About Us

Mission:
It is the mission of the Southern California Counseling Center to provide high-quality psychological counseling to those of limited income as well as to offer exceptional training within a supportive environment for Center counselors and supervisors, and to develop and maintain responsive programs meeting the psychological needs of Southern California's multi-cultural community.


Since 1967, the SCCC has been an important resource for the community. Our sliding fee counseling and outreach services are directed to that segment of the community who otherwise would not have access to services.

"The intent of the Center is that people shall have human contact when they need it and for no other reason than that they need it."  --Hans Hoffman, Co-Founder

Our History

When the Southern California Counseling Center (SCCC) opened its doors in 1967, its novel approach to mental health care shocked many in the industry. SCCC's pioneering system, based on volunteerism and paraprofessionals, involved training lay counselors under the supervision of volunteer professionals to provide affordable counseling to the general public. The Center's founders, Psychologist Hans Hoffman and Psychiatrist Ben Weininger, believed that no one should be denied counseling because of a lack of financial means and the carefully chosen and trained paraprofessional could provide high quality cost-effective care.

Despite the early skeptics, SCCC has flourished and garnered national recognition. Popular  Psychology Magazine says, "The Center's use of volunteer paraprofessionals has been so effective it must be considered a model ... it probably delivers more therapy for less money than any other system now in operation." Indeed, mental health care experts across the country seek advice from the Center's staff about setting up similar counseling operations.

Statistics prove that SCCC provides an invaluable service to a segment of the community traditionally under served - the low-income population. Each year, more than 100 counselors and professional supervisors - all volunteers - provide approximately 21,000 hours of counseling services. Client fees are based on a sliding scale in an effort to make counseling affordable to all income groups.The Center provides counseling to individuals, couples and families seeking help to lead more meaningful and productive lives by addressing such issues as depression, loneliness, marital and family problems, anxiety and relationships. It offers a variety services including individual therapy, group therapy, couple and family counseling, The Abuse Prevention Program (TAPP) designed to stop family violence, Best Practice Parenting, Teen Violence Prevention Group, Rage Resolution Group and Women’s Empowerment Group.

Emphasis on training at the Center has expanded greatly over the years. The facility on West Pico contains 20 counseling rooms, several of which are fitted with one-way mirrors and audio systems for use in training. Today the majority of the counselors are seeking, or have obtained, licensure as marriage and family therapists. Many are either studying, or have obtained an M.A. or are accumulating the 3,000 hours of training required by the California Board of Behavioral Examiners before they can take the written and oral exam for the state's MFT licensure. Our newest training program has been licensed to meet predoctoral practicum and internship needs. SCCC also established a Family Therapy Training Program (FTTP).

Paraprofessionals, however, still serve an important role at SCCC. Not only are lay counselors continuously being trained to provide on-site services, but in response to the civil unrest in Los Angeles, a program was set up in 1992 to Train Lay Counselors (TLC) who work for outside community-based organizations. This program has grown and flourished and is now know as the Community Counselor Certification Course (CCC).  Participants include drug counselors, ex-gang members working with gangs, church counselors, Boys and Girls Club volunteers, and others who work with high-risk populations in the most under served neighborhoods.

CCC's goal is not only to provide counseling training but also to provide support to prevent burn-out which is so common for those who work in stressful and often life-threatening situations. Fiercely independent since its inception, the Center has never sought or received government funding, relying instead on a rather unusual form of revenue. Every volunteer counselor contributes to the Center's financial security with a monthly pledge. Other funding is generated from client fees, grants, and individual donations.

Our funding policy has served SCCC well ... the Center has never had to cut client services because of reduced government funding unlike other agencies depending on such subsidy. Since it doesn't have to abide by the bureaucratic red-tape that goes along with accepting government funding, the Center is able to quickly respond to community needs by developing creative new programs in a timely fashion.

For example, we are concerned with the escalation of violence that plagues our communities. Although there can be no single answer to this problem, SCCC has developed G.A.T.E. (Gang Awareness Training and Education) a training program for those people who work with youth that will define and develop awareness about gang culture. Community empowerment begins with knowledge. The 1960's produced many organizations involved in the human potential movement. Few have survived. Founded on the principal that people can be transformed in an atmosphere of support and a belief that each person's contribution is valuable, SCCC's philosophy and once-maverick counseling methods continue to thrive.