Who We Are
Our Founders
The Place of Refuge was founded by two women with a shared calling to bring professional, faith-based care to the hurting.
Diane Langberg, Ph.D. — Co-Founder
Diane Langberg, Ph.D. is a practicing psychologist whose clinical expertise includes 35 years of working with trauma survivors and clergy. She speaks internationally on topics related to women, trauma, ministry, and the Christian life. She is director of Diane Langberg, Ph.D. & Associates, a group practice in suburban Philadelphia staffed by Christian psychologists, social workers, and counselors. The staff has expertise in many areas, including sexual and domestic abuse, addictions, depression, and eating disorders, and they work with adults, children, adolescents, and couples.
Dr. Langberg has been a faculty member of Westminster Theological Seminary and Biblical Theological Seminary. She is the author of Counsel for Pastor's Wives (Zondervan), Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse (Xulon Press), and On the Threshold of Hope (Tyndale House). She is a columnist for Christian Counseling Today and contributes to many other publications.
Dr. Langberg is Chair of the Executive Board of the American Association of Christian Counselors and serves on the boards of Ministry Wives Network International, GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in a Christian Environment), and the Society for Christian Psychology. She is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumna for Professional Achievement from Taylor University, the AACC's Caregiver Award, and the Philadelphia Council of Clergy's Christian Service Award. She is married and has two sons.
Elizabeth Hernandez, D.Min. — Co-Founder
Elizabeth Hernandez, D.Min. is the co-founder of The Place of Refuge. From 2004 to 2015, she served as our agency's first Executive Director. Alongside other local faith leaders, she served until 2016 as a member of the Faith-Advisory Board for the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services. She remains active through her writing and training, and by continuing to share her wisdom on organizational leadership and counseling survivors of trauma as a consultant for numerous urban faith-based organizations, including Refuge.
Dr. Hernandez was the 2010 Orlando E. Costas Holistic Ministries with Compassion Award recipient from Palmer Theological Seminary for her success in making a difference in the lives of many in the mental health field.
Originally raised in a family of nine children in the Bronx, New York, Dr. Hernandez holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Baruch College, a Master of Arts in Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary, and in May 2014 she completed her doctoral work in the area of religion and urban studies at Westminster Theological Seminary. The title of her research project was "Christ and the Marginalized: Bringing Refuge to the Broken."
Her qualifications include over 20 years of experience in the medical field, with 12 years as a Senior Manager at Esperanza Health Center responsible for the Counseling/Therapy division. She has presented numerous seminars on faith-based interventions, trauma, communication, cultural competency, and counseling urban populations at Biblical Theological Seminary, Westminster Theological Seminary, Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF), Friends Hospital, and Philadelphia Bible University, as well as many grassroots organizations.
Your support brings hope and healing
Your gift helps us provide professional, faith-based counseling to hurting people in North Philadelphia — regardless of their ability to pay.