Abbey's Place Services & Strategic Oversight
Executive Solutions for Complex Institutional Challenges
Abbey's Place Services & Strategic Oversight
Executive Solutions for Complex Institutional Challenges
The History of Abbey's Place
The Story Behind the Name
Our Journey Through Challenge & Change
A Mission Rooted in Lived Experience
Abbey’s Place is named in honor of Liz’s sister, Abbey, who died by suicide in November 2010 in Brooklyn, New York. Abbey had worked for Bloomberg’s Environmental Remediation team in NYC and lost her job shortly before her passing. Liz recognized that Abbey—like so many others—was slipping through the cracks of a system unequipped to supp
Abbey’s Place is named in honor of Liz’s sister, Abbey, who died by suicide in November 2010 in Brooklyn, New York. Abbey had worked for Bloomberg’s Environmental Remediation team in NYC and lost her job shortly before her passing. Liz recognized that Abbey—like so many others—was slipping through the cracks of a system unequipped to support survivors, mental health, and economic instability.
Her sister's loss, combined with the recent death of Liz’s best friend, Carrie Carter on Mount Ashland in Oregon during the Fall of 2024, reinforced a devastating pattern: lives lost to broken systems. Abbey’s Place was reestablished in March of 2025 as a tribute & a solution, grounded in the urgency of these experiences.
A Mission Rooted in Lived Experience
Our Journey Through Challenge & Change
A Mission Rooted in Lived Experience
Abbey’s Place was originally founded in April 2019 by Elizabeth (Liz) Duncan and Elizabeth (Beth) Charles, two colleagues turned co-founders, who met while working in emergency response and student crisis care at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Their work placed them on the front lines of real-life student trauma: respondi
Abbey’s Place was originally founded in April 2019 by Elizabeth (Liz) Duncan and Elizabeth (Beth) Charles, two colleagues turned co-founders, who met while working in emergency response and student crisis care at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Their work placed them on the front lines of real-life student trauma: responding to incidents of domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health crises, and even terrorist threats on campus. But beyond their shared professional dedication, Liz and Beth were also bound by a deeper truth—they are both survivors of childhood sexual abuse, just as Abbey & Carrie were, with personal & professional insight into the long-term impacts of unresolved trauma and the lack of effective, compassionate support systems in the U.S.
Our Journey Through Challenge & Change
Our Journey Through Challenge & Change
Our Journey Through Challenge & Change
Abbey’s Place first launched in 2019, but was briefly dissolved during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, Liz was called to serve in high-impact leadership roles with the Minnesota Department of Health, reporting to the Governor’s Office, and later with the CDC’s Global Health Center and Injury Prevention and Control Center
Abbey’s Place first launched in 2019, but was briefly dissolved during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, Liz was called to serve in high-impact leadership roles with the Minnesota Department of Health, reporting to the Governor’s Office, and later with the CDC’s Global Health Center and Injury Prevention and Control Center.
Despite these leadership opportunities, Liz continued to encounter systemic hostility—particularly toward survivor advocacy and equity work—forcing her to confront the very culture Abbey’s Place was called to serve from lived experience & in the evolving global workforce and the communities impacted.
In 2026, Liz is officially operationalizing Abbey’s Place from a place of courage and good faith with renewed clarity and commitment.
Abbey's Place - High Caliber Consulting Service
At Abbey’s Place, we provide high-caliber strategic oversight designed to protect both the consultant and the client through equitable and sustainable labor practices. Our work focuses on systematic solutions for institutions navigating complex human rights and global safety & health landscapes.
In 2026, Abbey’s Place aims to collaborate with executive leaders, professionals and any organization with a desire to build:
- Trauma-informed workplaces and communities
- Equity-centered leadership for all
- Compassionate care grounded in lived experience
- Systems that support the coexistence of faith and non-faith practices
- End & prevent labor exploitation and protect good-faith actions.
We work with decision-makers who are ready to transform their cultures—not just for compliance, but for the well-being of the people they serve.
Experience the Innovative Abbey's Place Difference
Why Lived Experience Matters
“We’ve lost too many people we love to systemic failure. Abbey’s Place exists because silence is no longer an option. We lead from a place of urgency, care, and lived truth.”
— Liz Duncan, MPH Founder & CEO
— Abbie, PTSD Emotional Support Companion
Abbey’s Place isn’t just a consultancy—it’s a movement toward compassion and social equity & justice in the workplace and in our communities. Our why is personal & professional. Our vision is systemic. And our work is about reclaiming what’s been lost through courageous, actionable change.
Click here to learn more about Liz's vision with Abbey's Place Global Safety and Health concept for 2026.
Her purpose driven why is to walk by faith above all else, it is her rock & foundation in a fallen world.
Learn more about Liz's educational transcripts and resume.
Meet Abbie, Liz's, PTSD Emotional Support Companion
Why PTSD Support Animals Matter
Faith, science and nature tells us that PTSD support & protection animals matter because they help us feel safer, steadier, and
more connected as we navigate daily life.
- Emotional regulation: Support animals can help calm anxiety, reduce panic, and ground someone during moments of stress or trauma reminders.
- Sense of safety: Their presence can lower hypervigilance and help people feel less alone or threatened in everyday environments.
- Routine and stability: Caring for an animal encourages structure, responsibility, and consistency, which are especially helpful for the recovery process.
- Non-judgmental support: Animals provide comfort without pressure to explain feelings or experiences.
- Improved social connection: Support animals can make it easier for people to engage with others and re-enter public spaces.
- Physical health benefits: Interaction with animals has been shown to reduce stress hormones and support overall well-being.
Overall, PTSD support & protection animals support the healing process of trauma & grief, and have a meaningful role in helping us regain confidence, interdependence, and quality of life.