FAMILY COUNSELING
At the Julianna Poor Memorial Counseling Center at Houston's First Baptist Church we have developed a “Team” approach to meeting the needs of the families that come in for counseling. Often when a family has issues or a crisis one or two individuals are the focus. We have come to believe that the best way to see those individuals succeed and for the family to succeed is to get everyone involved. We see the family as a team with each person having an important role in change. Parent(s) are the leaders who often need some more specific direction in how to deal with their children. Children are still growing and learning and need some help sometimes expressing what they need or how to relate to siblings. Our goal is to help parents understand how to relate to their children in a way that is beneficial for both and provide a safe way for children to express themselves.
What’s available for parents and children at JPMCC?
- A Family Team of 10 – 12 well-trained therapists, led by Greg Curnutte and Mary Ring, are ready to serve your family as the need arises.
- Assessments are available to determine what type of service would best suit your family’s need. A child’s behavior is only a symptom of a needed change. If the focus of treatment is only a change of behavior, many times we are changing the symptom but not getting to the root of the problem.
- Treatment processes are used to help the relationship improve among family members or help your child adjust to life changes or emotional difficulties that come into his/her life.
- Parenting seminars are regularly scheduled as part of the treatment process and provide Biblically sound information and support for developing a parenting strategy as you go through the various stages of development with your child(ren).
- Family Camps provide an opportunity to spend a day enriching your knowledge base for the parenting style you have while your child has opportunity to experience sensory rich activities with other children of similar age. Another part of this camp experience is multi-family group times when each family has some great experiential times together that enrich the family relationships. Family camps are held around the type of family formation present such as foster/adopt, blended or biological.
What types of problems does the family team serve?
- Anxiety/Depression (not medication)
- ADD/ADHD coping and management skills (not medication)
- Anger/Aggressiveness
- Relationship Issues either familial or social
- Grief situations
- Inferiority/Incompetency
- Selective Mutism
- Foster/Adopt issues
- Behavioral management
- School concerns
- Divorce/Blended family
- Sexual abuse or unhealthy exposure
These are some of the main issues, but others come up and are treated because of the many various kinds of life experiences that can happen.
If I should decide that my child or our family could possibly benefit by coming to the counseling center what could I expect when I make the call to the center?
- Information would be taken about your need and given to the administrative assistant responsible for scheduling parent intakes. At the present time this is Miss Esther Barber.
- This designated administrative assistant would then soon return your call and set up a parent intake (with no children present) with one of the family team members to gather all the pertinent information needed to determine what assessments are best for your child/family.
- The family team meets weekly to discuss the intakes and determine what assessments are needed. Shortly after this meeting you will be called to schedule the assessments that will help determine the treatment process that would best suit your concern.
- Once the assessment is finished, a feedback session will be scheduled with the parents only to develop the treatment protocol that will be used either with your child or as a family depending on the concerns needing to be addressed.
What are the various types of therapy used to serve children and/or families?
- Play therapy – when a child goes into the special playroom that is set up with various sets of play items to help elicit particular emotions as a child “plays” out emotions surrounding life issues that are disturbing for him/her. All team members are trained in play therapy and consult with one another and get supervision as needed to assure the best possible treatment.
- Art therapy – an art therapy is an experiential process that is used to help children and families explore relationships and communication.
- Movement/music therapy – this is another experiential therapy that is used with children and families to explore and build better understanding of how to “move” through a difficult situation. Nancy Williams is a licensed therapist that is trained using movement and music for therapeutic purposes and helps the team to develop and provide what is needed in this area.
- Theraplay – Theraplay is a modality that helps create a balanced and meaningful relationship between parent and child as well as among other family members. All family team members are trained in using Theraplay principles and Mary Ring is certified as a Theraplay therapist and trainer.
- Talk therapy – talk therapy is used at times with children but many times they do not have the ability to express the depth of their emotions about in a particular situation and experiential therapies help in doing this to a greater degree and resolve the issue for the child at a deeper level.
Family Team Members
Greg Curnutte, MAMFC, LPC
Greg is the Associate Minister of Counseling Services at Houston's First Baptist Church. He has a Masters in Family and Marital Counseling and a Masters in Christian Education. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor. Greg's interest is in working with individuals: teens, singles, college, men, and women. Greg works with couples in marriage and premarital counseling, as well as with families. He is certified in the Prepare/Enrich marriage program (for premarital counseling). Part of his focus is counseling men who struggle with sexual addictions. Greg counsels from a biblical foundation, primarily using cognitive/behavioral techniques. Greg oversees various support groups, family team, and the pre-marital program.
713.335.6465
Greg.Curnutte@HoustonsFirst.org
Download Informed Consent Form here
Mary Ring, MAMFC, LPC-S, LMFT-S, RPT-S
Mary has a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling and in Religious Education. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with supervisory status. She also has certification as Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and is certified as a TheraPlay Therapist. She works with people of all ages from birth through adults. Her desire is to empower individuals and families with the spiritual truths God has given them and to teach them how to integrate those truths into every aspect of their lives. Having fulfilling relationships is one of God’s most precious blessings.
713.335.6466
Mary.Ring@HoustonsFirst.org
Download Informed Consent Form here
Pat Johnson, MA, LPC, LMFT-Associate
Pat has a Master's of Art in Marriage and Family Therapy Liberty University and is a Licensed Professional Intern, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, and a Registered Play Therapist. She counsels from a faith perspective that views situations with hope and sees each individual as having significant worth and potential, while relying upon biblical principles and truths, the Holy Spirit, proven psychological methods, and prayer. She counsels using a systems/family approach that emphasizes God’s grace, solutions to problems, experience, and insight. She believes that individuals, couples, and families have strengths and resources that can be accessed to assist change. Pat is called to help clients find healing/transformation, fulfill their purposes, increase their intimacy with God and others, and enhance their joy in living, reaching their God-given potentials. She works with children, adolescents, couples, and adults and has been trained to conduct Theraplay and is certified to facilitate Prepare/Enrich for engaged and married couples.
713.335.6462
Pat.Johnson@HoustonsFirst.org
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Betsy Contreras, MA, LPC-intern, Bilingual Counselor
Betsy is a Spanish Bilingual, Licensed Professional Counselor Intern with a Masters of Arts in Psychology. She is also in the process of working towards her certification as a Registered Play Therapist. Her great aspiration of being a Christian Counselor is to help the person to become the treasure God has created in him/her. Her work with children, individuals, married couples and family units is through a biblically base and holistic therapy in order to help them fulfill their purpose in Christ and walk closer with Him.
713.335.6467
713.957.8338
Betsy.Contreras@HoustonsFirst.org
Download English Informed Consent Form here
Download Spanish Informed Consent Form here
Janet Nosrat, LMSW
Janet holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work. She has worked with children, adolescents and families in a variety of settings. Janet seeks to understand family dynamics and to educate and promote healthy family structures. She counsels through a biblical perspective, as well as utilizing other approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Janet believes that each person holds the answers they need to problem-solving within a connected relationship to God and others. She enjoys helping individuals gain therapeutic insights and the necessary tools for growth through the counseling relationship.
Download English Informed Consent Form here
April Vandagriff, MAMFC ,LPC-INTERN
April Vandagriff has a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Intern. April is a member of the Family Team and is passionate about working with children and adolescents. She has experience serving this population through counseling, teaching and volunteering. April also enjoys counseling young women and helping them with the various struggles they face. April counsels within a biblical framework with an eclectic approach utilizing Cognitive-Behavioral, Family Systems and Play Therapy techniques to best meet the needs of her clients. April believes that God is the ultimate healer and her desire is to help clients of any age find healing and restoration in their relationship with God and with others. April is also a certified PREPARE/ENRICH engaged and married couples counselor.
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Jennifer M. Hall LPC-INTERN
I received an undergraduate degree from The University of St. Thomas in 2005 and graduate degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2009. During my internship I primarily facilitated group therapy for teens who struggle with peer pressure, abuse, self-worth and stress. Prior going to seminary I was the associate Middle School youth director at First Presbyterian Church of Houston which taught me how to nurture, help develop and encourage adolescents in their character and spiritual formation.
My areas of special interest and my passion is working with adolescents struggling with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, low self-worth, lack of assertiveness, body image issues, anger, and family communication problems. I also have a heart for couples. My approach in all areas is to meet my clients where they are, help them to make sense of what they are going through, and provide practical and tangible guidance in helping them to develop solutions for their struggles.
I believe that God is our ultimate healer and that He uses the people around us to display his compassion and comfort. I understand that change is a process and takes time. It is my desire to be a support and guide in that process for my clients. I am holistic in my approach, recognizing that the mind, body and spirit are connected. Therefore, I believe it is important to discuss the importance of nutrition, stress-management skills and exercise along with thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
I have lived in Houston most of my life and my husband and I are happily married and have a beautiful baby boy. My hobbies include reading, running and organizing social events.
For more information on each counselor, visit the Counseling Center Team page.