LJWorld.com

It looks like an ordinary office, and in many ways it is.

But it is also a place of faith, where people in need come to be healed through the agency of their fellow human beings and, perhaps, even by God.

"We do everything that a regular mental health center does, but with a boost. We really pay attention to people's faith and how to utilize that," says Barrie Arachtingi, a licensed psychologist and the executive director of Christian Psychological Services, 500 Rockledge Road, suite C.

"We try to help people gain a greater perspective of their life with God, and to understand that God is a God of grace, not a God of condemnation. Gaining that greater perspective can translate into people accepting themselves and others."

CPS is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization that serves the community by providing professional psychotherapy, counseling and education.

"Regardless of a person's religion or race, we are here to help people be reconciled to themselves, to those around them and to God," clinic literature says.

CPS therapists are trained in a variety of areas, so the clinic is able to provide therapy to children, adolescents, adults, couples, families and groups.

Trained professionals provide psychological, personality, educational, vocational and parenting evaluations for diagnostic and court-related purposes. The office offers individual, family and marital counseling; mediation; and case management.

The clinic has a stated mission: "As servants of Jesus, we believe that things broken can be made whole. To this end, we provide professional services that nurture hope, healing and reconciliation."

Clinical staff members have earned advanced degrees in psychology, social work or related fields and are carefully selected on the basis of "professional competence, mature Christian commitment and genuine care for others," according to clinic literature.

CPS also has a division in its Lawrence office called the Lawrence Women's Center, which offers mental health care especially for women.

Dr. Mack Harden of Lawrence founded CPS in 1977, and he serves on the clinic's board of directors. Arachtingi has worked at CPS since 1991.

Not Bible study

The clinic's staff is made up of people who come from different Christian denominations.

All of the professionals, Arachtingi says, are guided by the basic tenets of Christianity. But CPS doesn't evangelize.

"Wherever you are (in your spiritual journey) is where we're going to accept you. If you don't want religion to be a part of the psychotherapy at all, it won't be. We don't have an underlying agenda. We're not out to convert people; that's not our role," Arachtingi says.

Nor does CPS expect its clients to be healed by faith alone.

"We treat people who have some serious disorders. We would be remiss if we counseled them simply to spend more time with God, focus on their faith and assume they will get better. We have to use all the facets that are available to us to help people reach their goals," she says.

Psychotherapy at CPS is not Bible study. Sessions are spent talking about a client's life, not studying Scripture.

But if a client wants to talk about verses from the Bible, that's OK. Prayer, initiated by a client, can be part of the healing, too.

"When a patient asks to pray with the counselor, they will. I have one patient who asks me to start each of our sessions in prayer. So I ask God to just provide wisdom and guidance so we can use our time well together," Arachtingi says.

The standard fee for services is $90 for a 50-minute session. Insurance usually covers from 50 percent to 80 percent of the fee.

Financially limited clients without insurance may be eligible for a lower fee.

Flexibility and freedom

Who turns to CPS for help?

"Some people come here because they want to be sure that the counselor is a Christian and won't challenge their faith. Some people come here because their doctors know us and know we do good work. And lots of people come here because they've had friends and relatives who have come here and had a good experience," Arachtingi says.

The clinic is a place where, if clients wish, their faith and belief in God can be acknowledged in therapy.

"There's a real comfort with spiritual issues when they come up. It's nice to have that flexibility and freedom. There are times when I don't necessarily bring the Lord up in a session at all.

"But there is a freedom here to do that when someone would like to," Steven Unruh, a licensed clinical social worker, says.

"We do some really good quality work here. The people are well trained in what they do. I think we add a dimension to psychotherapy that people won't find most places."