Professional Counseling Services
Linda Spenceley, M.A., CRC, LMHC, NCC
St. Frances Cabrini Parish
Counseling Services
Life’s journey can be complex and overwhelming
due to challenges and changes. There are times when people wrestle
with fears, worries, painful memories, and difficult decisions.
Sometimes it is necessary to seek assistance through professional
counseling rather than share personal concerns with friends, family,
or coworkers. People seek counseling for various reasons such as
depression, anxiety, life transitions, career changes, grief,
marital conflict, and parenting difficulties.
Counseling is available at St. Frances Cabrini
Parish with a licensed professional Catholic counselor who
confidentially ministers to emotional and spiritual needs, in a safe
and comfortable environment.
Appointments are available weekdays and evenings. For
information regarding appointments, affordable fees, and how
counseling can help people maintain a healthier lifestyle and
experience renewed hope and peace, please call
Premarital Counseling and Marriage Preparation
Premarital counseling can provide excellent
tools to prepare engaged couples for issues and challenges they will
encounter as married couples. Premarital counseling can equip
couples with skills to strengthen and nurture their relationships.
It offers couples an opportunity to identify concerns they may have
and to address them before marriage. Some areas addressed in
premarital counseling include: expectations, communication, families
of origin, personalities, conflict resolution, roles of husbands and
wives, prayer, spirituality and involvement in the church,
enhancement and appreciation of the sacramental and spiritual of
aspects of marriage, children and parenting, finances, intimacy,
balancing work and family, and long-term goals.
Premarital Assessments and Inventories
Couples meet with the parish counselor to
review their premarital inventories as part of the marriage
preparation process. The couples receive an objective assessment of
potential problems and issues. These inventories may include the
FOCCUS (Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding &
Study), the PMI (Premarital Inventory), the RMI (Remarital
Inventory), or the VMI (Validating Marriage Inventory). The parish
counselor facilitates discussions about the couple’s relationship,
helps the couple explore the dynamics of their relationship, and
provides feedback regarding their strengths and potential problem
areas. The counselor makes recommendations to the couple to
effectively address their needs and concerns.
DivorceCare Support Group
DivorceCare is a weekly seminar and support
group for people who are separated or divorced.
The group meets for 13 weeks in the fall and 13 weeks in the
spring each year.
DivorceCare is a network of thousands of divorce recovery support
groups meeting worldwide.
The group’s goal is to help people who are experiencing
separation and divorce through their pain, to discover hope for the
future and to experience God’s healing.
People hurting from divorce or separation are showing up at
churches, seeking help and healing for their pain.
It may be the first time they’ve set foot in a church, or
they may be returning after a long time away. The program addresses
issues such as facing anger and depression, financial survival,
reconciliation, and forgiveness.
Counseling services are available for:
·
Individuals, Couples and Families
·
Grief and Loss
·
Depression and Mood Disorders
·
Anxiety and Fears
·
Caregiver Stress
·
Career Exploration
·
Marriage Enrichment
·
Chronic Illness
·
Stress Reduction
·
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
·
Impulse Control Disorders
·
Post-Abortion Healing
·
Marital Conflict
·
Women’s Issues
·
Life Transitions
·
Parenting Challenges
·
Premarital Counseling
·
Divorce Adjustment
·
Retirement Adjustment
·
Anger