By Elise Hinman
Northside News
Winter is upon us, and this dark time of year often poses challenges to personal mental health and well-being. While seeking out therapy for mental health can be challenging, counseling services on the Northside are not far away.
Willow Counseling & Therapeutic Arts Center — currently located in the Lakewood Plaza Shopping Center, 615 N. Sherman Ave. — is a woman-owned, queer-owned, and veteran-owned holistic mental health clinic led by Tammi Wolfe Zine. The Center offers trauma-informed, personalized care for a diverse range of clients. Services include traditional psychotherapy, yoga therapy, art therapy, or a combination of approaches. Additionally, they are a proud member of Dane County Comprehensive Community Services, a voluntary, community-based program that offers psychosocial rehabilitation services at no cost to qualifying community members.
Willow Counseling & Therapeutic Arts Center also hosts community yoga classes, but it’s a tight fit in their 1,200-square-foot space. To expand their capacity to serve the Northside and Madison communities, the Center will move to a 6,300-square-foot space in the Northgate Shopping Center, 1291 N. Sherman Ave., in early 2025.
When queried about the move, Expressive Arts Program Director Jamie Mills emphasized that the Center loves being on the Northside and is fortunate to continue growing in the community.
“Part of our practice at the new location is going to be a yoga studio where we’ll have regular community classes,” explained Mills. “We host only a few community classes right now because of space constraints, but that’s a part of our practice that we’re really excited to grow…. We’re excited to invite people in to try us and see if it’s a good fit for them, but to also feel that sense of community.”
She explained that this new space will accommodate more community members without losing the one-to-one connection people feel with each other and their instructor in class. “Our goal is to continue to meet our clients’ needs in a space that supports healing and creativity,” Mills said.
When asked about the Center’s long-term vision, Mills replied, “We plan to be an anchor for the community, and a center for community gathering when it comes to wellness.” She also said they are hopeful this new space will enable Willow Counseling & Therapeutic Arts Center to expand opportunities for therapeutic arts programs, expressive art programs, and traditional therapy, all under one roof.
One final question revolved around the benefits of therapy. Mills thoughtfully responded, “Psychotherapy and the integration of experiential expressive mind body therapy [contributes to] healing the whole person [and] building new resiliencies in uncertain times. I think that’s the language that speaks to people, especially now more than ever. Whether that’s through regular psychotherapy, yoga therapy, art therapy, or just art and yoga classes in general, all of those things help us build resiliency during so much heightened uncertainty, and if anyone connects with that language at all, I want them to feel like they’re welcome as part of our community.”
