Would You Be My Neighbor? A Counselor’s Answer to Isolation
Written by Byron Elam
Photos by Maddie McMurry
Andy Frizzell’s life’s work centers on helping people become well. It may sound like a broad mission, but his focus is precise: mental health.
Frizzell is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor with ReEnvision Counseling, where he works with approximately 30 clients currently. “My number one gift to this community is to be able to sit with people,” he said.
A two-time graduate of Freed-Hardeman University, Frizzell earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology followed by a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. He is a Nashville native, but has lived in Jackson for nearly a decade after spending time in California and East Tennessee. He and his wife, a local public-school counselor, are raising three children.
With a family and personal background in faith-based ministry, Frizzell describes his profession as more than a job. “I see this as holy work,” he said. “It is my most favorite thing in the world. I wake up every day excited about sitting with people.”
That work, Frizzell explained, often begins with removing masks. “We all wear them,” he said. We conform. We shrink ourselves to fit what our context requires. Therapy, he believes, offers a rare opportunity to set those masks aside.
“So many of us walk into a church, walk into a bar, or walk into a meeting wearing a mask so the other person can view us the way we need to be viewed,” he said. “My role is to listen, to love, and to provide a safe space and experience for someone to be their authentic self in front of another human.”
When those masks come off, pain often follows. “I bear witness to pain and hurt,” Frizzell said. The sources of that pain are as varied as his clients. He works with children as young as eight and adults into their eighties.
Despite daily exposure to hardship and trauma, Frizzell said his work has only deepened his affection for the city he serves. “It makes me love Jackson even more,” he said. “It makes Jackson real.”
Across age groups and backgrounds, one issue consistently surfaces in his practice: loneliness. Frizzell believes it has reached epidemic proportions. “People have forgotten how to do life in community,” he said.
In response, he often encourages clients to pursue opportunities for connection beyond the therapy room. He has even shared information about community events promoted by Our Jackson Home to help people meet others and feel more connected.
Solutions to loneliness, Frizzell said, are wide-ranging. They include reducing reliance on social media, fostering intentional relationships, and addressing structural issues that limit connection. He pointed to infrastructure, such as walkable neighborhoods and sidewalks, as a tangible way communities can promote interaction and belonging.
Access to mental health services remains another major concern. Frizzell noted that equity has yet to be achieved, with cost presenting a significant barrier for many. Even clients with insurance often face challenges navigating coverage for counseling services.
There are, however, encouraging developments. Through a state-funded rural mental health grant, Frizzell provides counseling services to public school students in Warren County. “There are about 40 kids that I see every week,” he said.
Frizzell is also intentional about tending to his own well-being. “I take my own prescriptions,” he said. “I go to therapy. I take a yearly silence retreat. I give myself the space to witness what’s inside of me.” He also finds rejuvenation through walks at Cypress Grove and meals at local favorites like Rock N Dough and Sizzler Cuisine of India.
One of Frizzell’s earliest influences was Fred Rogers. “Learning kindness was from Mr. Rogers,” he said.
Each episode of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” opened with a simple question in song: “Would you be my neighbor?” Through his work, Frizzell answers that question daily—by offering presence, safety, and compassion. In a community searching for connection, there may be nothing more neighborly than that. May we too answer Mr. Roger’s call and follow Andy Frizzell’s example of love, authenticity, grace and community.