Counseling in Salinas, CA. Find the Right Therapist.

Related Sites:
City of Salinas
California Board of Behavioral Sciences

Therapy Salinas California

Counselor Monterey, Seaside, Hollister, Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Morgan Hill

Salinas has been named America's Salad Bowl, because most of the world's lettuce is grown in the Salinas Valley.¹ The economic workforce is fairly divided between blue collar and white collar workers. Although many people in Salinas make good money, the city's housing prices are among the least affordable in the country, with the median home price at around $560,600. The large disparity of income as compared to the housing prices is due to the sudden increase in housing prices throughout the state. Housing prices have increased by 142% since 2000, with the income level rising just 16% in the same timeframe. With such a disparity in the housing and income levels of the community, it is much more difficult for people to purchase homes.

Mental Health in Salinas

The homeless are one of the most underserved populations when it comes to a variety of services, including mental health care. This unfortunate situation is exacerbated by the fact that a very large percentage of people living on the streets also suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. This dual problem is a significant issue for hundreds of people in Salinas. Only a fraction of those are able to take advantage of the city's emergency shelters, let alone the mental health services that the city and county provide.²

A wide variety of support groups are available to individuals and families in Salinas who need peer support, guidance, and understanding during a difficult time. Many bereavement groups are available throughout the city for those who have lost a loved one. Specialized groups for parents who have lost a child are also available. Groups meet on just about any day of the month in various locations throughout the city. All groups are offered free of charge and are completely confidential. Many groups are supported with funding by the Hospice Foundation. For more information about these groups, call 831-333-9023.³

Current Initiatives

Not far up the road from Salinas is Palo Alto University. The school offers a graduate degree program in counseling psychology that prepares students for practice and licensure as a marriage and family therapist or a licensed professional clinical counselor. The program offers classes on nights and weekends to accommodate students whose work or family schedule prohibits them from attending classes during the day. Classes are also offered in multiple locations, including in Monterey. Students combine classroom coursework with field experiences to develop a comprehensive set of therapeutic skills. More information about the program can be obtained by calling 650-417-2023.⁴

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References

1. Wikipedia. (2017). Salinas Valley. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salinas_Valley.
2. City of Salinas. (2010). Consolidated Plan. Retrieved from http://www.ci.salinas.ca.us/services/commdev/pdf/ConsolidatedPlan.pdf.
3. Hospice Foundation. (2017). Bereavement Support Groups - Monterey and San Benito Counties. Retrieved from http://www.hospicegiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Grief-Support-Groups-2012.pdf.
4. Palo Alto University. (2017). M.A. in Counseling Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.paloaltou.edu/degree-program/ma-counseling-psychology-mft-and-pcc.

Salinas is located in Monterey County, California. It has a land area of 23.61 square miles and a water area of 0.03 square miles.  The population of Salinas is 157,380 people with 40,892 households and a median annual income of $49,840. .

Therapy Affordability Meter for Salinas, CA

Some budgeting needed

While counseling can certainly be an expense for individuals and families in Salinas, with proper budgeting, it is entirely do-able and the risk/reward is worth it. For some families, it may be difficult to sustain a commitment to therapy without proper insurance coverage. If this is you, ask your therapist about low cost options as practitoners in and around Salinas may have flexibility or sliding scales. Low cost counseling and affordable therapy are also sometimes offered by listed city and university level clinics, check with your local Salinas public health department.