You Don't Have to Carry This Alone
Healing starts with someone who understands what you've been through — and meets you exactly where you are.
Abuse leaves wounds that aren't always visible. The fear, the confusion, the grief, the moments when you wonder if you'll ever feel like yourself again — those are real, and they deserve real care. Our counseling services exist to give you a safe, confidential space to begin working through them, at your own pace, without cost, and without judgment.
Counseling is available to survivors living in our emergency shelter or residential program, as well as to outreach clients who are not in shelter. Wherever you are in your journey, support is here.
Survivor Services
What Counseling Looks Like Here
We offer both individual and group counseling formats, so you can choose the setting that feels right for you.
Individual counseling gives you private, one-on-one time with a counselor who is trained in trauma-informed care. These sessions are built around your story, your pace, and your goals — not a predetermined script. Whether you're processing the immediate aftermath of leaving, working through years of emotional abuse, or trying to understand patterns that have shaped your life, individual counseling holds space for all of it.
Group counseling brings survivors together in a structured, facilitated setting. There is something powerful about sitting in a room with people who understand — not because you've explained it, but because they've lived something similar. Group sessions focus on abuse recovery, building emotional resilience, and developing the tools to move forward. Many survivors find that hearing someone else name what they've felt helps them begin to name it too.
Both formats are grounded in the same foundation: trauma-informed care that recognizes the lasting effects of domestic violence and treats you as a whole person, not a case file.
Free, Confidential, and Judgment-Free
If you've avoided therapy because you were afraid of being judged, or because you've never been able to afford it, those barriers don't exist here.
Every counseling session is completely confidential. What you share stays within the bounds of your care. Our counselors work within a non-discrimination framework — meaning you will be received with dignity regardless of your background, faith, identity, or history.
And there is no cost. Survivor counseling is provided free of charge as part of our services. You don't have to weigh healing against a bill.
The only requirement is that you're ready to take one step. We'll meet you there.
Mental Health Support and Abuse Recovery
Domestic violence affects mental health in ways that can be hard to recognize from the inside. Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, difficulty trusting yourself or others — these are common responses to prolonged abuse, not signs that something is permanently wrong with you.
Our counselors are trained to address the mental health dimensions of abuse recovery alongside the practical and emotional work of rebuilding. If additional mental health support is needed beyond what our team provides directly, we'll help connect you to the right resources through coordinated case management.
Healing is not linear. Some days are harder than others. Our counselors understand that, and they'll stay with you through it.
Counseling Works Best Alongside the Rest of Your Support
Counseling is one part of a larger network of care we offer. If you have children, our children's services team provides play therapy and age-appropriate emotional support so your family can heal together. If you need help with safety planning, housing, or coordinating services, our case management team works hand in hand with counseling to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
We encourage you to explore how these services connect — because recovery rarely happens in one room alone.
We also offer children's services and play therapy for survivors with kids, and case management and safety planning to help coordinate your full support plan.
Common Questions About Counseling at Celebrate Forever Families
Do I have to be living in the shelter to receive counseling?
No. Counseling is available to both shelter residents and outreach clients. If you are receiving services through our outreach program but are not in shelter, you can still access individual or group counseling. Contact us to learn how to get connected.Is counseling really free?
Yes. There is no cost to survivors for counseling services. Our programs are funded through grants, including the Texas Governor's Victims Assistance Grant, specifically so that cost is never a barrier to care.What if I've never been to therapy before and I don't know what to expect?
That's completely normal, and you don't need to have it figured out before you start. Your first session is simply a conversation — a chance for you and your counselor to get to know each other and talk about what you're carrying. There's no pressure to go deeper than you're ready to go.Will anyone find out that I'm in counseling?
Your counseling sessions are confidential. We take your privacy seriously, and your participation in any of our services is protected. If you have specific concerns about confidentiality given your situation, please ask us directly — we will walk you through exactly how your information is handled.What if I need more mental health support than counseling alone can provide?
Our counselors will work with you honestly about what level of care best fits your needs. If additional or specialized mental health support is appropriate, we'll help connect you to those resources through our case management team so the transition is coordinated and you don't have to navigate it on your own. You've already survived something hard. Healing is the next chapter — and you don't have to write it alone. Reach out today to connect with a counselor who is ready to walk with you.