A Counseling Center is Born . . .
I have lived and ministered in the Lyons community for over 20 years, and I have often prayed that more practical helping ministries were available to individuals and families in our community.
I am pleased to announce a new cooperative effort between the Lyons Evangelical Free Church and Lydia Home Association, a social services agency of the Evangelical Free Church of America in Chicago. The Lydia Home - Lyons Counseling Center at the Lyons Evangelical Free Church is now open. For some time, the Lydia Home Association has desired to expand their counseling center ministry to our area. Now that hope is a reality.
Lydia Home Association, a ministry of the Evangelical Free Church of America, has been serving children and families for over 85 years in Chicago. Lydia Home originally began as an orphanage to serve children orphaned because of death or abandonment of a parent. It has grown to offer a wide range of services to families at risk. They currently have offices in Irving Park, North Lawndale, the Austin areas of Chicago, Antioch, Waukegan and Rockford, and also a location in Davenport, Iowa. Services include residential treatment, specialized and traditional foster care, day care services, in-school early prevention, child abuse prevention, parental competency evaluations and an ADHD/behavioral problems clinic.
I am the primary therapist on-site, and there are plans to increase the staff as the ministry grows. I am a graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School with the M.A. in Counseling Psychology and a Master of Divinity, and of Adler School of Professional Psychology with the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology.
If you are experiencing sadness, worry, difficulties with relationships or family, or other kinds of distress, please call us. A qualified, caring professional will speak with you and explore whether counseling is right for you. Please call the Lyons office at (708) 308-4141 or Lydia's main office at (773) 736-1447.
Allan T. Peterson, M. Div., Psy. D.
Therapist
Lydia Home Association Counseling Center
Helping to Turn Lives Around
(The following is excerpted from a Lydia Counseling Center introductory brochere, with permission)
Have you ever felt that llife can be overwhelming, more than you can handle alone? There are times when it is necessary to turn to someone for guidance during these difficult situations in life. Lydia's Counseling Center is helping people who are struggling to have a better view of themselves and a better understanding of how God sees them. The loneliness, confusion, and disappointments they have experienced can distort thinking, shatter confidence, and cause people to feel out of control. At the heart of Lydia's services are caring therapists who provide a safe and comforting relationship for difficult situations. Lydia offers an opportunity for people to share their burdens and help in understanding their responsibility for their actions and thoughts.
Many people come to Lydia Home anxious, upset, confused, not having direction, needing affirmation, feeling broken, and not complete. The process of therapy helps our clients to reflect who their family is, who they are, and who God created them to be. After a period of time, people may leave with more confidence, feeling more whole, and learning to accept themselves as God has accepted them.
If you are in need of talking to someone, please call the Lydia Counseling Center (at (708) 308-4141 for Lyons and the surrounding suburbs, or (773) 736-1447 to locate a counseling center near you) or to schedule an appointment. Lydia Home accepts several types of payment: insurance reimbursement, private pay, and a sliding scale fee. Referrals are also accepted from other agencies who are third-party payer sources, including DCFS.
Services Offered:
Premarital and Marital Counseling
Individual and Family Counseling
Psychological Evaluations
Parenting-Skills Training
Parent/Child Interaction Therapy
Consultation to Pastors, Churches, Community Groups, and Schools
School-Based Trainings and Workshops
Professional Staff
Our staff consists of mental health professionals at the Master's and Doctoral levels. We believe that most problems have physical, emotional and spiritual aspects. Lydia staff, working from a Christian perspective, consider all three aspects equally important. We are therefore able to offer a holistic approach in working with our clients. All Lydia Home services are available to all individuals regardless of race, religion, or economic status. All client information is kept completely confidential.
The Lydia Home - Lyons Counseling Center is located at:
4147 South Prescott Avenue
Lyons, Illinois 60534
(708) 308-4141
To find out more about Lydia Counseling Centers, click on:
