INTRODUCTION TO OUR COUNSELING PROGRAM

Our Counseling program offers professional counseling by state licensed and master's degree-level therapists for individual, couples (married or otherwise) and families.  We also have a psychiatrist on staff that does psychiatric evaluations and ongoing medication management.

WHO WE TREAT

We treat children as young as 3-5 years old, teens, young adults through older adults.  We serve families, individuals, parents, and couples.  

HOW WE CAN HELP

We all go through hard times at some point in our lives.  Some individuals seek out counseling to receive support through a normal yet stressful life transition such as coping with the stress of school or a new job, being able to better handle parenting challenges, facing the empty nest, dealing with retirement, etc.  Other times, life presents us with unexpected challenges such as coping with the loss of a loved one, marital difficulties, going through a divorce, dealing with chronic health problems, losing a job, etc.  Whether you are dealing with one of life’s challenges or a mental health concern such as clinical depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, substance abuse, etc., we can help. 

Below are just some of the issues our counselors can help you with:

Anger Management
Anxiety
Attention Deficit Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Childhood Disorders
Childhood Sexual Abuse
Communication problems
Couples’ Issues
Depression
Divorce Adjustment
Grief Issues
Job Stress
Mood disorders
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Oppositional DefianceDisorder
Panic Disorders
Parenting issues
Physical & Verbal Abuse
Post traumatic stress disorder
Stress Management
Substance Abuse
Workplace issues

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE FIRST APPOINTMENT

When you call to make your initial appointment, our counseling receptionist will ask you some questions including why you are seeking counseling, what the age of the client is, whether you are covered by private health insurance, an employee assistance program, Medicaid, Medicare, or another funding source.  If you do not have coverage, they will tell you about our sliding fee scale and what you need to bring to your initial session in order to be eligible for a possible fee reduction.  At that time, they will try to assign you to the therapist that appears to be the best fit for you and your needs. 

Your first appointment will take approximately an hour and a half.  When you arrive, you will be given a packet of intake paperwork to fill out.  Your counselor will then meet with you and gather information about what problem brought you to counseling, what your background and family history are, what kind of support system you have, and what your goals for treatment are.  At this time, you and your counselor will discuss how often you will meet, and what treatment is recommended. 

SEEING OUR PSYCHIATRIST

In some cases, you may already know that you wish to have a psychiatric evaluation to assess your needs for medication.  In other cases, you may decide to make an appointment with our psychiatrist after talking to your counselor about ways medication might help.  In either case, you need to be evaluated by one of our staff therapists first prior to your first meeting with our psychiatrist. 

CONFIDENTIALITY:

We understand that the information you share in counseling is of a personal nature, and that you would want it to remain private.  Therefore, it is important for you to know that your therapist is very committed to maintaining your confidentiality and will only speak to others when you have given specific written permission to share information regarding your treatment with a specific person or organization and in compliance with HIPAA laws.  That said, it is important to state that there are also three situations in which we are required by law to disclose information about you:

·        When there is a court order or subpoena from a judge;

·        When there is reasonable suspicion of child or adult abuse, neglect, and/or endangerment;

·        If we believe that you are in real danger of harming yourself or someone else. 

OUR COUNSELING STAFF

Tari Alper, Ph.D., LMHC~ is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and works with individual adults on a variety of issues.  She is a graduate of Purdue’s School of Education received her Ph.D as a Professional Counselor in August of 1991.  Tari has been with Family Services since 2006. After business hours, Tari works as a volunteer Disaster Mental Health Counselor for the State of Indiana District #4 through the Department of Mental Health and Addictions-Emergency Response Office. She also assists Tippecanoe Chapter of American Red Cross and the Tippecanoe Health Department as well with their emergency mental health needs. She is a volunteer for Disaster Animal Rescue through Noah’s Wish and served at Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. She typically has a houseful of rescue animals, currently dogs, cats, a parrot and fish.  

Dr. Iya Awrumtchuk-Klim, Psychiatrist~ has been a practicing psychiatrist for almost 40 years.  She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient treatment settings and has experience working with children, adults, and geriatric services. 

 Annette Brehm, MSW, LCSW~ is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and counsels children, teens and adults in individual and family therapy.  Issues addressed include ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Asperger’s/Autistic Spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma (e.g., sexual abuse, domestic violence), loss (e.g., death of a loved one, moving), family of origin issues, relationship problems, parenting, and adjustment concerns such as bullying, divorce, and stage of life changes.

Sara Bishop, MA~ Sara’s area of specialty includes utilizing Cognitive Behavioral, Client Centered, or Play Therapy while working with very young children (ages 3-5), adolescents and adults in individual, family and couples treatment addressing issues such as depression, anxiety, behavioral concerns, communication skills, marital/couples and family conflict, anger issues, grief and loss, adjustment disorders, and parenting struggles.  Sara earned her degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Valparaiso University.  Sara enjoys volunteering, spending time with her family, and baking.  

Mary Francisco, MSW, LSW, LCAC~ has a passion for helping individuals, especially expecting mothers and/or mothers who struggle with drug or alcohol abuse. Her other passions include marital counseling. Other areas of interest include working with individuals and/or families who deal with depression, anxiety, infertility, bereavement, women’s issues, anger management and/or self-esteem issues. Her treatment approach is integrative, incorporating cognitive-behavioral, strengths-based, family systems, internal family systems, interpersonal and mindfulness therapy.  Mary Francisco received her degree from IU and is a licensed social worker and licensed clinical addictions counselor.

Brianne Schutter, LMFTA~ is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate providing individual, couple, and family therapy. She has been trained in Imago Therapy and through this modality enjoys assisting various couple and family relationships in building communication and a closer connection. She has a deep passion in helping others create healthy lifestyles and relationships that help meet their individual needs.

Uma Senguttuvan, MS, ED.S.~ specializes in Marriage and Family Therapy and works with individuals, couples, and families. She is interested in working with relationship issues, mood disorders, adjustment difficulties, stress management, and child behavioral/emotional problems. She uses different treatment modalities including insight-oriented therapy, cognitive, behavior, and emotion-focused therapy based on client’s needs.  Uma is a doctoral candidate at Purdue University, Marriage and Family Therapy Program. In her free time she reads science fiction and loves listening to podcasts. Her favorites include This American Life and Radiolab. She enjoys working out and hiking with friends.

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT:

The Center for Counseling at
FAMILY SERVICES, INC
Howarth Center, Suite 201
615 North 18th Street
Lafayette, IN 47904

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ph: 765.423.5361

Fx: 765.742.8272

HOURS OF OPERATION:

• Monday and Wednesday: 9am-3pm
• Tuesday and Thursday: 8am-8pm 
• Friday: 9am-2pm