In August, 1993 Mary Lee established Vita House Family Centre in partnership with Monsignor Travers, P.P. who had the initial idea for this new centre.

Mary’s inspiration in establishing the centre originated with a focus on the wellbeing of families. She was motivated by a heartfelt vision to respond to the felt needs of individuals, couples and families, in Roscommon and the surrounding counties.

Initially, she surveyed several families in Roscommon parish, and established the centre on the solid foundation of her commitment to social innovation, inclusion and regard for the diverse expressions of family life. With staff, a cohort of volunteers, development team, board members, and, under her leadership as Director of Services, Vita House Family Centre provided a welcoming, safe, compassionate environment for thousands of families in the county and beyond. Mary retired in August 2013.  Since then the same ethos of service and sustained growth of the centre is evident.

Vita House Family Centre has evolved organically over the years and has been at the cutting edge, responding to societal changes, directly and indirectly, for individuals, couples, families and their children, whatever their stage on the family life-cycle. For the past thirty years, an ever-expanding repertoire of responses has been offered in the areas of couples and family therapy, relationship and child counselling, psychotherapy, and mediation, including the provision of continuing psychological education in the form of holistic workshops. Since 1998, a one-year certificate in psychology programme, affiliated with the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, has been provided.

In collaboration with statutory and voluntary organisations, reconciliation and restoration in and for families have always been wholeheartedly endorsed by all who embrace the on-going work at Vita House Family Centre.

The intention then and now includes the provision of supports that are accessible, flexible, versatile, person and family-centred, and response-specific.