Most children will have experienced the death of a loved one by the end of high school, some much sooner. The Center recognizes that children's grief is unique, and that grief ignored, can cause difficulties later in life: physically, emotionally and behaviorally. Unresolved grief in children and teens can cause depression, violence, truancy, eating disorders, alcoholism, drug abuse, anxiety and suicide.
The Center helps provide life-affirming skills so that families may continue their lives with hope, confidence and strength.
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Services Offered
Grieving - While society has long held that the grief process should be short lived and is a life experience that we all must contend with, however; few among us are given the tools and skills necessary to deal with the grief issues that we experience in our lifetime. Research demonstrates that the grief experience in children is unique to that of adults and unattended may lead to and underlie greater mental health issues later in life. The child suffering the loss of a loved one experiences a wide range of emotions including; fear, guilt, pain, loneliness, abandonment, sadness and insecurity. Unresolved grief may lead to debilitating physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, anxiety attacks, and insomnia. These symptoms and others including behavioral problems in school and at home, eating disorders, suicide, violent behavior and even substance abuse are not always easily identified and may emerge many months or even years following the loss.
* Allow a child to express his/her feelings of loss. * Allow yourself and your child to cry. * Realize that grief is an ongoing process with no easy answers. * Address fears and fantasies and correct magical thinking. * It's okay to need and get help with your feelings of grief.
Restoring Balance - Children who are grieving yearn for the days when things were "normal." They want their lives back to when they were playing baseball, dance lessons or whatever their activities included. Frequently, following the loss of a parent or other loved one, those activities have stopped. They no longer participate in the things that made them happy or helped them feel successful. We encourage surviving parents, grandparents or guardians to help restore their children's sense of balance and normalcy.
Fees and Payment
We are nonprofit agency.
Services Offered To: Adults Teens Children
Special Groups: Bilingual
Payment: Sliding Scale Pro-bono Medicare Medicaid
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Qualifying for assistance from Texas' program usually depends on the severity of your condition and financial circumstance. Read our full guide to Texas' program.
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.