The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

The Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas has been serving the Orange area since 1983 with affordable professional counseling.

The County Commissioner’s Court has deemed May “Mental Health Awareness and Older Americans Month.” The Samaritan Center continues to do their part in this endeavor, as they have for many years.

The Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas is located on Strickland Drive. The organization, which also has locations in Beaumont, Port Arthur, Silsbee, and Vidor, is a not-for-profit organization that “uses professional counselors and the concept of mind, body, and spirit in a faith-sensitive environment to promote the healing and growth of people and the reconciliation of couples, families and organizations.” A source states, “The integration of behavioral sciences and faith traditions is our foundational base for counseling.”

The Center has counselors on staff that attend to the “whole person.” All counselors have graduate degrees, and are certified or licensed as professional therapists through the state licensing board. All matters discussed in counseling are held in the strictest confidence.

The center offers counseling for abuse, parenting issues, health issues, attention difficulties, bipolar disorders, chronic illness, eating disorders, stress, sexual dysfunction, mood and behavior issues and many other concerns.

While the Orange satellite branch of the center has been open since 2001, other centers have been serving our area for nearly 30 years.

“The Samaritan institute, based in Denver, Co., began in 1972 when two parish pastors, a physician, and a seminary professor observed that a team approach to counseling was highly effective in helping people with stress related problems. This team approach became the foundation of the Samaritan program, drawing upon the unique talents of professionals from the counseling theological and medical disciplines.”

The center professes the goals of providing accessible, professional counseling to individuals, couples, and families; making mental health services available to low-income families and to women and children in crisis situations; providing services to the citizens of Jefferson, Orange and Hardin counties; having licensed and certified counselors available to respond to the spiritual nees of clients and integrate mind, body, and spirit in the healing process; assisting local congregations with their care giving ministries.

One national leader states concerning the counselors, “To be a part of the Samaritan Center is to have a deep appreciation for the role of faith, of counseling disciplines, and of medicine in mental health care. Our staff comes from a wide variety of backgrounds and denominations, but they all have three things in common: they are all professionally trained and educated; they are accredited by the State; and they all have active spiritual lives. They have all the gifts that make the fulfillment of our mission a reality.”

Another leader addresses the controversial faith-based counseling. “The Bible is God’s road map for becoming strong at the broken places in our lives. The Samaritan Counseling Center is based on those biblical principles. And so we rejoice that we can offer a place to provide help and hope and healing for those who are ready to become strong in the broken places.”

The Samaritan Counseling Center is an agency of United Way of Orange County. Counseling appointments are 45 minutes to 50 minutes. Appointments are available during the day and early evening Monday through Friday and some on Saturday. To make an appointment, please call between 9 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Center requires a 24-hour cancellation notice. For more information about how you might volunteer, visit http://www.sccset.org or call 409-727-6400.