About the Foundation
Built for people who've been through it
The Mindful Essence Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Anderson, South Carolina. We make sure survivors, first responders, veterans, and service members can get mental health care without shame, delay, or a bill they can't pay.
Our mission
Our vision
A community where no survivor, and no one who serves, has to carry trauma alone.
Our founder
Dr. Ashley Nelson
PhD, MSN, M.Ed, APRN, PMHNP-BC, SANE, CNP
Dr. Nelson is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), and the founder of Mindful Essence Psychiatry & Wellness in Anderson.
Her work has put her beside people in some of the hardest moments of their lives. She started this foundation because too many of them never get the follow-up care they need, whether it's a survivor who can't afford counseling or a firefighter, officer, or veteran who has been told to push through on his own for years.
Before psychiatry, Dr. Nelson was a classroom teacher and earned her Master of Education. She has seen anxiety, ADHD, and trauma from both sides of the desk: as the teacher trying to help a struggling student, and as the clinician who can finally name what's happening and treat it. That experience is why schools and educators are part of the Foundation's work.
- Board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner
- Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)
- Doctorate (PhD) and Master of Science in Nursing
- Master of Education and former classroom teacher
- Founder, Mindful Essence Psychiatry & Wellness
How we work
What you can count on
Confidential
Your story is yours. We protect your privacy at every step and only share what you allow.
Respectful
We talk straight, listen more than we talk, and never judge. There is no wrong way to reach out.
Trauma-informed
Every program is shaped by licensed clinicians who understand trauma. You stay in control of what happens next.
Transparency
Accountable to the people we serve
The Mindful Essence Foundation is a separate nonprofit organization from Mindful Essence Psychiatry & Wellness. The Foundation does not provide treatment directly. It funds and organizes programs that help people reach care.
We will publish annual reports and our IRS Form 990 as they become available.
- 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity
- EIN 42-3732859
- Based in Anderson, South Carolina
- Governed by a volunteer board of directors
Stand with us
Help us reach the next person who needs it
Your support means someone gets care this month instead of someday.