By CORNERSTONE COUNSELING

Taking the ‘awkward’
out of counseling

 

     When Cornerstone Counseling opened in 2012, it did so with a simple objective: to provide distinctive care and demonstrate genuine compassion to all who enter its doors.

 

     “From the initial phone call to the very last appointment, we want people to feel cared for and to know that their story matters,” says founder Lee Smith. Lee recalls being the only therapist on staff in the beginning and operating out of a small, one-office space in downtown Madison. Seven years later, Cornerstone now has 15 employees with offices in Jackson and in Oxford.

 

     The therapists at Cornerstone offer a wide range of specialties and work with everyone from children to senior adults. Lee serves as clinical director for the group. He says Cornerstone is on a mission to remove any negative stigmas around counseling, and to make it one of the most enjoyable and enriching experiences in a person’s life.

 

     While the group provides one of the most unique and personal counseling experiences around, Cornerstone also has several partnerships with local churches and organizations that take them beyond the counseling room and into the community.

 

     Mental health has gained equal footing with other healthcare areas in the past few years. With this, churches and businesses are seeking more ways to provide help for their employees’ mental health.

 

     “We love the partnerships we have with several organizations. Each partnership is unique and customized to meet the needs for that organization,” says Lee. In addition to counseling and their community partnerships, Cornerstone’s therapists are sought after to speak at conferences, provide consulting and coaching, and train leaders in churches and the marketplace.

 

     While our basic needs haven’t changed through the years, the world and technology have. The evolution of technology has allowed Cornerstone to create new and innovative strategies in counseling. One such innovation is in the area of telehealth. Telehealth allows a therapist to connect with someone over the internet through video conferencing.

 

     Through HIPPA-compliant technology, Cornerstone’s telehealth-certified therapists are able to connect with clients in the privacy of their home or wherever there is a Wi-Fi signal. Cornerstone has two therapists who have completed their tele-mental health certifications. These therapists provide counseling each week to missionaries, clients in other states, or those who are homebound and unable to travel to a physical office.

 

     Lee says telehealth has removed barriers that would otherwise prevent people from getting the spiritual and emotional help they need. Telehealth also has afforded Cornerstone the ability to provide services all around the world. From the most rural parts of Mississippi to Shanghai, Cornerstone is leveraging technology to provide counseling with distinct care and genuine compassion to people all over the globe.

 

     “We understand that picking up the phone to call a counselor can be overwhelming,” Lee says. “At Cornerstone, we go to great lengths to take the ‘awkward’ out of it.”

 

     “As Christian counselors, our faith guides us in the counseling process with each person we work with. However, we work with people from all backgrounds, including religious and nonreligious belief systems. It is never our goal to impose our beliefs upon others, but we do recognize that our beliefs impact and shape our work with clients. Ultimately, it is our goal to see clients living out balanced and healthy lives — spiritually, emotionally and physically.”

 

     You can find out more about Cornerstone or schedule an appointment at cornerstone.ms or 601.405.7440.