After struggling to find the right fit with other Catholic and Christian counselors, Christine Jensen was matched with a therapist at St. Raphael Counseling, a ministry of Catholic Charities of Denver that integrates professional mental health care with the truths of the Catholic faith.
That trust in St. Raphael soon extended to her twin daughters. Midway through fifth grade at Blessed Sacrament, the school counselor from St. Raphael, Kim Mack began meeting regularly with the girls. She recognized signs that the twins might benefit from neurological testing and connected the family with a grant-funded program at St. Raphael. “It was such a gift,” their mother said. “We’d been searching for years but testing cost at least $2,000 per child and wasn’t covered by insurance. To receive it completely through a grant was a blessing.”
The evaluations confirmed ADHD and social communication challenges. With that clarity, the family could finally move forward with targeted support. St. Raphael therapists provided strategies that resonated deeply with the girls. Clara, one of the twins, especially benefited from the school psychiatrist Dr. Christina’s teaching tools, like the “slinky brain” method to encourage flexible thinking and simple social scripts to navigate tricky peer interactions.
About St. Raphael Counseling
St. Raphael Counseling, a ministry of Catholic Charities of Denver, provides Christ-centered counseling services that integrate mental health expertise with Catholic teaching. Serving individuals, couples and families, St. Raphael offers therapy18 Catholic schools, supporting more than 4,200 students a year as well as parishes and clinics throughout Colorado. Its mission is to bring healing and hope by caring for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—rooted in the love of Christ.
Beyond counseling techniques, faith made all the difference. When a secular therapist dismissed Clara’s instinct to forgive to move forward from a conflict, her mother felt disheartened. “Forgiveness is central to healing, we know that in our faith. At St. Raphael, we knew we could trust the care to align with our values.”
As Clara and Sophia finish their final year at Blessed Sacrament and look ahead to high school, Christine is confident they are equipped with the tools to navigate their diagnoses—grounded in the faith-filled support they received through St. Raphael.
“They’ve grown so much and even teach me ways to manage my anxieties sometimes,” their mother said. “We couldn’t have asked for better support.”