Sharing our anxieties with trusted pastors and counselors in the community can offer great relief, but few of us pause to wonder: Who cares for the caregivers? Thankfully, Care and Counseling has taken up that cause since 1968. The nonprofit offers mental health care to everyone, but as the only certified pastoral counseling center in Missouri, 15 percent of its clients are religious professionals and their families. “This can be a very isolating profession,” says executive director Dale Kuhn, a licensed clinical social worker and Lutheran minister who’s worked for Care and Counseling for 40 years. “A lot of religious professionals are frontline responders to mental health issues in their congregations. I feel we really can make a big difference in the professional lives of those folks.”
Originally affiliated with Eden Theological and Concordia seminaries and Episcopal City Mission, Care and Counseling offers individual, family, children and adolescent therapy services regarding anxiety, depression, marriage, aging and parenting at nine locations throughout St. Louis. The nonprofit employs 25 licensed clinicians.
While Care and Counseling offers a unique spiritual perspective, people of all or no faith are welcome to seek help there. “I think people come to us primarily because of our reputation,” Kuhn says. Many clients learn about Care and Counseling through faith communities, friends, families and insurance companies. The diverse staff offers a range of outlooks, Kuhn says. The nonprofit operates on a sliding fee scale, serving clients regardless of their insurance or ability to pay. Kuhn reports that 35 percent of the budget comes from charitable donations by individuals and companies such as World Wide Technology, Centene Corporation and Delmar Gardens. This year, Care and Counseling’s annual dinner auction benefit takes place May 7 at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac and honors Kuhn for his four decades of service. “The dinner raises more than $100,000 for our sliding fee scale,” Kuhn says. “We have a lot of supporters who come every year. It enables our clients to pay what they can afford.”
Creating a safe environment that promotes well-being is one of Kuhn’s top priorities. “I want to make sure conversations about mental health issues are OK to have,” he says. “There’s a stigma in the culture. There’s a lot of fear of criticism and judgment. It’s OK to talk with each other about managing our stress or dealing with one of our kids who’s in trouble or acting out. One of the things we believe at Care and Counseling is there’s a mind-body-spirit connection.”
