The last thing we want to think about when we are in crisis or in pain is money. And yet, for many people, money is an obstacle to seeking out counselling support.

We often hear from clients attending sessions that they would have come sooner, but were afraid they couldn’t afford the sessions. This obstacle is one that our team has worked hard to address.

Our agency is one of several in the Hamilton and Durham regions that offer counselling services to the members of the community when they are in need of this service. We take pride in not carrying long wait list and in offering timely care. We also are excited by our sliding scale pay structure—it has enabled us to serve clients who are unable to manage standard counselling fees. And when clients need even more assistance, we have a Counselling Assistance Fund financed through donations.

As of the end of September, our clinics had provided 1565 counselling sessions this year, and 24% of those sessions were made possible through the Counselling Assistance Fund, using money donated to Shalem in order to subsidize sessions. These donations allow us to offer counselling support to many clients who are not otherwise able to pay for sessions.

Many people benefit from counselling support to cope with challenging life situations that have surpassed their ability to cope. It might be a single parent seeking support for their child with mental illness, or a retiree affected by the death of a spouse. It could also be an adult unable to work due to disability, or an individual struggling with the pain of isolation, or perhaps someone who is unemployed and struggling to manage a resulting depression. While these are not actual cases, they represent the many types of stories that we hear.

There is a tremendous need for these subsidized sessions, and clients share how meaningful it is to receive counselling from an agency where they receive psychotherapy in a faith-based context.

If you have contributed financially to our Counselling Assistance Fund, please consider this a sincere thank you! Thank you for the deeply valued counselling sessions you have made possible. Your partnership with us is changing lives!