Team members from YMCA San Antonio's counseling team Tralishé Matthews-Truss, Roy Sowell, Clara Zapata, Alicia Sanchez, Kristine Gusman and Bobby Davis.More than 620 San Antonians have received free counseling services since 2023 in a new offering meant to combat stigmas surrounding mental health treatment at the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
When ARPA funding runs out in 2025, and Humana funding runs out in 2026, the YMCA wants to continue its counseling services, but to do that the counseling department is working to be self-sustainable. Seniors and veterans can get counseling services at all of the same locations that offer youth counseling, as well as the O.P. Schnabel Park, Thousand Oaks and Schertz Family YMCAs.
Each person is either a licensed counselor or will be licensed soon, according to Gusman. The group includes two male counselors, a Spanish-speaking counselor, veterans and seniors. There is no wait list for a counseling appointment and patients are usually seen within the same week, Gusman said. People in need of counseling are matched with a counselor that fits their needs, for example, a veteran would get a counselor who is also a veteran. Army veteran and mental health counselor Tralishé Matthews-Truss said seniors and youth age 14 to 18 are visiting for counseling the most.
“A lot of the times, parents are like, ‘You’ve got a roof over your head and food on your plate. Aren’t I doing enough?’ It’s like, ‘No, I also need hugs.'”In seniors, the biggest issue is loneliness and grief, Matthews-Truss said.