James Boehm is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor and the Accessibility Coordinator at The Refuge Center in Franklin, TN. James is a passionate leader and an advocate who values empowering others to their fullest potential. His specialties within counseling include, but are not limited to, adjustment to disability, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, suicidal ideation, and addiction. Boehm believes strongly in advocacy and equality for all individuals, including people with disabilities. James serves on the Nashville Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities, is the former President of the Nashville Chapter and state VP of the National Federation of the Blind, and is Founder and President of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit You Cane Give with his wife, Wendy Boehm. He also founded and served on the TN Association of Guide Dog Users (he has an amazing guide dog named Bogey) and has been a mentor to college students with Learning Ally. In this episode, James shares his story of battling mental illness, becoming blind as an adult and how he’s learned to handle life’s various chapters with honesty and optimism, and through healing, collaboration and empowerment.