Liz Welfel
About six years ago, Liz and her husband Fred moved to Fearrington Village from Shaker Heights, Ohio, where they had lived for 28 years. Liz, who holds a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Minnesota, taught counseling and counseling psychology to graduate students at Cleveland State University for 26 years. Although she retired from teaching before she moved here, Liz has submitteda proposal to co-author the seventh edition of her graduate-level textbook Ethics in Counseling and Psychotherapy.
When looking for a place to retire, the Welfels were drawn to the unique character and charm of Fearrington Village. They were especially delighted by the pretty parks, the attractive landscaping, and our wonderful bookstore, McIntyre’s.
Inspired in part by their son Brandon, a travel nurse, the Welfels spent much of their time during the first two years they lived in Fearrington visiting various European countries and cities. During that time they were also busy overseeing the addition of a spacious screened porch to their house.
In 2019, Liz received a call from Karen Metzguer inviting her to join the Fearrington Cares Education Committee. As a psychologist, Liz felt it was important for residents of the village to acquire sufficient knowledge and assertiveness to advocate for their own health, so she accepted Karen’s invitation and served on that committee for 3 years.
In 2021, Liz joined the corps of 23 Fearrington Cares Ambassadors. She wanted to give back to the community by serving as an Ambassador for Millcroft, the street on which she and Fred live. In particular, Liz wanted her new neighbors to know about the various programs and services that Fearrington Cares offers to promote health and well-being, not just the services they provide to aid frail, injured, or ill residents. For example, this year the Education Committee sponsored a nature walk in Jenny’s Park conducted by noted local naturalist Andy Upshaw.
Liz has also volunteered to help run Great Decisions, a club that will be resuming its meetings in September after having been on hiatus during the pandemic. Liz’s husband Fred will be chairing that group.
Liz’s hobbies include photography, classical music, and membership in two different Fearrington book clubs. One of the clubs has a unique format: Members meet bimonthly at The Roost to talk about the books they have read that they can recommend to others, rather than having everyone in the group reading and discussing the same book.
For Liz, what makes Fearrington Village stand out from most other places is the strong sense of community and connection here. She feels fortunate that its residents have been so welcoming to her and Fred, resulting in a number of lasting friendships that have greatly enhanced their life in Fearrington. In turn, we residents are lucky to have in our midst such a caring and community-spirited couple, the sort of people who make our village such a special place in which to live.