Church-nested counseling center expands access to care in Atlanta
Samaritan offers a replicable model for inclusive mental health care during Mental Health Awareness Month
ATLANTA — On a busy stretch of Peachtree Street in midtown Atlanta — steps from the High Museum of Art, Symphony Hall and Center Stage Theatre — an unassuming sign points toward a quieter kind of work. Mounted on the side of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, facing the Woodruff Arts Center, the sign simply reads: Samaritan Counseling Center.
Inside, Samaritan Counseling Center of Atlanta offers something both deeply rooted and widely needed: accessible mental health care, grounded in faith but open to all.
Founded as a separate nonprofit in 1999 by First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, Samaritan today serves thousands of clients each year, offering counseling regardless of age, income, culture or religious background. According to its 2025 annual report, Samaritan provided 6,782 counseling sessions through October, with about 64% of those sessions offered at reduced rates or supported through insurance. Nearly half of all clients receive subsidized care, with fees as low as $30 per session, a commitment the organization describes as central to its mission.
“Mental health care should be available to all and not a luxury for some,” Samaritan’s annual report states.
That vision has taken shape under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Katie Sundermeier, who marks 10 years as executive director in May, aligning with Mental Health Awareness Month. When Sundermeier began in 2016, Samaritan was emerging from a period of organizational rebuilding. Today, it is a growing, professionally staffed center offering individual, couples and family counseling; spiritual direction; group therapy; supervision for clinicians; and community education.
“We are distinct from First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, and we are also huge supporters and collaborators,” Sundermeier said in an interview. “We hold both very clearly.”
That balance of independence paired with collaboration defines Samaritan’s model. The center partners regularly with First Presbyterian Church on programs such as “Mental Health Connections,” an annual series now in its sixth year, and a recent couples retreat integrating faith and relationship psychology. Samaritan clinicians also contribute to Bible studies and support groups when invited.
Samaritan is part of a broader network of counseling centers launched by communities of faith. The model traces back to the Samaritan Institute, founded in the 1970s by the Rev. Robert J. Ross, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister and mental health advocate. Ross envisioned centers rooted in congregations but professionally operated, offering “spiritually integrated psychotherapy as the client chooses” while expanding access to care. Ross died in February of this year.
That network has since evolved into Solihten Institute, a multifaith alliance of more than 40 counseling centers across North America. While many centers began in Christian congregations, Solihten today includes Jewish, Muslim and secular contexts, united by a shared commitment to spiritual integration and care for underserved communities.
Sundermeier serves on Solihten’s national board and regularly consults with congregations exploring similar models, most recently in Minnesota, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and other cities within Georgia. Her advice is practical and grounded. “Start where you can,” she said.
Not every Solihten-affiliated center looks the same. Sundermeier points to Prairie Sky Counseling Center, launched by Village Presbyterian Church in Kansas, and the Samaritan Counseling Services of the Gulf Coast, launched by Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida, which now operates multiple sites. Some centers begin with a single therapist and donated space; others grow over time through partnerships and philanthropy.
At Samaritan, diversity in staffing is itself part of the mission. The center employs clinicians from multiple faith traditions or no tradition, enabling clients to work with counselors who understand their cultural and spiritual contexts.
“The more we commit to honoring where someone is in their spiritual journey,” Sundermeier said, “the more freedom we have to live out our own convictions.”
That posture reflects not only Samaritan’s ethos but also the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s stated commitment to ecumenical and interreligious engagement. For Samaritan, that commitment is lived out daily in therapy rooms tucked just behind the city’s brightest stages, where healing, dignity and hope are offered to all who walk through the door.
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