The Merimosa Center
Providing Faith-Based Counseling Services Since 2010

Be transformed in the spirit of your mind and heal your history.

Providing Faith-Based Counseling Services Since 2010 under Be transformed in the spirit of your mind and heal your history.

THE MERISMOS CENTER

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MISSION STATEMENT

The Merismos Center is a non-denominational faith-based counseling service, whose mission is to provide Professional, Evidence-based Counseling integrated with Faith-based principles and teachings for those seeking mental health and wellness for the well-being of their mind, soul, and spirit.
The Merismos Center is committed to providing confidential, safe, cultural sensitivity, equal and impartial treatment for all. Our mission statement is to "Transform Souls and Heal Histories with Non-denominational Faith-based principles and Therapeutic Counsel."
Merismos Counseling Center

COUNSELING PRINCIPLES

The Merismos Center has five basic principles which all counseling providers follow.  These five principles have been adopted from the principles of Trauma Informed Care.
  • Safety
  • Transparency
  • Choice
  • Collaboration and Mutuality
  • Empowerment

Learn more about our mental health counseling services.

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Safety
This includes creating spaces where people feel culturally, emotionally, and physically safe as well as an awareness of an individual's discomfort and unease.
Transparency and Trustworthiness
This includes providing full and accurate information about what is happening and what is likely to happen next.
Choices
This includes the recognition of the need for an approach that honors the person's dignity.
Collaboration and Mutuality
This includes the recognition that healing happens in relationships and partnerships with shared decision-making.
Empowerment
This includes the recognition of an individual's strengths.  These strengths are built on and validated.

COUNSELING PLATFORM

Individual, group, and family counseling platform that will be used is virtual and tele-health. Group counseling workshops will be held in person, and/or Virtual Platform.

COUNSELING SERVICE REFERRAL MODEL

The Merismos Center is a fee-for-service model and is an individual self-referral, ministerial, and pastoral referral, insurance panels, and EAP (Employees Assistance Program) Service Referral model.  An EAP model is generally a counseling service that is provided by an individual's employer. The employer can offer its employees a limited number of counseling sessions free of cost through their insurance carrier, which is offered by the employer. 
Individuals will receive brief, supportive, solution-focused counseling. The Merismos Center is not equipped to manage crisis calls or mandated workplace referrals.  Emergency calls (violence, suicidal ideations, homicidal ideations) will be directed to 911. Mental Health Crisis (psychosis, suicidal ideations, and mental and emotional dysregulation) will be directed to the Mental Health Deputy by calling 311.
The Merismos Center is a counseling solution that offers scheduled, video/virtual, telephonic, individual, group, and chat counseling.  Both virtual/video and telephonic counseling are conducted, conforming to the ethical mandate that the counselors be located and licensed in the same state of the residence of the client.  They may not be in the same city, but they must be in the same state. 
These new options are also conducted in the same manner as face-to-face sessions; meaning sessions are once a week at a pre-planned and scheduled time that is convenient for both the client and the counselor. Professional Ethical guidelines are followed by the Christian Counseling Ethical Regulations, Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, and Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Confidentiality remains at the forefront of importance at The Merismos Center.  We recommend that participants find a quiet and private place in which to conduct their sessions.  The Merismos Center strongly recommends using a landline phone vs. a cell phone, website, or secure app with a phone or tablet.  The counseling platform's use of therapy appointments will ensure that all counseling services are conducted according to Standard HIPPA Compliancy Regulations.

COUNSELING PLAN OF SERVICES

The Merismos Center offers counseling for Adults and Adolescents beginning at age Thirteen. KKCM services are provided by a multi-disciplinary team of licensed professional counselors, licensed clinical social workers, licensed chemical dependency counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and psychologists who come duly skilled and experienced within each of their specialized scope of practice.
All licensed service providers must have an active License and must be in good standing with their licensing board.  Counseling services to be provided are:
  • Pastoral Counseling
  • Licensed Professional Counseling
  • Marriage and Family Counseling
  • Group Counseling / SOUL Workshops / Focus Group work.
  • Individual Counseling
  • Parent Coaching and Behavior Management
  • Spiritual Life Coach
  • PTSD/Trauma
  • Veterans and Family Members
  • Substance Use and Chemical Dependence
  • Social Services/Basic Needs – referrals as needed.

COUNSELING PROFESSIONALS

  • Iris Hackett, LPC-S, M.A., TBRI, CCTP, CCAT, DBT
  • Kimberly Wilson, Ph.D., LPC-S, LMFT
  • Thomas Jones, Ph.D, LPC-S, LMFT
  • Shamara Henry, LMSW, LCDC

MINISTERING TRAUMA COUNSELORS

  • Elder Verna Davis – Ministering Trauma Counselor
  • Minister Michael Scott – Ministering Trauma Counselor
  • Minister Danielle Belcher – Ministering Trauma Counselor
  • Deacon Andray Davis – Ministering Trauma Counselor
  • Raquel Grant – Ministering Trauma Counselor

MINISTERING TRAUMA COUNSELOR – REQUIREMENTS

Ministering Trauma Counselors are Volunteers. To become a ministering trauma counselor, individuals must be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually stable. They must be active and plugged into an auxiliary within a ministry. It is required to register and enroll in the "Be Transformed Workshop" group counseling and complete the initial 12-week sixteen-hour classes.
They will need to continue with an additional fifteen hours of coursework to obtain a total of 30 hours of training to receive a Certificate of Completion. Additional requirements are to consistently attend classes and training, complete assignments, and maintain an 80% attendance rate. They must be available to participate in the Saturday workshop/classes. They must attend scheduled trauma team meetings and professional consultation with Dr. Thomas Jones and Iris Hackett, LPC-S.

PASTORAL COUNSELING TEAM - Open Fire International Fellowship

  • Lincoln Coffie, Senior Pastor
  • Apryl Barnes-Coffie, Assistant Pastor
  • Pastor Phillip Johnson, Associate Pastor
  • Pastor Dameitta Jeffries, Associate Pastor
  • Pastor Michael Gibson, Associate Pastor
  • Pastor Kendrick Spells, Associate Pastor
  • Pastor Craig White, Youth Pastor

Social-WORKS Ministry

  • Andrea Petit, M.Ed., BSW,
  • SOAR Certified-
  • SSI/SSD Outreach Access and Recovery
  • CIPS- Certified Independent Placement and Support
  • Employment and Education Career Guidance

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR OVERSIGHT

All Merismos Center Counselors will receive group oversight consultation/supervision by Dr. Thomas Jones to ensure counselor competency and accountability for providing ethical and Board-approved counseling methods. 
Each The Merismos Center Counselor will meet a minimum of one time per month for one hour of supervision to address client concerns, ethical-related issues, and Board updates.  Counseling oversight is to provide counselors with support, collaboration, and guidance.

PASTORAL TEAM COUNSELING OVERSIGHT

Members of the Open Fire International Fellowship who receive professional Counseling Services from The Merismos Center, who are currently active in ministry with Open Fire International Fellowship, will be asked to sign an Authorization to Release Information form to allow the Pastoral team and Professional Counseling team work together collaborating optimal growth and increase in mental and spiritual wellness.
The pastoral team and professional counseling team will meet as needed to discuss treatment planning and counseling needs for the recipients. Recipients will receive referrals to the Trauma, Healing-Deliverance Team as needed.

PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES

The process to enroll and register for counseling services, including the Be Transformed Workshop Classes are, the participants are required to complete the Welcome Registration Packet, which includes the authorization to release information (ROI), declaration informed consent, mental health and wellness intake assessment, and spiritual connectivity intake assessment.
All documents must be filled out, signed, dated, and turned in to Iris Hackett, LPC-S, to be considered enrolled and registered to participate in the services.