News + Events

Meet our new Interim Executive Director, Meredith Switzer

We’re thrilled to announce that Meredith Switzer has been selected as the new Interim Executive Director and will start her position in January 2022, after our current Executive Director Leslie McCrory retires at the end of this year. Meredith will fill this role while we search for a permanent Executive Director.

“I’m honored to lead All Souls Counseling Center through this important transition,” said Meredith. “I look forward to working closely with the dedicated staff, providers, board members, community partners, and donors who make providing quality, affordable mental health services for the uninsured and underinsured of WNC possible. I can’t think of a more critical time to be engaged in this work.“

Meredith joins ASCC after more than 20 years in nonprofit leadership. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Homeward Bound, the region’s largest homeless services provider, and has served in leadership capacities – either on staff or on the Board of Directors or Advisory Council – for more than 15 area nonprofits. She has dedicated her career to finding solutions to challenging community issues including food insecurity, access to mental health services, availability of affordable quality childcare, and public education.

Meredith is a graduate of Leadership Asheville and Leadership North Carolina and currently serves on the WomanUP Committee for the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. She was recognized as the Chamber’s “Outstanding Woman in Nonprofit Leadership” in January 2021. She holds a B.A. in Broadcast Communications from UNC Chapel Hill and a M.Ed. in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University. She resides in Weaverville with her husband and twin sons.

We’re very excited to welcome Meredith to the ASCC community and benefit from her extensive experience as she assists with this time of transition for the organization.

ASCC Chosen for Mountain Xpress’ 2021 Give!Local Campaign

All Souls Counseling Center is thrilled to be chosen as one of only 46 area nonprofits to be part of Mountain Xpress’ 2021 Give!Local campaign supporting local philanthropic organizations. If you donate more than $25, you’ll receive a voucher book filled with great freebies and discounts from your favorite retailers around the area — High Five Coffee, One World Brewing, Mellow Mushroom, Art Garden AVL, Zuma Coffee, Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria, Franny’s Farmacy and more — to thank you for your contribution. Check out our Give!Local page here: https://givelocalguide.org/…/all-souls-counseling-center/

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5th Annual Mental Wellness Walk held virtually on October 2, 2021

The Walk was presented by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Western Carolina and All Souls Counseling Center. The walk normally includes a 5K, music, refreshments, and resource displays. However, this year, due to the pandemic, the event was held virtually and community members participated on their own time, similar to 2020. Despite being virtual, the event was a huge success. The Walk seeks to raise awareness of mental wellness and to promote community resources available for people with mental health issues. Pictured are walkers from MindPath Care Center and NAMI WC Board President Terri Harris. Our sponsors this year included AVL Technologies, Onas’s Place, The Bonnie R. & William H. Kinschner Family Foundation, NC Brookhaven Behavioral Health, RHA Health Services, Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, Legal Aid of North Carolina, and Pitts, Hay and Hugenschmidt, P.A.

Why walk for mental wellness? Mental health was ranked one of the leading health issues facing Buncombe County according to the most recent Community Health Assessment with half of respondents reporting that mental health care was difficult to access.

Registration was held at: mentalwellnesswalk.org

All funds raised supported the work of NAMI WC and All Souls Counseling Center to provide mental health counseling, support, education, and advocacy

ASCC receives a $5000 grant from the First Horizon Foundation

All Souls Counseling Center (ASCC) is honored to receive a $5000 grant from the First Horizon Foundation to support our work! First Horizon’s Asheville Community Market President Peter Best stopped by our Center to present the check and met with ASCC Development Director Brendan Hughes. ASCC is very thankful for First Horizon Foundation’s contribution towards our mission of providing affordable and high quality counseling for those without insurance or who are underinsured. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Foundation.

Our 2020-2021 Annual Report is here

ASCC has released its Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2020-2021!

The report includes:

An overview of our work during this time period with relevant statistics
An overview of our services
A brief history of our founding
Special Initiatives and Events

Please click here to read the report!

Support us through the 2021 State Employees Combined Campaign!

All Souls Counseling Center (ASCC) is honored to be selected as a designated charity in the 2021 State Employees Combined Campaign (SECC). Are you a state employee or retiree? You can support ASCC through the SECC by making a donation or setting up a payroll deduction. You can find us with code #1842. To learn more, please visit https://www.ncsecc.org/

Check out Pisgah Health Foundation’s interview with our team!

Pisgah Health Foundation interviewed our team members regarding our services and history. Thank you to the Foundation for supporting our mission and to Angela Owen for hosting the interview!

Check out our video interview with therapist Marilyn Kolton!

We interviewed our longtime therapist Marilyn Kolton and she discussed her experience working at All Souls Counseling Center, our mission, and what our services bring to the community.

All Souls Counseling Center mourns the loss of Charlie Schoenheit

We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and dear friend Charlie Schoenheit, who passed away in May. Charlie, our Clinical Program Director, worked for over 40 years providing and managing community mental health in Western North Carolina. He began as a therapist at All Souls Counseling Center (ASCC) in 2016 and served as our interim Executive Director for over a year. He dedicated his career to helping those that struggled with mental health and substance abuse, especially those with fewer resources to seek help. He will be deeply missed.

Public Zoom Event held on May 20th

We hosted a special public zoom event on May 20th: “The Mental Health Challenges of the Pandemic and the Mission of All Souls Counseling Center.”

Our longtime therapist Marilyn Kolton and Executive Director Leslie McCrory discussed the unique mental health challenges they’ve observed during the pandemic and offered some suggestions for what works in addressing these. We also discussed the mission, services, and future of ASCC, and left time for the public to participate and ask questions.

Brendan Hughes joins the team as Development Director

Brendan Hughes joined the team as All Souls Counseling Center’s new Development Director in January 2021. Brendan brings over 10 years of experience in nonprofit development and management to the role, including time in the Peace Corps. He’s excited to support the mission of ASCC and to work with its community. Please feel free to reach out at brendan@allsoulscounseling.org with ideas or to say hi!

Client Testimonials

[My counselor] has been a life-saver in so many ways. His practical suggestions are tremendous. His caring and empathy are palpable and so valuable to me at this time. I am so grateful to him and to ASCC for making this affordable.

My counselor has and continues to help me tremendously and I have interacted with her better than any other counselor I have seen in the past.

[My counselor] is very likely saving my life. My gratitude has no measure. Thank you.

[My counselor] has been a lifesaver and a life vest in a stormy sea.

Exactly what I needed, in exactly the way I needed it. Eternally grateful.

Where would we be without All Souls Counseling Center?

[My counselor’s] calm accepting demeanor helped me feel comfortable and safe in discussing anything. Her suggestions were pivotal and realistic in helping me deal more successfully with my anxiety.

I have come for both individual as well as couples therapy and I love the level of care I receive here. So thankful to have found you guys.

I’ve noticed the changes in my personal life have gotten better and with the help of counseling I’m more happier and able to see growth.

My experience here at All Souls has been so life changing. The amount of compassion and dedication I feel here is so comforting. I wasn’t sure I would ever get my mind and life back but I did and I’m so grateful for this place, I love it!

This place has been a literal life-saver. I have never felt more respected or understood by a counselor. Now that I’ve come here I can’t imagine what I’d do without this place.

ASCC has helped my partner and I have a better quality of life that we otherwise would not have been able to afford. Thank you.

I appreciate [my counselor]. He listens with no judgment but only caring for my well-being.

[My counselor] brought so much light to our marital issues. He helped us work through years of built up negativity. With his guidance, we were able to find our love and compassion for each other again.