Samaritan Counseling Service of the Gulf Coast is a fully accredited, full service counseling facility offering nine locations throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. In operation since 1999, we at Samaritan are committed to helping people cope with their challenges, grow toward spiritual and emotional maturity and strengthen personal relationships. Our professional counselors are licensed by the state of Florida and specialize in treating a wide range of mental health conditions.
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Services Offered
Therapy Services
Samaritan provides counseling for individuals, couples, families and children, as well as career, personality and psychological assessments. We are here to address problems, encourage spiritual and personal growth, and explore solutions - and we are here to listen.
Child Assessment
Every child has unique strengths and weaknesses. Psychoeducational testing can assess how your child learns best and identify new ways to help them succeed. Samaritan can test for the following: Gifted and Talented Learning Disabilities ADD/ADHD Depression IQ (intelligence) Personality Traits Emotional/Behavioral Problems
Fees and Payment
A standard fee is charged for all appointments. We are also able to provide counseling to a limited number of clients with financial difficulties through a subsidy fund. Please discuss this matter with your counselor. All major credit cards are accepted for payment for your counseling services. Unless other arrangements have been made, payment is expected when services are rendered.
We accept most insurance and can help you with your specific coverage when you call to make an appointment. You may also call the toll free number on the back of your insurance card to see if your plan includes counseling benefits and if our counselors are on your panel.
Services Offered To: Adults Couples Teens Children
Special Groups: Faith-Based
Payment: Medicare Medicaid
If You Call, Please Let Us Know How it Went:
Were You Able to Make an Appointment?
One quick last question. Who was seeking counseling today?
Do you know the reason they are not accepting clients?
Qualifying for assistance from Florida's program usually depends on the severity of your condition and financial circumstance. Read our full guide to Florida's program.
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.