By Phoebe Muthart
Staff Writer
NORTH WEBSTER — North Webster-Tippecanoe Township Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, June 17, at the new location of Turning Point Counseling Center in North Webster.
The newly-renovated facility is located at 501 W. Washington St.
The center was formed Aug. 28, 2013, by North Webster Church of God. The governing body of the church had identified a need for affordable professional counseling services within the community.
Turning Point’s mission is “to bring health, hope and healing to the people of northeast Indiana.” Turning Point offers support and guidance in dealing with depression, anxiety, addictions, trauma, suicidal thoughts and grief, as well as marital and parenting issues. The counseling team is highly trained, diverse, skilled and able to address each need presented with compassion and professionalism.
Turning Point offers a unique model of discounted counseling fees, insurance options and Employee Assistance Program options. No one who is ready to take the first step toward counseling is turned away, regardless of their ability to pay. With the help and generosity of grant funding and donations from people and local organizations, Turning Point can keep its sessions affordable.
Turning Point has five counselors, said Pastor Jeff Boyer.
In January, Turning Point Counseling Center celebrated 10 years of “bringing health, hope and healing to the people of northeast Indiana.”
Turning Point Counseling’s impact and reach goes well beyond the small town of North Webster. Presently, Turning Point has an active client list of 278 people and a waiting list of 81. Although located in North Webster, over 125 of our active clients reside in Goshen, Elkhart, Shipshewana, Leesburg, Warsaw, Winona Lake, Columbia City, Fort Wayne, Kendallville, Crown Point and New Castle.
The need for mental health counseling is huge. With an ever-growing waiting list, the decision was made to expand its impact to bring more hope, health, and healing to more people.
In March, the leadership of North Webster Church of God authorized the purchase of the building, located at 501 W. Washington St., to become the new leased location for Turning Point Counseling, Inc.
This property allows Turning Point Counseling Center to expand from a space of 1,200 square feet to 6,000 square feet. Upon completion of the renovation, Turning Point Counseling has an expanded waiting room area, large and small group gathering spaces for Divorce Care and Grief Share groups, a dedicated play therapy room and the capacity to house a minimum of nine counselors.
This renovated space enables Turning Point the capacity to double its impact in the surrounding communities.
A capital campaign is currently underway. The campaign goal is to raise $1.2 million.
These monies will be used for two purposes; first, to complete the necessary lease improvement renovations, which will allow Turning Point to be a leading edge, mental health facility for people of all ages.
Secondly, upon the completion of the renovation, all remaining funds will be used to begin and sustain an ongoing Turning Point Counseling Inc. endowment, which can be used to support the ongoing counseling needs of the communities of northeast Indiana.
To donate, call the center or mail a check. Donations are tax-deductible. Make checks payable to Turning Point Counseling Center and notate “donation” on the memo line. They can be mailed to: Turning Point Counseling Center, P.O. Box 751, North Webster, IN 46555.
For an appointment, call (574) 834-1393 or visit myturningpt.com.