A new business hopes to fill the gaps of local mental, spiritual and physical wellness in eastern Carbon County.
This week Wyoming Wellness, LLP opens its doors to a new, rural-focused counseling clinic in Saratoga.
Co-owned by Charles Junkin, a licensed professional counselor (LPC) out of Cheyenne; Tony Phillips, a certified personal trainer (CPT) and a certified fitness instructor—primary (CFI-P) who is also out of Cheyenne and local Saratoga resident Brenda Bush, who is a provisional professional counselor and certified addictions counselor. Wyoming Wellness will serve four separate populations including mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, nutrition and fitness.
Both Bush and Junkin are professional counselors, and are certified to deal with issues such as marriage counseling, substance abuse counseling and other mental disorders. Phillips will be taking care of the physical fitness and nutritional aspect of the service.
The three of them with their unique certifications and abilities will make this service one of the first of its kind in the country.
“We have a very unique setup,” Phillips said. “I have yet to find a place in the country that combines all these things under one roof. It may possibly be the only one, if not one of very few.”
The business started because Bush saw a lack in coverage in Carbon County. The closest place a person from the Platte Valley could undergo counseling was Rawlins, Bush said. Having an office closer to many residents in the area will hopefully provide more people with the help they need.
Additionally, the service will also use tele-counseling, via video conferencing, to help more of those who are in need. Phillips said tele-counseling is a relativity new the world of counseling, and it will help reach those who are restricted because of distance or bad weather.
“All people really need is internet, a computer or a smart phone,” Bush said about tele-counseling.
All of the owners wanted to stress they are not trying to take business away from local services, such as the school district or churches. Instead, they want to be able to work alongside and help other local services in order to help bring more mental, physical and spiritual wellness into the community.
Despite not being state funded, Wyoming Wellness hopes to be very affordable for those who need them. They said they will be taking Medicaid and private insurance for most substance abuse counseling. Additionally, Phillip’s nutritional classes, which tend to cost upwards of $200 a session most places, will be considerably less. Their goal is to reach as many people as they can through this service.
“We try to make them very accessible and affordable,” Junkins said.
“We can do walk-in appointments if people want to call in,” Bush said. “We are just trying to be as accessible as we can.”
Even though they are just in their beginning stages, they are hoping to expand in the future. They would like to establish youth programs aimed at fitness and social skills, and would like to help set up anti-bullying workshops with the schools.
Wyoming Wellness also hopes to provide more specific services for the geriatric population in the area.
“We just want people to feel mentally, physically and spiritually better,” Phillips said.
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