Blood, Sweat, and Tears: A Counseling Story From Bob Uhle

When Carson came to see me for counseling, his life was falling apart. He had lost his job as a welder because of downsizing. His young wife had left him and moved back to West Virginia to live with her parents, taking their six-month-old with her. His car was repossessed, and he was now reduced to taking the bus. Now on welfare, Carson barely had money to eat and rent a room. I agreed to meet with him pro bono until he could get back on his feet, but Carson was a proud young man, and would have none of it! He committed to meet with me weekly to work on his depression and anxiety, and was insistent on paying $10 per session. After several months, Carson’s mood stabilized. Nevertheless, for several appointments in a row he showed up late, apologetically blaming it on the bus schedule. He looked gaunt, like he had not slept for several days. When I finally pressed him, he confessed that he had been covering the cost of his $10 sessions by regularly giving blood.

Carson has long since completed his counseling. With his depression and anxiety in remission, he returned to West Virginia to reunite with his wife and young daughter. Like most of the people who come to see us for counseling, he could not afford to pay $125 per hour, nor did he have insurance to offset the cost. He needed a hand, but not a handout. He was invested deeply in the process, not only putting skin in the game, but his very life blood as well.

At CornerStone Family Services, we believe in the counseling/coaching services we offer, and the healing it provides for people like Carson. We believe in meeting our clients where they are in life. We believe in helping individuals and families who are falling through the cracks. And we believe in providing all individuals access to caring counseling and coaching when they are in need.

CornerStone offers a helping hand to hundreds of people like Carson who walk through our doors every year. Please consider becoming a partner in our mission through a year-end gift or a monthly scholarship contribution. For more information about the CornerStone mission and how you can contribute click here.