When it comes to counseling, Porter-Starke Services understands how important it is for individuals to go with an understanding of what counseling can and cannot do. Porter-Starke’s Director of Outpatient Mental Health & Addiction Services Teresa Young, LMFT, LAC, believes that everyone can benefit from counseling services provided they know what they’re seeking.
“Everyone may benefit from counseling services, from children to adults; individuals, couples, and families,” she said. “People seek counseling support for an array of issues including major life transitions, grief, coping with daily stressors, behavioral problems, interpersonal struggles, trauma, addiction, depression, anxiety, and various other mental health issues and life challenges.”
With such a wide-range of issues that counseling can address, Porter-Starke prides itself on the array of counseling services it can provide patients. From walk-in appointments to supervised living, Porter-Starke is able to offer a whole gamut of treatment options.
“Porter-Starke offers a full continuum of clinical care, including but not limited to walk-in crisis services, outpatient and home-based individual, couple, and family therapy, group therapy, psychiatric medication management, adult and child case management, school-based support specialists, psychological testing, primary care services, acute inpatient care for adults, and supervised group living for adults,” said Young.
In addition to these counseling options, Porter-Starke also offers treatment for substance abuse. The community health center provides a treatment plan that can involve cessation, medication, and one-on-one time with a coach to help the recovery process.
“Substance use disorder treatment includes an Intensive Outpatient Program, nicotine cessation, medication-assisted treatment (including methadone, suboxone, naltrexone/vivitrol), and recovery coaching,” said Young.
The services Porter-Starke provides can be tailored to the needs of the individual. One of the easiest ways to customize your therapeutic experience is to try both individual and group therapy. Each has its strengths compared to the other, but both types help participants grow.
“Both individual and group therapy support people toward improved functioning, achievement of personal goals, and enhanced mental and emotional well-being,” said Young. “One benefit to individual therapy is having personal time and space to focus on one’s individual goals; sometimes, people feel more comfortable sharing sensitive information in a one-on-one format. A benefit of group therapy is the potential for healing through shared experiences. Group therapy is a wonderful way to increase social support and to reduce any guilt or shame one may carry related to their reason for seeking help.”
Porter-Starke’s approach to counseling encourages a counselor-patient relationship that improves therapeutic outcomes. Patients are given room to breathe and grow with their counselor, resulting in lasting success.
“At the core of our service philosophy is cultivating strong, therapeutic relationships so that our clients feel safe, seen, and supported,” said Young. “If you’ve tried counseling before and didn’t get what you needed, consider trying again with a new provider until you find the right fit for you.”
Porter-Starke is also readily available financially, making it a go-to option for those interested in counseling services. Combined with Porter-Starke’s team of professionals, success is almost always guaranteed.
“Porter-Starke counseling services are provided by a talented team of licensed professionals dedicated to serving all members of our community with professionalism and care. We accept Medicaid, Medicare, and all major commercial insurances, and we offer a sliding fee scale,” said Young.
Porter-Starke Services is a not-for-profit community health center with offices throughout Northwest Indiana. To learn more about its services and/or to schedule an appointment, please call 219-531-3500 or visit porterstarke.org.