About Us in Sioux Falls and Orange City

All of us will experience pain and brokenness at some point in our lives because we live in a fallen world. When you seek the help of a counselor, you want to know that he or she lives by the biblical principles you hold dear. Life's low points put us in a vulnerable position.

Bethesda Christian Counseling understands that during these times, more than ever, we need someone who will understand and guide us back to a positive life path that is not only fulfilling in emotional, physical and mental needs but in spiritual needs as well.

All of our counselors at Bethesda are committed Christians who seek to live obediently by the Word of God and integrate scriptural principles with their clinical skills.

Couple at the Psychotherapist - Counseling In Sioux Falls, SD

MISSION STATEMENT

Bethesda Christian Counseling Midwest, Inc. was established for the purpose of restoring and sustaining wholeness in the lives of all people in the name of Christ. Such wholeness is directed toward helping clients achieve more satisfying and productive lives in the contexts of their family, church, community and work place. This mission is accomplished in a Christian environment that is grace filled, secure, caring, confidential, professional, and respectful of each person's life journey.

CREED

As professional and clerical staff at Bethesda Christian Counseling Midwest, Inc., we believe that:

God is the sovereign Lord of all and reveals himself in the persons and work of the Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Humanity, and all of creation, has, because of original sin, become alienated from God. This alienation has resulted in a pervasive state of brokenness--personal and communal.
Humanity's ultimate hope for restoration, wholeness, and redemption is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the grace and forgiveness he offers.
The Bible is God's inspired Word and the final authority for faith and the practice of living.
God's grace is the predominate healing force as it is experienced in the therapeutic relationship.
It is essential, for the welfare of the therapist, that the Christian counselor maintain a dynamic personal relationship with the living Christ.
God, by his Spirit, communicates his common grace to all humanity by granting even those who do not acknowledge him, the potential for wisdom, goodness, knowledge, and truth.
The contributions of all medical and mental health professionals comes under the authority of the Lordship of Christ; and are utilized by the Christian counselor as aids toward the healing of persons so long as their contributions are not contrary to the principles of Scripture.
The Christian counselor utilizes all available sources of clinical training and knowledge that is consistent with the principles of Scripture; and integrates that clinical training into one's personal faith in Jesus Christ and one's clinical practice.
The Christian counselor, following the example of Jesus, accepts clients wherever they may be in their journey of faith; and helps them achieve a mature, congruent, and healthy spiritual life that results in the wholeness of the individual and the family.
The Christian counselor devotes time to praying for one's clients, believing that God is involved in the healing process.
The Christian counselor may use prayer as part of their therapeutic session when it is judged to be appropriate and useful for the client.
The Christian counselor may use the Bible as part of the therapeutic session when such use of Scripture is judged to be appropriate and helpful for the client.
The Christian counselor, and the entire support staff at Bethesda, are called to the healing ministry by God; and, as such, are representatives of Jesus Christ and channels of his grace to the wounded.

HISTORY

What today is Bethesda Christian Counseling Midwest, Inc. began in 1898 as Bethesda Sanatorium, treating tuberculosis victims in Maxwell, New Mexico. This was the vision of Rev. Idzerd Van Dellen and his small Christian Reformed Church congregation in Maxwell. The Sanatorium in Maxwell was disbanded in 1908. In 1910 the Bethesda Sanatorium began its operations in Denver, Colorado. Bethesda continued to serve the needs of tuberculosis patients from 1910 to 1950.

In 1950 Bethesda Sanatorium became Bethesda Christian Hospital and changed its mission from serving the needs of tuberculosis patients to serving the needs of those struggling with mental illnesses. This change of mission was due to the successful eradication of tuberculosis and the vision of two Christian denominations to provide a Christian hospital for the mentally ill. Both the Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Church in America joined in providing a funding base, a board of directors, treatment professionals, and a service population to Bethesda Christian Hospital.

Bethesda became a large free standing, modern, full service, in-patient mental health hospital operating on a beautiful and spacious campus in what is now south Denver. Bethesda's patients came from communities scattered over the entire western United States from the Mississippi River to the west coast United States and Canada.

Beginning in the early 1960s Bethesda Christian Hospital designed a follow-up care program for discharged patients around the country. Bethesda would routinely send her doctors on regular trips to locations around the western United States where there was a concentration of discharged patients. These psychiatrists would set up appointments with discharged patients for the purpose of check-ups and medication management.

Bethesda Christian Hospital of Denver established six such clinics throughout the western United States and Canada. These clinics were located in Orange City, Iowa, Pasadena, California, Bellingham, Washington, Vancouver, British Columbia, Mount Vernon, Washington, and Denver, Colorado. The clinic in Orange City, Iowa opened its doors in 1975 and was named Bethesda Christian Counseling Midwest. In 1986 Bethesda Christian Counseling Midwest moved its main office from Orange City, Iowa to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Orange City remained a branch office of Bethesda Midwest. All of these clinics, including Bethesda Christian Counseling Midwest, had their own advisory boards and directors; but were financed, operated, and governed under the direction of Bethesda Christian Hospital of Denver.

In 1965 Dr. Kroon made monthly visits to Orange City, Iowa. Soon Bethesda Christian Hospital recognized the need to provide ongoing outpatient psychotherapy and family therapy to discharged patients and their family members. Thus began the concept and establishment of outpatient clinics around the country all bearing the "Bethesda" name.

In 1993 Bethesda Christian Hospital in Denver was forced to terminate its services and close its doors due to the widening gap between the costs of running a free standing mental health hospital and the low rate of fee reimbursement from health insurance companies. However, prior to Bethesda Christian Hospital closing down, the director of Bethesda Christian Counseling Midwest had the foresight to recommend to the advisory board that Bethesda Midwest purchase Bethesda's name and establish itself as an independent non-profit corporation. Thus, in 1992 Bethesda Christian Counseling Midwest became Bethesda Christian Counseling Midwest, Inc. and continued to offer out-patient mental health and family counseling as an independent out-patient non-profit, faith-based facility. Today Bethesda Christian Counseling Midwest is the only remaining vestage of Bethesda Christian Hospital that bears her name and carries on her ministry of mercy in Christ's name.