Special Feature
For 30 years, Birmingham-based Oasis Counseling has been providing high-quality counseling to financially vulnerable women, children and families. The Oasis Counseling team creates a safe haven that offers dignity, access and hope to those who might otherwise go unseen or untreated. Anne Bruno LaRussa founded Oasis in 1995 and is heralded as a visionary who saw an egregious gap in mental health care in the Greater Birmingham area. At a time when community centers treated only serious mental illness (SMIs), those with more common mental health disorders lacked affordable, accessible support. Driven by compassion and conviction, LaRussa established Oasis to ensure these services were available.
Marking the milestone of providing help and hope to nearly 50,000 individuals, Oasis Counseling is hosting its annual fundraiser “Oasis of Hope” Luncheon at The Club on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 from 11:30am-1pm. The event is focused on increasing awareness about the importance and benefits of mental health care and all monies raised will directly support Oasis’ mental health care services provided in the Birmingham Metro area and 20 plus Alabama counties- via in person and teletherapy appointments.
Event attendees are sure to be encouraged by the powerful story of fighting back and rising up that will be shared by keynote speaker Lulu Gribbin. The 17-year-old survived a terrifying shark attack just two years ago. Her experience, coupled with her inherent competitive nature, intelligence, gratitude and faith, makes her a gifted speaker, captivating audiences with confidence and emotional clarity. According to Catherine Pittman Smith, Director of Development, “Lulu’s remarkable journey of faith, resilience and recovery is a testament to the power of healing. Her inspiring story reflects the practices at the heart of Oasis’ mission—compassionate, effective mental health care that fosters renewed hope and lasting healing.”
Oasis serves adult women, ages 19 plus; boys and girls, ages 3-12; adolescent girls, ages 13-18; and families through affordable, life-changing counseling services including, Play Therapy, evidence-based & trauma-informed therapy modalities – Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Lifespan Integration (LI), Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Family Systems Theory.
At the 21st annual luncheon, Oasis will honor Kenneth Byrd, Jr., Senior Vice President, Protective Life, for his longtime, unwavering commitment and service to advancing Oasis’ mission and critical work. As the 2026 Anne Bruno LaRussa Visionary Award Recipient, he is being recognized for his humble leadership, passion for community service and advocacy for mental health. For tickets to attend and to learn more about Oasis Counseling, click here.
Learn more about the history and impact of Oasis Counseling on our community from Oasis’ Executive Director, Kathryn Bowden. Video Courtesy Blue Cross Blue Shield.
