About Beacon of Light

There is an innate need in all of us to know that there is something more beautiful than the dark places of the world we live in. After two losses within their community just prior to the 2020 pandemic, St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano, TX discerned that God was asking them to go on the offense against this issue rather than defense. It became clear that when, not if, a mental health crisis hits the St. Andrew community, a proactive stance was the new necessary mode of operating.

We need a beacon, offering light to a lost soul from far off in the distance.
We need to know there is a lifeline that can be offered at just the right time.
We need a beacon, offering light to a lost soul from far off in the distance.
Our Story

In the beginning

Beacon of Light was established in early 2020 as a ministry of St. Andrew Methodist Church with the specific purpose of delivering a proactive, Christ-centered mental health strategy to support not only the St. Andrew community, but also other churches and centers of faith wherever they may be.
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Leveraging a team of best-in-class professional, theological, and technical partners, Beacon of Light began developing a framework and programming specifically designed for the mental health needs of our church and for the broader faith-based community.

Our Mission

Let there be light

Using faith as a foundation, Beacon of Light equips individuals and churches with valuable tools and resources to address the continuum of mental health challenges. This means increasing awareness for mental health in general; developing resources to help those in need better understand mental health conditions, treatment options and aftercare considerations; training church and lay leaders to be more informed regarding mental health issues; and providing expert clinical treatment.
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We believe churches, located in more than 380,000 communities throughout the United States, are ideally positioned to help meet the mental health needs of their communities. We are developing a proprietary framework and tools to enable these churches to be engaged and informed mental health partners offering healing their members need.

Our Initiatives

Beacon of Light provides...

Awareness

Using a variety of communication platforms we seek to proactively highlight the continuum of mental health challenges facing our society and the need and availability for Christ-centered resources, training, and treatment programming.

Resources

We use multi-media channels to deliver to individuals and to participating churches the most current information available regarding the many mental health conditions and disorders, treatment options, and aftercare considerations.

Training

Beacon of Light professional staff presents workshops and training programs specifically designed for pastoral and lay staff, volunteers, parents, and church leadership teams to prepare them to be more informed and engaged regarding the continuum of mental health issues.

Treatment

Beacon of Light has a collaborative agreement with The Center for Integrative Counseling and Psychology to provide on-site counseling services within Beacon of Light offices. Sharing a foundation of faith, The Center provides licensed, professional therapists who have the ability to address a wide variety of the most common mental health concerns and disorders.

For Churches

Beacon of Light is developing a comprehensive mental health framework and training program for churches around the country to become mental health informed. We believe that for churches to be the best they can be, they must be equipped in ways they never have been before.

Team members

The dream team behind our initiative

Doug Reed

Executive Director
Click to view Doug's bio

Carrie Cravens, LCSW

Clinical Program Manager
Click to view Carrie's bio
Our partners

Beacon of Light has collaborated with The Center for Integrative Counseling and Psychology to provide counseling services for St. Andrew members and for the community.  Formed more than 50 years ago as Pastoral Counseling and Education Center, The Center provides mental health counseling and assessments for children, teens, and adults. 

The Center currently operates in 30 locations, primarily in churches and physician groups offices. The Center shares Beacon of Light’s purpose of providing Christ-centered accessible, professional, and compassionate mental health counseling services for those in all stages of life. The Center works with many major health insurance plans to maximize accessibility for clients. For those who do not have Medicare, Medicaid or health insurance, financial assistance is available based upon income and family size.  

All counseling sessions occur within Beacon of Light offices, 5700 West Plano Parkway, Suite 1600, Plano, TX, 75093.  For those who are unable or find it inconvenient for in-office counseling, tele-health counseling services are available.

Schedule an appointment

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you'll find answers to the questions we get asked the most about our organization and it's purpose.

Why did St. Andrew establish a mental health ministry?

Prior to the pandemic occurring, the St. Andrew community experienced several significant mental health crises among its membership. Rather than be on the defensive and not adequately prepared for future crises, St. Andrew leadership wanted a proactive strategy to address mental health issues among its community before they became crisis.

The result was Beacon of Light, a proactive mental health program integrated within the St. Andrew community that raises awareness for mental health issues, educates and trains staff and volunteers, and offers treatment and counseling for those in need.   

Is Beacon of Light supported financially by St. Andrew or is it an independent organization?

Although Beacon of Light is a ministry within St. Andrew, it is self-sustaining in that it must rely on individual financial gifts and contributions to fund programming.

The Beacon of Light Counseling partner, The Center for Integrative Counseling, is self-sustaining as well, relying upon service fees from clients and their insurance providers to fund counseling services and administrative support.

Does one need to be a member of St. Andrew to access Beacon of Light services?

No.  Although Beacon of Light is a ministry of St. Andrew, its vision extends beyond the walls of the church so that those within the greater community who are experiencing mental health challenges can receive the help they need while experiencing the healing power of Christ.

Is the Beacon of Light staff comprised of volunteers?

Beacon of Light is staffed by full-time professionals with substantial clinical and behavioral health care experience.  Staff members are also committed to the Christian ideals and the foundation of faith which have guided St. Andrew Methodist Church since its inception more than 35 years ago.  

What is the relationship between Beacon of Light and The Center for Integrative Counseling?

The Center has partnered with Beacon of Light to provide one-in-one counseling services, or therapy, for St. Andrew members, their families, and for those in the community.  The Center is a separate 501(c)3 non-profit organization and receives no financial assistance from Beacon of Light or from St. Andrew. 

Individual clients who receive counseling services pay The Center directly or have their health insurance provider reimburse The Center for treatment services. 

Is Beacon of Light focused only on those who live in West Plano?

As a ministry of St. Andrew, the delivery of Beacon of Light’s direct services is focused primarily on the North Texas community.  However, Beacon of Light is developing a comprehensive mental health framework and curriculum program that will extend to churches and communities throughout the country.

We believe that no other entities are positioned as well as churches to proactively deliver mental resources to their communities.  The Beacon of Light program will equip churches to be mental health informed, and powerful advocates for the mental wellbeing and overall mental health of the individuals, families, and communities they serve.

Our numbers

We have accomplished great results

500+
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28,000+
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75,000+
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500,870+
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475,000+
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You have a role to play— we can't do this alone

Now more than ever our communities are starving for more comprehensive faith-based mental health services. If you represent a church seeking mental health support, check out the framework and strategy that we’re building to help you. You can also make a gift so that we can continue strengthening families and saving lives.

Donate nowFor Churches

Doug Reed

Executive Director
dreed@beaconoflightmh.org
469-385-1828

Beacon of Light is led by Doug Reed, a long-time member of St. Andrew who has managed several behavioral health care organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit. He has also been touched directly by the challenge of navigating mental health issues, having lost his adult daughter, Natalie, to suicide in 2020.

Carrie Cravens

Clinical Program Manager
carrie@beaconoflightmh.org
469-385-1827

Carrie Cravens, LCSW, manages the development and implementation of all clinical programming. Carrie has more than 15 years of experience working in mental healthcare through private practice, medical, church and non-profit organizations. Carrie believes that all individuals deserve to have access to quality mental health care and strives to build trusting relationships between practitioners, clients, church leaders and community members.