Counseling Ministry
MISSION:
In July 2005, Emmanuel Church started a new counseling ministry to be a resource for the entire Dickinson county area. The ministry is designed to address a variety of needs:
Individuals may want to seek relief from depression or anxiety; find ways to identify and grieve losses; or learn how to release bitterness through forgiveness. Couples can learn better communications skills; address patterns that cause conflict; or explore ways to increase intimacy. Families are offered hope to smooth developmental transitions; improve parenting techniques; or simply increase harmony.
STAFF
Staffing Emmanuel Counseling Center is Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist,
Ben Meek. Ben received his BS in Business Administration from KSU in 1970, and his Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Friends in 2005. He also brings experience from the business world, having spent thirty years in banking in the Wamego and St. Marys communities. Ben and his wife of thirty-nine years have two grown daughters and four young grandsons.
Ben’s approach as a Christian counselor is not to judge clients or to require any certain doctrine, but to assume that faith is one of our greatest resources in addressing challenges. Ben stated it this way: “I believe we are born for relationship, but unfortunately we sometime lose touch with family members or with God. It is my hope to be helpful not only to decrease conflict, but also to increase intimacy; not merely to lessen emotional pain, but to increase a sense of purpose and hope. It will please me very much if people come to me, not only when they are feeling desperate, but even when they simply want more from their lives.”
FEES
Fees are subsidized by the church, and therefore are far less than standard fees for therapy. Fees are set on a sliding scale from $25 to $50 per session depending on family income and number of dependents. A fee chart can be found in the Emmanuel Counseling Center brochure, which is available at the church or can be mailed upon request. The brochure also gives information about client rights, risks and benefits of therapy, and details about confidentiality. The Center does not accept insurance as payment for services.
For more information or to request a brochure, call 785-263-3342. Office hours are 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Thursday.
Evening appointments are also available.
