Our Story
The aphorism that “still waters run deep” would seem to contradict the observation that it is our deeper fears and assumptions that divide us. While traditional practices and loving families are a vital source of peace, they do not always penetrate the sources of turbulence that lie in the shadows of our inner conflicts. As depth therapists we are committed to overcoming the discontent that is the source of fractured selves, families, and communities. Awareness of and compassion for one’s own self and for others requires the growth of emotional intelligence. Therapists at CPFS have experienced in our own journeys how the difficult work of self-confrontation can lead to greater resilience, humility, love, and industry. We work to build strong voices, accepting homes, and caring communities.
Historically, CPFS was founded in 1993 by a group of churches who wanted a resource in the community to help with pastoral needs. “Counseling in a Christian context” meant that we worked to integrate psychology and theology and that we understood the importance of helping people understand emotional struggles in the language of their faith traditions. Through years of working in tandem with local communities, we recognize that no traditions or organizations are free from self-deception, greed, competition, or using identities to divide. And we have seen that many who need mental health help have no means for receiving it. Consequently, our mission is to engage via psychotherapy, consultation, and education with individuals in the families, faith communities, schools, and neighborhoods where we all are shaped and find our identities.
Our three defining commitments to depth, spirituality, and community flow from another. Only when love and peace characterize our relationship to ourselves and to others do we achieve caring homes and communities. Experiencing love and peace is a spiritual and emotional journey inward.