Lee’s Place has helped hundreds of people each year overcome grief, loss and trauma through quality therapy.
But founder and executive director Brenda LaBalais said the store will close at the end of the year after 24 years in operation, and that she and all her colleagues are ready to retire.
Lee’s Place, located at 216 Lake Ella Drive, was created in memory of Lavalais’ son, Lee, who died at age 14 from osteosarcoma.
Ms. Lavalais had just finished her doctorate in marriage and family therapy at Florida State University when her son was diagnosed. He died 2 1/2 years later. She wasn’t sure she could provide therapy while also dealing with her own loss. Ms. Lavalais said she volunteered at a few places.
“I realized there was a lack of services in Tallahassee, people and therapists dealing with grief, loss and trauma,” LaBalais said, “so I started Reece’s Place.”
Lee’s Place, its customers and its impact on the community
Lee’s Place has been a refuge for residents during their darkest times, whether they’ve lost a loved one in a car accident or a child to suicide, and LaBalais said there was a spike in the number of parents who lost children to suicide during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr LaBalais said Lee’s Place has received widespread support from the community, particularly from its clients and the children who once sought therapy there who are now adults.
“One family has been donating for 20 years because we treated their grandchildren when a family tragedy occurred,” she said. “We hear those stories all the time, and the people we serve will remember us with gratitude.”
Lauren Walker, a therapist who has worked at Leeds Place for eight years and specialises in adult complex trauma, said Leeds Place has been “life-changing” for many of her clients because anyone can see a therapist willing and trained to help, whatever the issues they are experiencing.
Additionally, the sliding scale has made quality treatment available to people who might not have otherwise received it, Walker said. Walker said he’s encouraged to see more people accepting and seeking treatment when dealing with crisis or trauma.
“I think there’s a growing acceptance of the fact that we all struggle with mental health issues from time to time,” Walker said. “It’s becoming more acceptable and less stigmatized. But for a lot of the clients we see, it’s their first time ever stepping into a therapist’s room, and it’s a really scary step for them.”
While being interviewed, Walker thought for a moment and was a bit at a loss for words as she began to grieve the beginning of the end for her and everyone at Lee’s Place. Karen Lockard had been there from the beginning.
But Walker said she was heartened to know their work had made a lasting impact: They were approaching retirement age, and it was simply time to close this door and enter another, she said.
“The ripple effect is that if we can heal one person in a system, whether it’s a family system or a community system, it has a lasting impact on the entire system,” Walker said. “That’s what we’re striving for.”
Contact economic development reporter Tamarin Waters at [email protected]/ [email protected] Follow @TaMarynWaters on X.
