Pacific Pride Foundation - a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization - provides a wide variety of programs and services to the HIV/AIDS and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning (LGBTQ+) communities in Santa Barbara County.
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Services Offered
COUNSELING
Affordable counseling is available at our Santa Barbara office for LGBTQ+ individuals, individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and their partners, family, and friends.
Counseling at Pacific Pride features a team of six to eight counseling interns (a majority of whom identify as LGBTQ+) who are trained in issues relevant to LGBTQ+ mental health--with full, robust training in best practices for Transgender (Non-Binary included) clients.
Our Santa Barbara counselors are overseen by the well-respected Bren Fraser, LMFT, and offer high-quality, culturally competent individual, couples, and family therapy for a sliding scale fee based on income and number of dependents.
Therapy Groups
-The LGBTQ+ Adult Group is for diverse LGBTQ+ adults (18+) processing coming out, relationship building, coping strategies, and more.
-The Transgender Group (including non-binary individuals) gives clients space to process self-care, cope with gender dysphoria and transition questions, and celebrate the joys of living one's true gender.
-The Parents of LGBTQ+ Children Group is for parents processing any grief, joys, or questions about the gender journey of their child (of any age).
Fees and Payment
All of our programs are free or low cost and offered in English and Spanish through our offices in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.
We also offer a sliding scale fee based on income and number of dependents.
Services Offered To: Adults Teens
Special Groups: Bilingual LGBTQ
Payment: Sliding Scale Pro-bono
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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.