HATTIESBURG — Faith-based mental health services are now available in Hattiesburg through the Cornerstone Counseling Center, which opened March 2 at Venture Church’s Hunt Club Campus. 

The partnership between Cornerstone Counseling and Venture Church marks the organization’s fifth counseling center since 2012 and its first in South Mississippi. 

Lee Smith, founder and clinical director of Cornerstone Counseling, said the center offers professional counseling services that can integrate faith for patients who want that approach. However, Smith said the services are open to anyone, regardless of religious beliefs. 

“We wanted to be able to offer therapy for people where their faith was important to integrate into their work — that we could offer a setting where they would not have to compromise their faith in their work — that we could blend both theology and psychology together for those who are interested in doing that,” Smith said. 

The center accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance. Smith said most patients will pay between $60 and $195 per one-hour session, depending on the specialist they see. 

Smith said the option to incorporate faith into therapy is one of the center’s key differences from other counseling practices in the area. 

He said the center also aims to create a more welcoming environment than traditional counseling clinics. Smith said many people view counseling offices as sterile, clinical spaces. 

“The decor and everything is more spa-like. It’s very relaxing and comfortable,” Smith said. 

Smith said the center also looks for therapists who help create a relaxed and approachable experience for patients. 

“It’s like sitting down with a friend you would enjoy having a conversation with,” Smith said. 

More than 30 professional counseling providers work across Cornerstone’s five locations, according to Smith. 

“At Cornerstone, we really try to provide people who are highly trained clinically, where they’ve done extensive work and specialize in their area of focus,” Smith said. 

Smith said the organization also offers an internship program for students pursuing master’s degrees in counseling. Through the program, students can provide services in a private practice setting while completing the clinical hours required for their degrees. 

Smith said the partnership helps lower costs for patients while allowing students to gain the experience needed to complete their degrees. 

Therapists at the Hattiesburg center are equipped to see patients as young as 4 years old, although the center is currently seeing patients ages 10 and older. Smith said the center hopes to begin accepting younger children later this year. 

Deloveitt Rogers, a Hattiesburg resident since 2014, said he believes the center could have a positive impact on the community. 

“Not only am I overjoyed, but I’m excited to see the development and the encouragement that can come from a faith-based therapy center,” Rogers said. 

Rogers said it is important that counseling services remain available to everyone. 

“In the Christian faith, we need to create an atmosphere and an environment where we open our arms to those who believe not only the same thing, but also different things that can be curated or formed into positive outlooks on life,” Rogers said. 

Smith said Cornerstone began after he stepped away from the sales industry. He began his own private practice, but he never worked with kids — until Dr. Kristen Jones contacted him. They began to share his office space, and Cornerstone Counseling was born.  

Smith said there are currently no immediate plans for additional expansion, although the organization hopes to grow in the future. 

He said Cornerstone opened a location in Hattiesburg partially because feedback showed patients from as far as the Gulf Coast were making six-hour round trips because there are no other local faith-based counseling service providers.  

The center operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but Smith said calls are still answered after hours through the center’s automated system. 

“If someone called outside hours, they would not reach a live person, but they would be instructed, if they were in an emergency situation, what to do in those situations,” Smith said. 

The system also allows potential patients to complete the intake process and have their questions answered through text messages.  

Anyone who needs immediate help can speak with a trained crisis counselor by calling the 24/7 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health helpline is also available at 877-210-8513.