by Douglas L. Anderson, PsyD

Fifteen years ago, River Counseling Services accepted an invitation from a group of area churches to provide integrated mental health care services to Platte and surrounding communities. Working alongside community partners to meet the needs of the community has been an honor. Today, we celebrate the fact that mental health care is readily available.

As we look toward the future, this will be our final “River Reflections” article. We will continue to support the community and invest in rural mental health initiatives but how we go about this work will change at the beginning of June. 

Samantha Booth, MA, will continue to serve clients through our River Counseling Services office and offer in-person and telehealth sessions. She will be backed by the expertise of our multidisciplinary team of marriage and family therapists, counselors, social workers, and psychologists at Sioux Falls Psychological Services (Sioux Falls) and Stronghold Counseling Services (Sioux Falls and Yankton). Members of the larger team will provide services to the community through telehealth sessions.

Our other three current River Counseling therapists--Bethany Eggers, Melanie VanderPol-Bailey, and Nicole VanZuidam--are launching individual practices within the community. Through the three of them, River’s Samantha Booth, Avera, and other partners, the future of clinical mental health services in the community remains bright.

We remain committed to meeting you where you are, offering hope. To learn more about our team of well-trained and experienced mental health professionals at River Counseling, Sioux Falls Psychological Services, and Stronghold Counseling, please visit offermehope.com or call 605-274-2716.