The Lupine Wellness Center is expanding its outreach and services as it continues to serve both the campus and local community with accessible mental health support.

Formerly known as the Howls Center, the newly rebranded Lupine Wellness Center is operated by Arkansas State University faculty, staff and advanced graduate-level clinicians. It functions as a training and research center designed to enhance the education of counseling students while offering affordable therapy and wellness services.

Jessica Rainwater, the Lupine Wellness Center’s marketing and public relations officer, said the team is currently collaborating with the Wilson Counseling Center and is actively reaching out to local organizations.

“We’re starting to build more partnerships as we go. It’s going to expand,” Rainwater said. “Right now, we’re working on the rebrand, but once that’s over we’re back to it.”

The center is affiliated with the H.O.W.L. Transition Program, which provides the A-State experience to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or autism. 

Available services include individual counseling, academic interventions, play therapy, couples and family therapy, expressive arts counseling, social skills training, behavioral parent training and psychoeducational workshops. Services are free for A-State students and offered to others on a sliding fee scale, with no insurance required.

One new collaboration includes the Single Parent Scholarship Association, which recently asked the center to begin hosting regular sessions for single parents seeking mental health support.

Savannah Cormier and Ashley Williams Whitley, co-directors of the center, said they focus on the clinical development of counseling students and emphasize staying updated on mental health trends through conferences, research and social media.

“We’re in a unique position–we’re located on a college campus and we’re also a community clinic,” Cormier said. “So we’re available to both worlds but we have to actively work to immerse ourselves back into the community.”

Whitley said the center’s recent recognition for its community impact allows them to build their network.

“We were recently nominated for the 2025 Community Champion Award for our outstanding work, leadership and efforts in collaboration— and we won,” she said.

Cormier said the team constantly adapts to changing client needs, many of which have shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A lot of clients are trying to unpack trauma and even childhood issues—not just learning basic coping skills for stress,” she said. “We’ve also seen people come in dealing with panic attacks or trauma from natural disasters like tornadoes or earthquakes.”

Cormier said the center’s university setting allows for flexibility, with semester timelines creating natural checkpoints for client goals.

She said the team also promotes holistic well-being by referring clients to local fitness centers to support both mental and physical health.

Rainwater said the center’s growth is driven by creative minds and a commitment to community engagement.

“We work with the community a lot more than we sometimes realize,” she said. “Collaboration is key to making a meaningful impact.”

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