A Day We’ll Never Forget: Celebrating Our New Home in Downtown Snohomish

There are few moments in life when you get to pause, look around, and see that a dream has become real; something you imagined for a very long time was actually there, standing, realized.

Our Opening Celebration for New Ground Counseling’s Downtown Snohomish location was one of those moments for me.

As I looked around that afternoon, I saw friends, family members, counselors, former interns, community leaders, local businesses, and so many people who have encouraged and supported New Ground over the years. I knew the celebration would be meaningful, but I was not prepared for the incredible turnout or the outpouring of kindness we experienced.

It was one of the best and most meaningful days of my life.

More Than an Opening

The celebration marked the opening of our new home at 119 Union Avenue in Downtown Snohomish—but it represented so much more than the completion of a building.

New Ground Counseling began in 2014. All I wanted to do was see a few clients, do good therapy, and be Jesus towards others. That eventually grew to become a team of people with a passion for therapy and desire to help others flourish. Over the years, that vision has grown far beyond anything I could have imagined.

Purchasing this building and bringing it to life was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

It took nearly two years of planning, dreaming, problem-solving, and renovating. It required hearing “no” a lot. It required funding we did not always know how we would find. It required asking for help again and again. There were delays, unexpected expenses, construction problems, stressful decisions, and moments when the entire project felt overwhelming.

And honestly, it required a few miracles.

There were plenty of days during the renovation when I thought, “I don’t think we’re gonna make it.” Then, during the Opening Celebration, I watched people walk through the completed offices, gather in the hallways, admire the restored building, and celebrate what had been created.

For the first time, I could stop working on the building long enough to truly take it all in.

We had done it.

A Celebration of Community

What made the day so special was not the building itself, but the people who filled it.

Throughout the afternoon, guests toured the adult counseling offices downstairs and the child therapy clinic upstairs. They met members of our counseling team, shared stories, enjoyed coffee and music, and helped us celebrate this new chapter.

Then we gathered together for the ribbon cutting.

Standing there with so many people who had played a part in our story was difficult to put into words. The moment belonged not only to me or to our counseling team, but also to every person who encouraged us, prayed for us, worked alongside us, referred someone to us, trusted us, or helped us keep moving forward when the process became difficult.

A Permanent Home in Downtown Snohomish

New Ground has been serving individuals, couples, children, and families in the Snohomish community for years. Now, for the first time, we have a permanent home in the heart of downtown.

Downstairs, our adult counseling clinic offers warm, private spaces for individuals and couples to receive care. Upstairs, our child therapy clinic gives younger clients a space intentionally designed to help them feel comfortable, safe, and welcomed.

Every part of the building was created with the people we serve in mind.

Our hope is that this will be more than a beautiful counseling office. We want it to become a trusted place of healing, growth, and connection for Snohomish and the surrounding communities. We want people to know that when life becomes painful, confusing, or overwhelming, they do not have to walk through it alone.

The Opening Celebration marked the end of an enormous project, but it also marked the beginning of something new.

This building will allow our counselors to serve more people, deepen our relationships within the community, and continue providing thoughtful, high-quality care for years to come.

Thank You

There are far too many people to thank individually in one post.

To everyone who worked on the building, volunteered at the celebration, supported the project, offered encouragement, helped solve a problem, or simply showed up to share the moment with us: thank you.

To our counselors and staff: thank you for believing in New Ground and for bringing so much care, wisdom, and heart to this work.

To our friends, families, colleagues, local businesses, city leaders, and the greater Snohomish community: thank you for making us feel so welcomed, cared for, and supported.

And to every person who has trusted New Ground with some part of their story: thank you. It is a privilege we never want to take lightly.

The journey to this day was harder than I expected. It also reminded me that the most meaningful things are rarely accomplished alone.

As I look back through these photographs, I feel an overwhelming sense of thankfulness—not only for the building we completed, but for the community that surrounded us along the way.

We are honored to call Downtown Snohomish home, and we cannot wait to see all that will happen here in the years ahead.

—Joshua Loy
Owner, New Ground Counseling

Looking for Counseling in Snohomish?

Our Downtown Snohomish counselors provide compassionate counseling for adults, couples, children, and families. We invite you to learn more about our team, explore our services, or contact us to find a counselor who may be a good fit.