Christian Theological Seminary offers free counseling to storm-affected Hoosiers

Christian Theological Seminary is providing up to five free counseling sessions for Indiana residents dealing with emotional or relational distress after recent storms. The service is available in Indianapolis or by telehealth and includes guidance for people coping with flooding, tornadoes, outages, displacement and property loss.

Why it matters: - Recent storms can leave lasting emotional damage, not just physical losses. - CTS is making mental health support available to Hoosiers who may be dealing with grief, anxiety, family stress, sleeplessness and a reduced sense of safety. - The offer lowers a cost barrier for people who may need help quickly as recovery continues.

What happened: - Christian Theological Seminary is offering free professional counseling through its Counseling Center to Indiana residents affected by recent storms. - New clients can receive up to five counseling sessions at no cost if their distress is connected to Indiana storms, flooding, tornadoes, prolonged outages, displacement, property loss or related disruption. - Counseling is available in person in Indianapolis or through secure telehealth, depending on clinical appropriateness and availability.

The details: - CTS President David M. Mellott said recovery involves more than repairing physical damage and that people need space to process loss, uncertainty, fear and disruption. - Mellott said caring for the whole person is central to CTS' mission and commitment to human flourishing. - Clinic Director Bryan Votaw said the CTS Counseling Center has clinicians with immediate openings for people affected by the disasters. - Votaw said support is available for individuals, couples and families. - The center typically connects prospective clients with a clinician within five to seven business days and often on the same day they reach out. - People seeking disaster-recovery counseling can visit the intake form or call 317-924-5205 and say their request is connected to the recent Indiana disasters. - The intake team will review needs, service options, availability and next steps. - CTS Counseling Center is not an emergency or crisis service. - People in immediate danger should call 911. - For urgent emotional support or a mental health crisis, people can call or text 988. - The Disaster Distress Helpline offers 24/7 disaster-related crisis counseling at 800-985-5990. - The CTS Counseling Center also describes its broader services as professional, compassionate and affordable care for individuals, couples and families. - The center uses in-person and telehealth care, a sliding-fee model, and supervised work from developing and post-graduate clinicians to expand access and train future mental health professionals. - More information is available at the counseling center.

Between the lines: - CTS is positioning the Counseling Center as both a community response resource and a training ground for future clinicians. - The disaster offer signals that the school sees mental health care as part of longer-term recovery, not a separate issue from storm damage. - The emphasis on quick intake suggests demand could be immediate for people facing post-disaster stress.

What's next: - Eligible Indiana residents can start the intake process now and be matched with a clinician based on need and availability. - CTS is likely to continue serving both disaster-affected clients and the center's broader counseling mission as recovery from the storms unfolds. - People with emergency needs should use 911, 988 or the Disaster Distress Helpline instead of the counseling center.