Counseling Resource List
Links to Freedom from Stuckness in the Troubles of Life

Here are some trusted resources for counseling from a Christian perspective in the Tampa Bay area.

Please check out some hopefully-helpful observations following the links ...

Hernando Counseling Center Serving Citrus, Hernando, & Pasco County

Tampa Christian Counseling Center Click "Counseling Center" on the left.

Trinity Life Counseling West Pasco County
Fred Feliciano, M.A. (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) & Associates
Christian Counseling, Life Coaching, and Spiritual Direction
727-848-0013 9020 Rancho Del Rio Dr., Suite 136 New Port Richey, FL 34655

Other Counseling Resources About Which I Know Nothing!
(BE CAUTIOUS & ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS!!!)

http://www.thecityoftampa.com/counseling/

http://www.crisiscenter.com/gcomres.htm

http://www.safetampabay.org/resourceguide/communityservresources.html

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It is always important to approach your first session with a cautious and
discerning attitude to discover if your counselor appears to be a good match.
If you for some reason believe that you will not be able to work well then
seek out a different counselor in the same practice or perhaps in another.
The reasons may be age, gender, counseling style, body language, accent, or
some other factor that significantly gets in the way of effective communication
and/or confidence.

If you are a Christian then a Christian counselor is a must. No one who does
not have a personal relationship with the Lord together with the indwelling
presence of the Holy Spirit will be fully equipped to understand your capacity
to heal nor your desire to do so.

If you are not a Christian a Christian counselor may still be your best
choice as they tend to be well informed about other belief systems as well
as agnosticism and atheism, they understand the challenges of going life
alone without Christ, and they are highly ethical.

Please note that when I use the term "Christian" I am not referring to
anyone who claims the label. I am referring to Biblically loyal, teachable,
accountable, mature, and well trained Christian counselors.

"Well trained" means that you must verify that they hold credentials from
a fully (Regional or Nationally accredited college/seminary/university)
and are affiliated with an organization in whom you already have some
reason for confidence. Please note that in academia little confidence is
granted most accrediting organizations claiming to be "International".
They will also need to have experience and have been well-mentored but that
is more difficult you to assess.

There is currently no State licensing standard that provides quality control
for those who use the term "counselor" in a religious context, thus you
initially have no point of reference for quality. There are 'secular' licensing
methodologies and many Christian counselors have earned them.

It is important to acquire and contact references for *any* counselor,
especially so those associated with religious organizations.

An effort is underway in Tallahassee to formulate a process within
which religious counselors may be licensed or certified based on certain
standards and a system of accountability. There will then be a standard
for the use of counseling-related terms that will be consistent.

Meanwhile, your pastor or another such mature adult who has built a system of
informed referrals may be your best resource for finding a safe, competent,
and appropriate counselor.

The following is a list of counseling organizations wherein I am personally
acquainted with the key leadership person and am thus comfortable doing a
general referral.

I cannot tell you if they are the best to help you with any specific malady
as those gifts vary, and I definitely cannot speak for others in their
counseling group as they are unknown to me.
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