Family Counseling and Family Life
Contact Information
Contact: Joseph White
Location: Pastoral Center
P O Box 15405
Austin, TX 78761-5405
(512) 949-2493
Mission Statement
The mission of the office of Catholic Family Counseling and Family Life is to provide services that affirm the sacredness of life, the sanctity of marriage, the sacramentality of the family, and a Christian lifestyle, through all phases of human growth and development. Services are provided in the spirit of the Catholic vision of the family as the "domestic Church" and a "school of holiness." Activities include formation and continuing support in the areas of marriage, conflict resolution, human sexuality, bereavement ministry, parenting, and other family life issues.
As part of this mission, the office offers intervention in the form of crisis management, intake and referral, and provision of counseling and consultation services. The office of Catholic Family Counseling and Family Life is staffed by a Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and several graduate-level Marriage and Family Counseling Interns. The office also has a network of volunteers in parishes and licensed providers in the community who are able to meet the emotional needs of families in ways that show respect for the family’s Catholic faith.
For Those Who Are Preparing for Marriage
Couples planning to marry should contact their priest or deacon at least six months prior to their wedding date in order to begin the marriage preparation process. Couples planning to attend the diocesan pre-marriage retreat, “Together in God’s Image,” are encouraged to register as soon as possible because these retreats fill fast.
Retreats for 2010 are scheduled at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in Belton on the following weekends: Jan 8 -20, May 7-9, July 30- Aug 1, Nov 19-21.
Also in 2010, A Together in God’s Image class series is scheduled for March 2, 9, 23 & 30 from 7-9PM at the Diocese of Austin Pastoral Center. (Dinner will be included beginning at 6:30PM)
The complete retreat and class schedule for 2010 can be found by clicking on the appropriate 2010 Registration Form in the resource list under ‘Marriage Preparation Information’ (below).
Couples must register by completing one of the registration forms in the resource list (below). Contact the diocesan Office of Catholic Family Counseling and Family Life at (512) 949-2495 or Lynda DeGroot if you have any questions. [NOTE: All engaged couples must have taken either the FOCCUS or PREPARE assessment before attending the “Together in God’s Image” classes or retreat.]
| Resource Title | Type |
|---|---|
| (READ THIS FIRST!) Steps for marriage preparation |  pdf |
| Together in God's Image 2010 Retreat Registration Form | pdf |
| Together in God's Image Spring 2010 Weekly Class Registration Form | pdf |
These and other resources are available for download by clicking the Resources button to the left.
Marriage Preparation:
Diocesan Program – “Together in God’s Image”
Lynda DeGroot (512) 949-2495
NOTICE: Anyone registered for Together In God's Image classes or retreats will receive information and updates by email from Lynda DeGroot. If your email provider has a sensitive SPAM filter, please add the email address lynda-degroot[at]austindiocese[dot]org into your "safe list" in order to receive these updates.
For Those Who Are Already Married
Are you married now? Or just thinking about it? Either way, you're on a remarkable journey. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has created a new website full of resources and information on how you can live happily ever after. www.foryourmarriage.org
"What is needed, is a profound pastoral reflection in order to promote the dignity of Christian marriage, the reflection and realization of Christ's love for His Church. It is important to help couples to achieve the human and spiritual maturity necessary to undertake... their mission as Christian spouses and parents, reminding them that their love is unique, indissoluble, and that marriage contributes to the full realization of their human and Christian vocation." ~Pope Benedict XVI |
Formation Activities:
- Marriage Preparation
- Diocesan Program – “Together in God’s Image”
- Consultation with parish programs
- Marriage Enrichment
- Marriage Encounter
- Occasional marriage enrichment talks offered at parishes throughout the diocese
- Natural Family Planning
- Billings Model
- Couple to Couple League
- Creighton Model
- Parent Education Programs
- Family Connections Newsletter
- Bulletin Inserts
- Support of Family Ministers in Parishes
- Consultation
- Family Ministry Forums
Intervention Activities:
- Retrouvaille
- Catholic Family Counseling Program
DIOCESE OF AUSTIN
FAMILY LIFE RESOURCE CONTACTS
Individual and Marriage Counseling: The Family Counseling and Family Life Office offers marriage and family counseling and counseling in English and Spanish for children, adolescents, and adults. The office is staffed by a Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), as well as several graduate-level Marriage and Family Counseling Interns who counsel under the supervision of on-site licensed professionals. All counseling is billed on a fee-for-service basis, and a sliding fee scale, based on family size and income, is available for families in financial need. In addition, we offer referrals to local Catholic-friendly therapists for those who live outside the Austin metro area or for those who wish to use private insurance.
For more information, contact: Lupe Garcia, LPC, LMFT, Counseling Supervisor, Family Counseling and Family Life Office, Diocese of Austin Pastoral Center, 6225 Hwy 290 East, Austin, TX 78723, (512) 949-2494, or lupe-garcia@austindiocese.org.
Marriage Enrichment: The following organizations provide marriage enrichment in English and Spanish in the Diocese of Austin:
Retrouvaille – www.retrouvaille.org
Worldwide Marriage Encounter – www.wwme.org
Marriage Preparation Training: The Family Counseling and Family Life Office offers training to parish and deanery teams so they can implement the diocesan marriage preparation program, Together in God’s Image, in their parish or deanery. The program is available to parishes in English and Spanish. The diocese also presents a limited number of Together in God’s Image retreats and classes to assist parishes who do not yet have a Together in God’s Image Program running in their parish or deanery. The diocesan office also offers the FOCCUS or PREPARE assessments for couples preparing at parishes who do not yet have trained facilitators for these assessments.
For more information, contact: Lynda DeGroot, Administrative Assistant for Family Counseling and Family Life, Diocese of Austin Pastoral Center, 6225 Hwy 290 East, Austin, TX 78723, (512) 949-2495, or lynda-degroot@austindiocese.org.
Natural Family Planning: The following organizations are approved to offer education in Natural Family Planning in English and Spanish to Catholic couples in the Diocese of Austin:
Billings Ovulation Method – www.boma-usa.org -- contact Tricia Churchill (512) 382-0497
Couple to Couple League (Sympto-Thermal Method) – www.ccli.org -- contact Robert and Kelly Tavarez (512) 258-9304
Creighton Model Ovulation Method – www.creightonmodel.com – Contact Sharon Gretencord (512) 331-7821.
Pastoral Care Volunteer Training: The Family Counseling and Family Life Office conducts trainings for parish leaders in serving as first points of contact for parishioners in crisis and referring to counseling or other services as needed, setting up ministries for divorced and separated persons or those who are grieving the death of a loved one, and conducting parenting classes and support groups. Those who take these trainings should do so with the knowledge and approval of their pastors.
For more information, contact: Dr. Joseph White, Licensed Psychologist, Director, Family Counseling and Family Life Office, Diocese of Austin Pastoral Center, 6225 Hwy 290 East, Austin, TX 78723, (512) 949-2493, or joseph-white@austindiocese.org.