The same month Jenni and I founded Stillpoint Resources, I planted an apple tree in our backyard; two living organisms, small and fragile but full of potential. That was eleven years ago. Just last week as I was admiring our now sprawling tree, it dawned on me how the growth pattern of Stillpoint has mirrored my now fully developed apple tree: a deep root structure, a wider reach of the branches, and an increasing bounty of good fruit.
Roots:
Stillpoint was born out of a love for special needs children and their families, and this commitment to the most vulnerable members of our society will always remain a precious part of our mission. But as we have developed our concept of special needs has grown to include more than those with medical needs: a splintering marriage brings special needs, poverty brings special needs, depression and the threat of suicide bring special needs, substance abuse and domestic violence brings special needs. And in order to birth the greatest change, the most lasting change, the goal must not be individual healing alone, but family healing. Thus, special needs families have naturally become our focus. And because we have clinicians who specialize in counseling children, teens, adults, couples, and entire families, we are uniquely prepared to offer healing and hope at every level of the system.
Reach:
Eleven years ago we had one office in Woodland Hills, but as the demands for our services grew we strategically placed satellite offices in Ojai, Thousand Oaks, Pacoima, San Marino, Westchester, Hawaiian Gardens, Costa Mesa, and at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. Even more importantly, we have eleven wonderfully gifted clinicians counseling at these sites so that people in great need from all around Southern California can access excellent care. And to assure that our reach is truly inclusive we have maintained our commitment to offering 70% of our clinical hours at sliding scale rates so that money is not the deciding factor in whether people in great need receive the help they are so desperate for. No one should be left behind.
Fruit:
We are making a significant difference for the good through our counseling efforts, working with over 150 families every week. And we cannot mention counseling without addressing our training program. We are very proud of the fact that our trainees and interns (currently at eight) are not just being supervised, they’re being mentored and cared for. Becoming an outstanding clinician is about so much more than simply learning a skill set…its about formation: formation of minds, and formation of hearts. Our goal is to not simply impact our clients, but to impact the culture they live in, and the psychological world that holds so much sway.
Our educational outreach through our Speakers’ Bureau offers dozens of community workshops every year on topics like parenting, marriage, self-care, and grief. Additionally, we have established a publishing arm, where articles are written, and to date three books have been produced. And now this blog, which will offer entries aimed at teaching and encouraging readers, psychologically and spiritually.
Our four-pronged approach to healing and hope (counseling, training, educating, and publishing) gives us the opportunity to impact hundreds of people every month. And this impact will surely grow in the years to come, based on the trajectory of our first eleven years.
I am honored to be part of this profoundly meaningful work that literally changes lives, and I’m most grateful to all those who help us do this work through generous donations of time, talent, and treasure. But as we grow the need for greater community support grows as well. Please consider us when you pray, when you think about trustworthy counselors to refer a friend or family member to, and when you make a contribution to a non-profit charity.
I thank you for your interest, and hope this blog will prove helpful and encouraging to you in the weeks, months, and years to come.
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About Me
- Ross Porter
- Dr. Ross Porter received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his Master of Divinity (Theology) and Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology) degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary, where he first became interested in the integration of psychology and spirituality. He is a teacher, author, counselor, and consultant, specializing in integrative psychology, virtue ethics and family systems. He has taught at the high school, college, and graduate school levels. Ross is also the Founder and Executive Director of Stillpoint Family Resources, a non-profit organization that offers counseling services to individuals, couples, and families in crisis, with nine different office locations throughout Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange Counties (specific office locations can be found at www.stillpointfamilyresources.org). In 2009, Dr. Porter was named an “Outstanding Angeleno” by the Los Angeles Daily News. Ross and his wife Jennifer have been married for 21 years, and have four beautiful children. John Michael, their son who has Down Syndrome is their first born.
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