The issues that participants bring to our personal counseling program are as diverse as the individuals themselves:
- depression and anxiety
- identity and life transitions
- sexual orientation issues
- chemical dependency
- self-injurious or compulsive behaviors
- physical and sexual trauma
- multiple responsibilities; limited resources
- relationships
- dealing with chronic illness/disability
- grief and loss
- blended families
- loneliness and disconnection
The topics vary, but in every case our focus is the same: to provide a safe and supportive climate in which you can achieve the goals that you set for yourself.
Staff: About a dozen volunteer clinicians and an equal number of graduate interns in counseling and social work donate thousands of volunteer hours to make this program a success.
Philosophy: Our therapists take a person-in-environment approach to counseling. In addition to symptom identification and improvement, we also consider underlying triggers for poor emotional health, such as under- or un-employment, sexual and physical violence, discrimination, non-citizen status, and carework responsibilities.
Cost: The cost of each fifty-minute session is based on a sliding scale, proportionate to family income. Fees range from $85 down to $15. Many women have insufficient income or health insurance to cover personal counseling. We want to change that. Our goal is to make therapy accessible for all women and girls. Together we will come up with a manageable fee.
Registration: Demand for our high-quality, low-cost counseling services is high. Please call 734.973.6779 for a twenty-minute telephone interview with one of our intake counselors to discuss your goals and get on our waiting list. Clients are matched with volunteer counselors on a first-call, first-appointment basis. The interval between telephone intake and first appointment can be as short as a few days and as long as three months, depending on therapist availability.
Please note: Because we have no psychiatrist on staff, we regret that we are unable to provide counseling for individuals who require intensive, long-term therapy and monitoring of medications.
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, phone 911 or the Psychiatric Emergency Center at 734.936.5900. Wayne County residents please phone the Psychiatric Intervention Center in Wayne at 734.721.0200; or Wayne County Community Mental Health at 1.800.241.4949 or TTY 866.870.2599. Ozone House, 734.662.2222, has also agreed to provide crisis counseling to callers who need someone to talk to (even though their primary service population is youth and families).
