Summit Grove Counseling turned four (4!) on January 1st. I’ve been thinking about how I can put into words what has been a tremendous journey of growth for SGC as well as a personal one. When we expanded four years ago to SGC from my solo practice, I never EVER imagined it would be what it is today. In fact, it took me more than a year to decide if I wanted to do it. I started the process in 2018 and then stopped; I continued to turn more and more clients away and then knew what I needed to do.
In January 2020, I brought on two independent contractors to help “meet the need” because I had been turning referrals away for so long. (To clarify: If you’re asking why I didn’t refer said clients to other therapists, I absolutely did; however, many of them wanted to see someone similar to my niche and their insurance.) Little did anyone know what was ahead in March 2020. We quickly pivoted to online counseling like every other therapist. As the world experienced collective crisis, our team continued to grow to meet the need.
Looking back, it was only the grace of God that allowed us to build; this was not something that could have happened on my own strength. It was the height of the pandemic, I was building SGC, teaching online classes, and home(crisis)schooling my children. The whole world was shut down; and, truly, we’re all still recovering.
When we first began four years ago, our focus was almost exclusively on women in their 20s and 30s, with an emphasis on faith-based counseling for those requested it. We still largely see many young women, but thanks to the expertise of the therapists in our group, several therapists see men, couples, clients with postpartum concerns, and those in recovery. It’s amazing to be able to meet the need of so many in our community and throughout Pennsylvania, as a result of technology.
It is my deep conviction that all clients should be able to receive quality therapy and utilize their insurance (after all, you pay for it!). While there are many who don’t want to go head to head with insurance and deal with their shenanigans, I’ve been working with various insurance plans for some time and don’t fear their dragons. I don’t give up easily when it comes to insurance…or, frankly, most things.
The state of the world remains uncertain. Life is stressful, many struggle with tenuous relationships, financial questions, I could go on and on. 2024 wasted no time in providing many with crisis and unexpected turns. We all struggle to make sense of our current political (economic, social, etc.) climate. Our team of therapists is here to support, guide, and help you learn to navigate next steps wherever you are on your journey.
If you’ve been considering therapy, give it a try. We have a few therapists with openings right now and accept most commercial insurances. Feel free to email us if you’d like to be connected with one of our therapists: [email protected].