Shield Bearer Executive Director Thad Cardine said the counseling center is celebrating 20 years offering mental health services in July.

As part of the 20th anniversary vision, the organization will hold an open house with self-guided tours July 15 from 4-7 p.m. at 12337 Jones Road, Ste. 114, Houston.

Cardine said Shield Bearer is raising funds and searching for partners to help open new physical sites in communities across the Greater Houston region, including Katy, Memorial, Pasadena, Pearland, Baytown and Sugar Land.

“We know the need for affordable, professional mental health care is growing, and we’re committed to ensuring no one has to face their battles alone because of where they live or what they can afford,” Cardine said.

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Shield Bearer promotes individual and family healing by providing professional mental health services to anyone in need, regardless of their ability to pay, Cardine said.“The organization was born from a single, deeply held conviction: healing happens when someone stands with you,” Cardine said. “In 2005, our founders Matt and Amy White saw families and individuals struggling with trauma, marital conflict, anxiety, depression and loss—often with no affordable help available. They believed that no one should have to walk through suffering alone simply because they couldn't afford therapy.”

With a mission that has maintained throughout 20 years of service, Cardine said Shield Bearer has expanded to a more comprehensive organization responding to the mental health needs of a diverse, growing population.

The impact

Shield Bearer began with a single office and has since expanded with multiple counseling centers throughout the region, with its main site on Jones Road in northwest Houston. The organization was founded in north Houston in response to unmet needs in the local community.The organization also began with a single counselor and today has over 50 counselors, interns and clinicians serving thousands of clients each year. The team includes licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, student interns and specialized trauma-trained clinicians.