ICC offers a wide range of counseling services provided by professional practitioners who are sensitive to the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual dimensions of life. By providing professional counseling that is sensitive to spiritual experience and religious beliefs, they are able to successfully work with individuals, couples and families to strengthen relationships and foster growth. The Interfaith Counseling Center also partners with Project Outreach, a non-profit 501(c)(3). Established over 40 years ago, Project Outreach’s mission is community strengthening through the provision of support services, life skills training and education to residents of low-income neighborhoods. Working through churches of various denominations, local resident volunteers, schools, colleges and other public service groups, Project Outreach organization helps a large, multi-ethnic population in their struggle to maintain dignity and health in the face of poverty and high crime. The collaborative efforts between ICC and Project Outreach is predicated on the knowledge that crime victims, in addition to suffering negative emotional and practical consequences, often experience spiritual disruption or distress related to crime victimization. Spiritual trauma is an especially serious issue for victims of familial violence. Victims experience not only psychological distress, but also the shattering of their trust as a result of betrayal. In the broad aftermath, there is crisis of faith, as victims become preoccupied with personal safety and restrictive control over every aspect of their lives. Suspicion toward others can cause victims to be left spiritually broken and disconnected from their communities. ICC is able to provide counseling, advocacy and support - both emotional and practical - from a faith-sensitive perspective, which allows any spiritual trauma to be understood and addressed in the healing process. Project Outreach provides case management services for the practical support victims need to rebuild their lives, as victimization often reaps social and economic devastation. Use of community volunteers in the delivery of basic needs assistance restores faith in the community, reinforcing the positive outlook and awareness developed in individual and group therapy, while ICC aims to address the totality of victim's minds and bodies, enabling fuller recovery from crime victimization. Through the combined efforts of ICC and Project Outreach, crime victims are able to focus beyond just surviving to thriving.
