Why Refer
Many members of the clergy are trained to offer basic counseling to their congregations. This is a wonderful service to be able to offer, and we are in support of those clergy who offer counsel to their congregations. There may be times when you find a parishioner’s need for counseling becomes more complex and the individual, couple, or family is well served by clergy who know why, when, and how to refer these people to a licensed professional counselor for ongoing help.
A licensed professional counselor may have one or more of several titles:
Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist are the most common.
Having one of these credentials means the therapist has had extensive training to learn how to best help people who want to make the most of the skills and attributes they have but find that something is holding them back. A licensed counselor is trained to assess the needs of the client, decide what kind of help will be most useful, and then either offer the help or refer the client to the appropriate professional or organization in the community.
When To Refer
If you notice a person is in distress that lasts longer than a few weeks, or if someone talks to you about being more depressed, anxious, sad, or angry than usual, professional counseling may be in order.
Any time someone talks about being suicidal, thinks life is not worth living, or has angry outbursts that hurt or upset others, outside help is in order. In an emergency such as active suicidal talk with a plan and the intent to carry out the plan, try to get the person to an emergency room or call the police (911). A therapist can be brought in later when the person is stabilized. Don’t wait.
Overcoming addictive behavior requires counseling in almost all cases.
Relationship issues are often best addressed by counseling before the problems cause significant damage.
Finally, if you feel overwhelmed or sense the issue is beyond your training or the time commitment you can make, it may be time to make a referral.
How To Refer
If the referral is for someone you’re close to, talk with them first to see if they want counseling. If the referral is for a parishioner, friend, or family member, most likely you will have an established relationship and can discuss counseling easily with them.
In either case, here’s how to proceed:
The potential counselee should call Samaritan (941-926-2959) and request counseling. They will be asked to provide some basic information: name, address, phone number, insurance information if applicable, and the general reason for counseling.
A therapist will then be assigned and will call to arrange an appointment. The choice of therapist is based on several factors: the reason for the counseling, the office and/or therapist being requested, insurance to be used, and the time being requested. We will honor specific requests whenever possible but reserve the right to make the assignment thought most appropriate.
Healing From the Inside
At Samaritan Counseling Services of the Gulf Coast, we know that healing from life’s difficulties can be challenging if you’re trying to do it on your own. We want to be with our clients on that journey, assisting them in creating the lives they desire.
We believe the journey to hope and transformation is not complete until a person’s faith or spiritual sense is considered. We offer spiritually integrated counseling, choosing to respectfully integrate the faith of our clients into their therapy whenever appropriate. This helps ensure that our clients will progress in the best manner-from deep inside their spiritual beings to their public personality.
Contact Us
The therapists at Samaritan Counseling Services of the Gulf Coast are ready and willing to help individuals, couples, and families.
We are also available to church, school, office, or other personal or professional groups for a modest fee. Topics can be arranged to suit the needs of your group or organization.
Please contact us at 941-926-2959 or email john@samaritangulfcoast.com for more information from John Gregory, Community Care Director.