History of Rapha Christian Counseling

In the Dallas/Ft.Worth area Rapha Christian Counseling began as Irving Christian Counseling (ICC). It was founded in 1976 by Floyd Sharp and Jim Simmons and incorporated in 1978 as a non-profit (501(c)(3)), non-denominational agency operating on a sliding fee scale basis with a basic commitment to provide professional counseling from a Biblical perspective to all people, regardless of ability to pay. ICC began with two counselors and one office staff in 1977. In the late 1980's ICC began to send counselors on-site to local churches in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, a service which has expanded and proved to be very positive relationship between ICC and the local church. We currently have counselors serving in 6 different locations throughout the Metroplex, including the mid-cities location in Irving, and 5 different church satellite locations throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. In March of 1994 the Board of Directors was expanded to help provide a broader base of community involvement, as well as sound policy and financial planning during a time of agency reorganization and clarification of mission and goals. The counseling staff consists of university trained individuals with, at least, a masters degree in counseling, who are committed to continuing education to update skills and knowledge in their field; and all staff counselors are licensed by the State of Texas. In January of 2001 Irving Christian Counseling connected with Rapha by becoming Rapha Christian Counseling (RCC). RCC retains its not for profit status and aligns itself with a quality provider of Christian inpatient services.

Click here to read: A Tribute to Floyd Sharp

What is Rapha?

Rapha was founded in 1986 to provide a Christ-centered inpatient treatment program for Christians suffering from emotional problems or substance abuse. The program was developed in response to the need expressed by numerous Christian counselors and pastors for an inpatient environment in which Christians could not only receive quality clinical care, but be supported while practicing their faith. The Rapha staff is a caring group of highly trained, Christian mental health professionals - therapists, psychologists, nurses and psychiatrists - committed to helping individuals in crisis achieve full recovery and lead productive, useful lives.

What makes Rapha unique?

Rapha's treatment program is Christ-centered and integrates quality medical and clinical care with biblically based therapy. In the past, Christians in need of professional mental health services were often forced to utilize secular treatment programs that ignored biblical principles. Now, Rapha offers a Christ-centered alternative. In fact, the name "Jehovah Rapha" is one of the Hebrew names for God, which literally means "Our God who healeth thee."

What have been the results?

Rapha's multi-dimensional program addresses the physical, mental, and spiritual areas of an individual's life. This unique approach enables hurting individuals to resolve core issues of self-worth that often lie at the root of emotional or substance abuse problems. That's why over 91% of the more than 10,000 patients report satisfaction with the program and a willingness to refer others to Rapha. Because of this success, Rapha has been the nation's largest provider of in-hospital Christian care.