both founders are from the area.
Founders bring services back home
Opening Inspire You in Portsmouth allows the founders to combine their professional mission with their connection to the community.
Rather than creating the center elsewhere, DeGroat and Brown chose their hometown as the location for their mental health initiative.
That decision makes the grand opening especially meaningful for the founders and the community members they hope to serve.
The center is now beginning its work in Portsmouth as it seeks to make counseling and emotional support more accessible.
The opening also highlights the growing presence of Black-owned businesses and organizations addressing mental health needs within their communities.
As Inspire You Counseling Center begins serving residents, DeGroat and Brown are hoping their hometown initiative will give people a supportive place to address trauma, grief and emotional well-being.
The center’s opening marks a new chapter for mental health services in Portsmouth and a personal milestone for its founders.
Source:Black Information Network / 13News Now
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