SamaraCare announces its 50th anniversary! The organization was founded in 1971 by Knox Presbyterian Church, Our Saviour's Lutheran Church and St. Raphael Catholic Church to provide preventative and therapeutic counseling with a focus on family life in response to meeting the mental health needs of a rapidly growing Naperville community.... read more →
On July 1st, 2021, SamaraCare Counseling merged with Wellspring Clinical Associates, a psychiatric care practice based in Lisle, IL. The merger adds two psychiatrists and six psychotherapists to our organization, with Wellspring’s founder Dr. Tom DiMatteo, MD, serving as SamaraCare’s Medical Director. This is the next step towards achieving SamaraCare’s... read more →
Dear Friends and Colleagues, Our hearts and minds at SamaraCare are filled with horror, grief and anger as we witness the racial inequality and injustice experienced by the black community and people of color. For nearly 50 years, SamaraCare has sought to bring hope and healing to all we serve,... read more →
For most of us, concerns about COVID-19 have felt overwhelming as we try to keep ourselves and our family healthy. Anxiety and stress are skyrocketing as we try to keep pace with the disconcerting changes to our daily routine. While facing the need to socially isolate, work at home and/or... read more →
Dr. Scott Mitchell speaks to the current COVID-19 crisis and how to keep your stress levels and mental health managed during this difficult time. Individual mental health will help keep ourselves and our communities stronger and more prepared as we come out of this crisis. This pandemic crisis is different... read more →
SamaraCare is Committed to the Well-Being of our Clients, Staff, Students & Volunteers During the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis March 16, 2020, Naperville, IL: SamaraCare is aware of the concerns related to COVID-19 and is taking steps to help reduce the potential spread of the virus among staff, clients, students,... read more →
During our marriage, I was so terrified of my ex-husband that I walked around our house clutching my phone at all times. I contacted the Domestic Violence Hotline and worked on a safety plan. There were times he wouldn’t allow me to talk to or hug our children. He trapped... read more →
SamaraCare celebrated the grand re-opening of its Naperville counseling center on Thursday, September 12, 2019, following the completion of a building expansion and remodeling project. The event featured a ribbon cutting hosted by the Naperville Chamber of Commerce, as well as an Open House for invited guests. Approximately 200 guests... read more →
SamaraCare Counseling and Samaritan Counseling Center, joined forces to become one of Chicagoland's largest providers of high-quality mental health services. Both organizations share a unified mission to offer options for secular and spiritually integrated care across diverse faith traditions. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that nearly one in... read more →
February 26, 2019, Naperville, IL, SamaraCare hosted its 12th annual Silent Samaritans Breakfast on February 26th at the Hotel Arista in Naperville. The event was attended by 220 guests and raised over $47,000 to provide access to affordable mental health services at SamaraCare for women, and their children, in difficult... read more →
SamaraCare just earned a 2019 Gold Seal by adding information to our Nonprofit Profile on GuideStar. Now our community members as well as 10+ million GuideStar users can find in-depth information about our goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress. We’re shining a spotlight on the difference we help make in the... read more →
A very special thank you to all our Silent Samaritan Breakfast sponsors
by Ken Potts I'm going to let you in on a professional secret. There is an effective, efficient, and inexpensive treatment for mild depression or anxiety. Feeling down in the dumps now and then, or feeling a bit uptight, is fairly normal. There are just bound to be times when... read more →
The cause of youth stress in Naperville was the focus of the recently released 2018 State of the Kids report. The report was based on the results of an October 2017 survey of seventh- and 10th-grade students in Naperville School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204. Seven of 10... read more →
" Hope cannot be delivered by a medical prescription. Yet we know it is essential for mental health. Hope allows us to live today, here, now, even as it orients us toward the future." Dying of Despair by Aaron Kheiraty appeared in the August 2017 issue of First Things and does... read more →
If you or someone you know is experiencing depression, anxiety, eating disorders, bullying, suicidal thoughts or any other painful emotion, please text REACH to 741741 to connect with a trained counselor 24 hours a day seven days a week. Help is just a text away! The crisis Text Line serves... read more →
by Ken Potts I don't know all the anthropological, sociological, or practical reasons for dividing days into months and months into years. But beginning (or is it ending) each year with a holiday is a good idea. Actually, December 31, and January 1, are really not a whole lot different from... read more →
By Monica Guilhot Chartrand A caregiver is a family member or paid helper who regularly looks after a child or a sick, elderly, or disabled person. Family caregivers refer to family of origin, extended family, domestic partners, friends, or other individuals that support another person. Family provides 80% of the... read more →
Resilience or the ability to adapt well to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress, can help children manage tension and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. As parents, teachers and caregivers, we all want to raise resilient kids and help to develop their strength so they can... read more →
October is National Depression Awareness Month. One of the more common misconceptions about depression is that depressed people are simply very, very sad. Consequently, people suffering from depression are often told to “cheer up” or “try to think positively” as if that will make their symptoms disappear. The truth is... read more →