A place to heal: The Heart House opens as free support center for mass violence survivors in Nashville
By Hannah McDonald
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BRENTWOOD, Tennessee (WTVF) — The Heart House has opened in the Nashville area, offering free specialized services to anyone impacted by mass violence.
The peaceful space, located at 750 Old Hickory Blvd. Suite 135 inside Building 2 in Brentwood Commons was created to serve a community familiar with this kind of pain. Survivors of school shootings in Green Hills and Antioch, as well as survivors of mass violence in Las Vegas, Orlando, and Boston who now call Nashville home, are among those the center hopes to reach.
“You can walk in, relax, and recognize this is a place I’m safe in and I can focus on my healing here,” said Angie Wortham, the director.
Funded through a federal grant, Tennessee Voices for Victims operates The Heart House and provides free specialized counseling, trauma therapy, and group support for both adults and children.
“I think the validation is what helps people feel maybe I can recover from this, maybe I can reclaim a part of who I used to be and figure out who I’m going to be now,” Valerie Craig, co-founder of Tennessee Voices for Victims.
The idea for The Heart House came from mothers of Covenant School students who wanted a dedicated space for those who have experienced that kind of trauma.
“They really have been a voice in this process,” Craig said.
Annie Wortham, the director of The Heart House, lost her best friend in the Antioch church shooting. She described the center’s effect on those who walk through its doors.
“Just the way you walk in and you feel like you’ve just been hugged, and it’s cozy and wonderful and warm and inviting, and it’s just all those things at one time, it’s an amazing feeling,” Wortham said.
Services at The Heart House go beyond therapy and include after-school programs, book clubs, and more — all at no cost to those who need them.
“We are here to take care of those affected by a mass tragedy,” Wortham said.
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