History
Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas was founded in 1984 by Rev. Robert Elder of the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Port Arthur. Inspired by a shared vision with friends and community members, Rev. Elder recognized the need for a Christian and pastoral counseling center to serve the greater Port Arthur area.
Since its founding, Samaritan Counseling and Wellness Center has expanded its reach across four counties—Jefferson, Hardin, Orange, and lower Jasper—while maintaining its administrative headquarters in Port Arthur and establishing satellite offices in Beaumont, Orange, and Silsbee.
A pioneer in innovation, Samaritan embraced Telehealth services in 2017, well ahead of the curve, and launched school-based mental health programs in 2019, bringing care directly to students where they need it most.
Today, we continue to grow and evolve, staying true to our mission of providing compassionate, faith-informed mental health care to individuals and families throughout Southeast Texas.
Mission
Respect, value and affirm the sacred dignity of each individual by caring for the mind, body, spirit and the relationships they build.
Vision
Provide a comprehensive environment for all staff, clients, and community members regardless of culture, socio-economic status, race, gender, and belief system.
Offer personalized comprehensive care, education, and advocacy in the areas of mental wellness and healing.
Meet community and client needs with empathy to ensure they feel valued, heard and validated on their journey to holistic healing.
Accreditation
Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas is accredited by The Solihten Institute, an association of over 500 professional counseling Centers located in 220 locations throughout the United States and Japan. These independent counseling centers provide spiritually integrated counseling, psychotherapy, education and consulting.
The Institute provides affiliated Centers with administrative and financial consultation, accreditation, spiritual integration training and resources, management resources, educational events, leadership development, new program development, national representation and research. The Institute’s mission is to help affiliated Centers provide team-oriented, cost-efficient counseling, education, and consultation which emphasize the interrelatedness of mind, body, spirit, and community.
