Today we’d like to introduce you to IHope Christian Care And Counseling Center.
Hi IHope Christian Care and Counseling, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2017 iHope opened for counseling. It was a ministry opportunity that began at Sandhurst Church when it was noted that Christians who had mental health disorders wanted to be able to receive care but with biblical perspectives. iHope is a 501C3 non-profit that operates on the generosity of our wonderful donors. Because of the donations that are offered we are able to offer the lowest fees for Licensed Profession Counselors in Florence and for those who can’t afford our low fees we are able to offer a reduced rate through scholarships that our donors make possible.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being a non-profit that operates on the generosity of others can make the journey difficult. Many people don’t realize that we exist. There have been numerous occasions where one of us has been told, “I didn’t know you guys were here” or ” I didn’t know we had a Christian Counseling center in Florence”. With people not knowing about us except through word of mouth, our donations dwindle. Many churches don’t even know that we are here available to provide Godly Mental Health Care for their congregations.
During Covid we were forced to find alternative means to provide care since offices were forced to close for a time. Tele-psych began to be offered during that time and now allows us to reach those seeking Christian Counseling outside of the Florence area. So although we have had struggles our struggles have turned into blessings from God.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a Counseling Center with SC Licensed LPC/As. We are able to diagnose and treat most mental health disorders. Because we don’t take insurance we don’t have to diagnose, but we still treat using the same techniques that other counseling centers use such as CBT, EMDR, DBT, IFS, SYMBIS, Patient Center Therapy, Gottman, and Art Therapy. The difference is all of our counselors and life coaches are unashamedly Christian. We draw from scripture in our sessions, we use prayer and Bible reading as techniques in addition to our theories of choice. All of our counselors all have Master Degrees in Counseling and our life coaches are certified to PHd trained.
We have 4 South Carolina Licensed Profession Counselors/Associates and 2 Life Coaches. We are able to offer Pastoral Counseling, Couples Counseling, Marriage and Premarital Counseling, Individual Counseling from the age of 8 through senior adulthood, Grief counseling, and Trauma Counseling for PTSD. We offer EMDR and Art Therapy as well.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Starting a Christian Counseling Center was a risk. Many Christians don’t trust psychology, viewing it as not Godly and many believe if you trust God enough you don’t need traditional therapy. Mental Health is stigmatized across our nation, but you can have anxiety, depression and trauma and be a Christian. Trusting God isn’t always enough and to help those who are Christians and are struggling can be rewarding, but not necessarily monetarily. Being able to provide care at reduced session prices and only through private pay can be a huge risk, not everyone can even afford the low cost and if we are short on scholarship funds were aren’t able to help either. Our numbers fluctuate based on paychecks and extra funds which doesn’t always cover operating costs.
Pricing:
- $75 for 1 hr session with Licensed Therapist
- $65 for 1 hr session with Life Coach
- $50 for 1 hr with Interns if available
Contact Info:
- Website: https://iHopeFlorence.com
- Instagram: ihope_coounseling
- Facebook: IHope Christian Counseling Center
- Other: counseling@ihopeflorence
