Who can receive services?
Counseling services at the Center are available to children, adults, couples and families from throughout Central New Mexico.

How does a person become a client?
Anyone may call the Center office at 842-5300 and make an appointment for counseling. Usually you will talk with a counselor that same day, and a first appointment will be offered within one week.

Does someone have to be referred to the Center by another professional?
Although many people who come to the Center are referred by clergy, physicians, or other professionals, such a referral is not necessary. Just call the Center directly and make an appointment.

How does the Center know which counselor someone should see?
Counselors are assigned based on several factors. Some counselors specialize in working with children, families, or particular problems. Sometimes office location is an important factor, or access to health insurance. Schedule availability may also be a determinant.

Can clients choose their counselor?
If someone has a particular desire to see a certain therapist, that preference can usually be honored.

What if the client doesn't have insurance?
When services are not covered by health insurance plans or a client doesn't have health insurance the Center charges a fee which is payable at the time of service.

What if the client cannot afford counseling?
The Center tries not to turn anyone away because of financial limitations, although the Center's resources for charity care are limited and do sometimes make it necessary to impose constraints.

What is faith-based?
The Center is rooted in communities of faith as its source of primary support and identity. The Center serves the whole community, and has always understood itself to be interfaith in identity and service.

Does religion have to be incorporated into counseling?
If clients have a religious faith then that resource is ordinarily incorporated into the counseling process. The Center regularly works with people of Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and other faiths. The Center also works respectfully with people who have no religious faith. Religion is not imposed on any of the Center’s clients, but is drawn upon as a resource when appropriate.

How does the Center incorporate spirituality and religious values into sessions?
The Center is shaped and guided by religious values and teachings. We respect the individual beliefs of persons who come for counseling and never impose our own beliefs on others. We affirm the creative and healing power of the spiritual realm of life, and actively seek ways of integrating that perspective and resource into the counseling process.

Can couples receive premarital counseling at the Center?
The Center often provides premarital counseling for couples who wish to start their marriages on the best possible footing. Sometimes this counseling is provided as part of wedding planning in their local congregation.

Does the Center keep marriages together?
The Center affirms the importance of keeping commitments, and the value of family stability for children and adults. Most couples who come to the Center seeking to preserve their marriage are helped to reconcile that relationship. We respect each couple’s decision-making process, and work with couples to foster greater harmony and respect, whatever decisions they may make about their life together.

Are client records confidential?
Counseling is held in strict confidence within the limits of New Mexico law. Disclosure to other professionals is made only with the client’s written permission, or when required by state law.

What credentials do the counselors have?
All of the Center’s staff counselors hold graduate degrees in counseling and valid New Mexico licenses in their respective professions. The staff includes clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, clinical mental health counselors, and a clinical social worker. Many of the clinical staff hold further professional accreditation in their respective disciplines. The Center does provide some training opportunities for professionals who are completing their education, and these interns do provide services to some clients under close supervision.

Do counselors receive continuing education?
All of the Center’s therapists participate in many hours of continuing education each year to maintain their licenses. The Center’s staff also regularly brings in consultants and in-service experiences to improve our clinical skills.

Does the Center prescribe medications?
When medications are needed for counseling clients, the Center’s staff work closely with the client’s primary care physician to ensure proper medication. Sometimes clients may be referred to one of the Center’s consulting psychiatrists.

Does the Center provide psychological testing?
Several of the Center’s psychologists do psychological testing in connection with child custody proceedings or vocational assessment. Clergy candidates from several denominations receive routine psychological screenings at the Center as part of their preparation for ministry. Testing is sometimes used in diagnosis and treatment planning for clients.

How long does counseling take?
Sometimes things can be resolved in just a few sessions. More often it takes longer to effect lasting change. Counseling sessions ordinarily last 45 minutes and are usually held once a week. The average number of sessions people are seen at the Center is 12, but this number is not particularly meaningful because the needs of different clients vary so widely.

How do we know the center is reputable or credible?
The Center is the only nationally accredited pastoral counseling center in New Mexico. It undergoes a rigorous outside review of its clinical and business operations every four years in order to maintain this accreditation. An outside audit of finances is performed every year, and the Center stays in compliance with the New Mexico Attorney General’s requirements. Managed care organizations regularly make site visits to the Center and review the Center’s operation and counselors’ credentials. The Center’s board carefully oversees the Center’s operations and set policies to ensure high integrity.

What is the Center’s record of service to the community?
The Center has provided more than 40,000 hours of psychological services to more than 7,000 clients since 1987. More than one and a half million dollars’ worth of charitable services to the community have been provided by the Center in its fifteen years of service. In 2002 the Center raised about $250,000 in donations, covering about 35% of the Center’s budget. The Center delivered approximately 6,400 hours of counseling services to over 1,000 people in 2002, and provided consultation and education services to another 1,000 people through 29 different events. Most of the Center’s clients pay reduced fees for services because of financial or insurance limitations.