Counseling and recovery is important because...

We all face times when we feel battered and bruised. Life has a way of beating us up and leaving us in emotional pain. That pain must be processed or it will accumulate and negatively impact our daily lives.

The Counseling and Recovery Ministry offers a variety of ways to help bruised and broken people process pain so they can grow through their circumstances and live healthy lives.

We offer counseling and support for adults, teenagers and children who are struggling with issues including depression, anxiety, relationship breakdown, childhood trauma, grief and loss, divorce, addiction issues, and much more.

Services we currently provide include...

#1 PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING
#2 SUPPORT GROUPS
#3 RECOVERY GROUPS

#1 PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING

Our team of licensed professional counselors provides care and guidance to individuals and couples struggling with a wide range of emotional and spiritual issues. There are 5 things you should do if you think you might need counseling...

STEP 1: Decide to get help.

Counseling can be helpful if:

• You are experiencing emotional pain.
• You are under significant stress.
• You struggle with anger or are paralyzed by fear.
• You frequently feel guilty or worthless.
• You have recently experienced a significant loss through divorce, death, or a major transition like a job change or a move.
• You frequently fight with your mate or your children.
• You feel depressed or anxious.
• You need help overcoming a painful past.
• You need spiritual direction or guidance.
• Your marriage is unfulfilling.
• You and your partner are drifting apart.

STEP 2: Contact The Center for Relational Care

You can contact the center at 512-492-6200. They can answer any questions you have about counseling and help match you with the right counselor.

All of our counselors provide help from a Christian perspective and are trained in the Intimacy Therapy counseling model. Intimacy Therapy integrates biblical and theological principles with the latest research findings in psychology and counseling.

STEP 3: Book an appointment.

Counseling appointments can be booked by calling 512-492-6200.

STEP 4: Make the counseling process a priority.

Counseling provides an opportunity for you to grow as a person by making better decisions, improving personal skills, acquiring keener awareness of your own needs, gaining the skill to meet the needs of others, overcoming blocks to personal effectiveness, and by learning how to process painful experiences. To maximize the counseling experience, you must take responsibility and make the counseling process a priority.

You can make counseling a priority by:

• Attending all scheduled appointments.
• Being on time for your appointment.
• Being honest about yourself and your situation.
• Being willing to change patterns of thinking and behavior.
• Completing all homework assignments.
• Practicing skills discovered in a session at home.

Counseling does not guarantee that you will succeed or reach your counseling goal. Sometimes problems get worse before they get better. If you make the counseling process a priority, however, the chances of finding success increase dramatically.

STEP 5: Don't give up.

Although some people see improvement in their situation after only one counseling appointment, most people need 8 to 12 hours of counseling before they begin to experience change. Some will need twenty or more hours of counseling before changes become an established pattern. The key is perseverance. Stay committed to growth and don't give up.

#2 SUPPORT GROUPS

Support groups, led by trained lay leaders, provide encouragement to a group of people struggling with a common issue. Support groups help people understand that they are not the only ones wrestling with a particular issue. They will offer care and support to hurting people, and teach people the life skills they need to live a better life.

Support group topics include:

• "Intimate Encounters" - a marriage enrichment group
• "Parenting with Intimacy" - a parenting skills group
• "Boundaries" - a relationship management group
• "Facing Grief and Loss" - a grief recovery group
• "Life After Divorce" - a divorce recovery group

For a complete list of groups including times and locations, please call the church office at 512-255-8972.

#3 RECOVERY GROUPS

Recovery groups provide care for people who have lost hope. Led by people experienced in the 12-step tradition, recovery groups offer a proven way to break the cycle of addiction and reconnect with God, oneself and other people.

The Fellowship currently provides a home for AA and Al-Anon groups.

Meeting Schedule

We will add other 12-steps groups in the near future. People attending these groups will learn that the 12-steps provide a pathway for any person to grow in personal honesty and to deepen his or her connection with God and other people.

How can I get involved in the Counseling and Recovery Ministry?

If you want to serve as a volunteer in the Counseling and Recovery Ministry, please email David Burleson at or call the church office at 512-255-8972 and ask for information on upcoming Counseling and Recovery training events.