Family Life Center

The Family Life Center is a training center for graduate students in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at St. Mary’s University.

Quality counseling for individuals, couples and families is provided on a sliding scale. Clients receive the highest quality of services from clinicians-intraining under the supervision of University faculty. Spanish-speaking clinicians also are available upon request.

Quality counseling for individuals, couples and families is provided by advanced graduate students from the Department of Counseling and Human Services in the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) programs and the Counselor Education and Supervision programs.

Click here to read about the Family Life Center's history.

The MFT program at St. Mary's is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), and the Counselor Education and Supervision programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).

Click here for a copy of the Family Life Center Intern Handbook

You can also download the brochure for the Family Life Center in English for redistribution, or in Spanish.

COMMON ISSUES ADDRESSED

Daytime and evening appointments available:
Monday through Thursday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Closed on holidays.
Call for an appointment at (210) 438-6411

Additional Services Available

Play Therapy
Play is a natural way for children both to learn from and communicate with adults. Research has shown that play is an essential part of child development.Through play, children can learn creativity, self-control, emotional expression and social skills.There are many different therapeutic treatment modalities for children referred to as play therapy that are utilized by family therapists, social workers, counselors and other mental health professionals. All of these methods use play as a way of engaging children in the therapeutic process. Also, because children learn and process experiences through play, play therapy is utilized to communicate with children and help them with a wide variety of issues.

Nuerofeedback Therapy
Neurofeedback training (NFB) is a cutting-edge approach used to treat a wide variety of issues in adults and children, such as depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances,Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders. Operating somewhat like a video or computer game, NFB alters the client’s brainwaves by rewarding the client with points, sounds or visual images on the computer screen when “healthy” brainwaves are produced. Research has found NFB to be an effective treatment for many issues, especially when utilized along with psychotherapy. Call for more information to find out if NFB might be a helpful treatment.

Cost of Therapy Services

In order to accommodate the needs of clients with limited resources, the Family Life Center offers high quality services on a sliding scale based on a client’s household income and personal financial situation. Fees are determined when a client’s first therapy session is scheduled.

Clients interested in scheduling an appointment can simply call the Family Life Center (438-6411) and provide some basic information. Appointments can often be scheduled within one week, and sessions are conducted in a comfortable setting in a residential area near the campus of St. Mary’s University.

Marriage and Family Therapy Program Faculty

Laura Bryan, Ph.D., LMFT
Family Life Center Clinical Administrator
(210) 438-6401

Becky R. Davenport, Ph.D., LMFT
Program Director for Marriage and Family Therapy
Play Therapy Coordinator
(210) 438-6400
bdavenport@stmarytx.edu

Randall R. Lyle, Ph.D., LMFT
Neurofeedback Coordinator
(210) 438-6400
rlyle@stmarytx.edu

Dan Ratliff, Ph.D., LMFT
MFT Internship Coordinator
(210) 438-6400
dratliff@stmarytx.edu

Melanie Harper, Ph.D., LPC, NCC
Counseling Internship Coordinator
(210) 438-6404
mharper@stmarytx.edu

Location

The Family Life Center is located at 251 W. Ligustrum, just a few blocks from the St. Mary's University campus (between Bandera Road and Woodlawn Avenue). If you are coming from the front of the campus on Camino Santa Maria, turn left onto Woodlawn Avenue, and then turn right onto W. Ligustrum. The Family Life Center building will be on the left side of the street. Parking is available in the back of the building.