Case Studies / Refuge Counseling & Wellness
From Zero Online Presence to 41 Monthly Leads
How Refuge Counseling & Wellness Built a Pipeline That Required Hiring New Staff
Our Challenge
Launching a Mental Health Practice in a Competitive Market
Refuge Counseling & Wellness is a forward-thinking mental health and wellness center in Vancouver, WA, founded by Renee Thompson, MA, LMHC, CPC. Their approach stands out in a crowded space: evidence-based therapies like EMDR, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, and Somatic work, delivered with genuine care and a whole-person philosophy.
When Renee came to us, she had built her practice entirely through word of mouth. There was no website, no Google presence, and no digital strategy. She knew the demand was there, but without an online presence, she had no way to reach people who were actively searching for help.
Her goals were straightforward:
Our Solution
A Website Built to Convert, Backed by Search and Ads
We started from scratch. Before writing a single line of copy or designing a single page, we took time to understand what makes Refuge different. The result needed to feel warm and trustworthy, because the people searching for therapy are often in vulnerable moments, and the website had to earn their confidence quickly.
We built a clean, conversion-focused WordPress website that clearly communicates Refuge’s services, their team, and what a prospective client can expect from the process. The site was structured to speak to multiple audiences: people dealing with trauma or anxiety, couples seeking support, and those exploring newer modalities like Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy.
On top of the website, we layered two complementary strategies:
Local SEO to help Refuge rank organically in Vancouver, WA and surrounding areas for high-intent search terms like “therapist in Vancouver WA” and “EMDR therapy near me.” We built out individual service pages, optimized the Google Business Profile, and structured the site to grow in the search rankings over time.
Google Ads to generate immediate visibility while the organic rankings built momentum. We targeted search terms used by people actively looking for therapy, driving qualified traffic to the site from day one.
The Result
41 Monthly Leads by Month Three
The numbers tell the story. In just three months, Refuge Counseling & Wellness went from zero online leads to 41 per month. That kind of growth was not just a marketing win; it created a real operational challenge. Renee had to begin the process of hiring additional therapists and staff to keep pace with demand.
What started as a solo practice operating entirely on referrals now has a steady, growing pipeline of new clients finding Refuge through Google every single day.
Founder, Refuge Counseling & Wellness
They are amazing
“We’ve grown so much because of the outstanding work that Volume11 has done for us. Would recommend them to anyone.”