After more than two years of the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 44-year-old nonprofit organization HGI Counseling is confronting an unprecedented demand for its mental health services in the Greater Houston region. Since March 2020, HGI Counseling has experienced an increase of 600 percent in the number of therapy sessions it completes on an ongoing basis. This significant increase has caused the nonprofit organization to now need urgent support from the local community to be able to continue supporting the mental health needs of its residents.

HGI Counseling is one of the few mental health service providers that does not turn anyone away regardless of their ability to pay. Due to the mental health crisis created by the global pandemic, most of the individuals and families requesting services are not able to provide payment for the therapy sessions they receive through HGI Counseling.

The strain created by this situation is now impacting the nonprofit organization’s ability to fully-compensate its therapists.

“Our team of highly-trained therapists is committed and fully-driven to meet the demands of our community, even if that means doing it at a reduced rate or in some cases without receiving any pay,” said Tushanna M. Price, Executive Director at HGI Counseling. “We are having to make the tough choices about reducing compensation for our therapists, and that is tough. This mental health crisis is also impacting them directly as first-responders, and we now need to ask our community for help. We need their contributions to carry us through this very difficult time. What we are not willing to sacrifice is the quality of services available to those who need them right now.”

HGI Counseling was first established in 1978 and has provided mental health services across Harris and Fort Bend counties since then. It has responded to natural disasters and tragic events, including the Santa Fe school shooting, as a first-responder organization in the local region, and during the global pandemic has transitioned into making teletherapy available to all its clients. In addition, through its HGI in the Schools program, HGI Counseling offers direct therapy services to students and their families in their school communities.

Without the support of its community, HGI Counseling may need to take additional measures to offset the financial strain it is experiencing. To help HGI Counseling by making a contribution today, visit hgicounseling.org.