Covenant Counseling & Family Resource Center (CC&FRC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is "to actively respond to community needs by promoting healing and wholeness through extending the outreach and ministry of the church through pastoral counseling, psychotherapy, education and consultation." Our vision is that CC&FRC will be a vital and creative center that provides services which will enable individuals, couples, families, pastors, organizations and congregations to experience healing and wholeness in their individual and family living, their relationships and their organizational functioning.
The name Covenant was chosen purposefully as representing both the sacred and secular meaning of the word. Our covenant with persons who come our way is to be respectful of their faith orientation, hear the concerns they bring and walk with them through that "dark night of the soul" to a place of peace and hope. In many cases the trouble that brings people to Covenant has created a faith crisis as well as an emotional crisis, so the road to healing is more often than not a "faith journey."
CC&FRC was founded by two pastoral counselors in 1992; Joseph W. Whitwell, Th.D., Executive Director, and Kerry P. Duncan, D.Min., Associate Director. Whitwell, an ordained United Methodist minister, is certified by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) as a Diplomate and Duncan, an ordained Presbyterian minister, is certified as a Fellow. By virtue of their training and background, they conceived of CC&FRC as an interfaith, pastoral counseling center, where persons of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds would be welcome.
As is the case with all non-profit organizations, CC&FRC is governed by a Board of Directors, which establishes its policies and guides the Center in its operation. The Board and the Staff support a wholistic model of care and counseling, which includes a belief in:
* The close relationship and delicate balance of body, mind and spirit
* A team approach to counseling, drawing upon the unique gifts of the medical, psychological and theological disciplines
* Serving as an extension of and complement to local congregations
* A professionally-accountable counseling staff
* A well-managed and cost-effective organization
CC&FRC is accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. Our Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program provides supervised training for ministers seeking to enhance their pastoral skills, moving into other forms of ministry or preparing to become pastoral counselors. Through a contract with Abbey Hospice in Social Circle, GA, our CPE program has three to four stipend positions for pastors selected to provide chaplaincy services at the hospice. In addition, pastors associated with community churches may enter the CPE program, utilizing the church as their placement site.
