Everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status or culture, shares common experiences—loss, stress, fear, and mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, pain, and trauma.

Families in poverty face invisible barriers to receiving life-saving counseling – such as language, geography, transportation, finances, and social stigma. It’s a brutal cycle. Mental illness prevents families from finding stability to end the cycle of poverty and keeps children from reaching their potential in school. That’s why The Center established the Partnerships for Accessible Counseling and Training Program.

PACT

Partnerships for Accessible Counseling and Training Program

This innovative program teams up with established nonprofits whose clients would not have access to mental health care. PACT removes barriers and makes professional counseling and psychological assessments accessible to all.

By collaborating and co-locating with established nonprofits, counseling is provided onsite in communities, in a safe and comfortable environment, where people already receive services such as food, clothing and afterschool care. We complement the work of these nonprofits by addressing an unmet need. These comprehensive wrap-around services are a win-win for families and individuals.

Our mental health services help clients being served at our PACT partner locations develop transformational skills that have generational impact. Counseling and psychological assessments are offered for children, teens, families, and adults.

It is only through the generosity of foundations and private donors that we are able to provide these life-changing and life-saving services to those who would not otherwise have access to them.

CLIENT IMPACT STORIES

A Season of Rekindled Light

As a therapist at Dallas Christian Women’s Job Corps, I’ve had the honor of walking alongside many women whose strength and resilience humble me. One woman in particular, Rosa, left a deep impression. A recent program graduate, she entered therapy during a season many mothers navigate quietly—her three sons were stepping into adulthood, and she felt herself disappearing in the process. After years of pouring everything into her family, she was left wondering, “If my sons no longer need me… who am I now?”

Even under the weight of that identity shift, Rosa showed up every week—to group sessions, to individual therapy, even on days when she felt overwhelmed or unsure of her own worth. Together we worked to rebuild her self-esteem, strengthen her sense of identity, and set healthier boundaries. She began reconnecting with parts of herself she had set aside for years—her preferences, her voice, her dreams—slowly piecing herself back together.

And then something beautiful happened: Rosa began to imagine again. She dreamed of baking, sewing, maybe even starting a small business. The light in her eyes when she talked about it felt like a rebirth. Watching her stand taller and believe in her own worth was one of the greatest honors of my work—a reminder that identity can be rebuilt, that healing is sacred, and that hope often returns quietly, one small moment at a time.

Shared by Tabita Albornoz, LPC-A

Held Together by Light

As a therapist, one of the greatest privileges of my work is witnessing someone slowly find their way back to themselves. Carmen came to therapy after the sudden loss of her 20-year job, carrying grief that touched every part of her life—sleepless nights, physical exhaustion, and distance from the people she loved. She often described herself as “lost,” even as she tried to push forward through her classes at the Dallas Christian Women’s Job Corps to earn her GED, something she deeply wanted but could barely carry in those early days.

We began gently, helping her understand her symptoms not as failures, but as signals from her body and mind. Little by little, we added movement back into her routine, practiced nourishing herself well, rebuilt connections with family and support groups, and created space for her to name her emotions with clarity. Slowly, the edges of her depression softened, and her energy shifted. I’ll never forget the day she walked in taller and lighter after passing two of her four GED tests—her pride was unmistakable.

Carmen and I are still working together, and she still has days where sadness shows up. But now she has tools, rhythms, and an understanding of her emotional landscape. She can see when she’s slipping into a depressive episode and respond with strength rather than collapse under its weight. Watching her reclaim her happiness, her stability, and her sense of control has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my work—a reminder that healing is rarely sudden, but quiet, steady, and profoundly brave.

Shared by Tabita Albornoz, LPC-A