About Us

The Center for Self Discovery’s primary mission is to help at-risk teens through participation in our youth mentoring programs.  In addition, we are in the process of developing a pro bono counseling linkage service so that all residents living in the District of Columbia in need of mental health care, but unable to afford such services, can be  linked with licensed and insured mental health professionals who can provide care  on a volunteer basis at no cost.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The Center for Self Discovery has its roots in the principles of psychodynamic psychotherapy* with its emphasis on empathic understanding and relationships as the context for growth.  This organization and its programs are an outgrowth of the belief that these principles have value not just in the therapy office, but also in the larger community.

  • Positive change and growth can be supported most effectively in the context of caring relationships;
  • Behavior is meaningful and motivated, and it is important to understand those meanings rather than judge the behaviors;
  • We emphasize our clients’ efforts to cope rather than seeing only deficits and problem behaviors.
  • We empower our clients, helping them to overcome their sense of helplessness, hopelessness, and isolation, which is so typically the result of on-going trauma and loss.
  • We support our clients by recognizing the cultural contexts and communities in which they live.   This includes an appreciation of their particular histories, traditions, beliefs, and value systems.

*While CSD-DC has its roots in a psychodynamic tradition, clinicians affiliated with our DC  Counseling Connection program represent the full range of theoretical approaches to counseling from psychodynamic to cognitive behavioral to family systems.

HISTORY

CSD-DC started as the Community Outreach Project of the Washington School of Psychiatry and in 2001 became a founding member of THEARC with an interest in supporting and collaborating with the agencies within THEARC who offer services to children and families.  Since that time, we provided ongoing consultation with professional and paraprofessional staff at the Washington Middle School for Girls, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, and the Children’s Mobile Health Care Project.  Additionally, we  developed a training workshop for Covenant House and offered consultation services to the Washington Ballet.

While we successfully supported staff at these agencies within THEARC, these same staff expressed their concern that the needs of their youth, about whom they so obviously cared,  far-outstripped available staff resources.  Many of the youth under their care needed more individual attention than was possible.

We heard the message loud and clear, and we responded.  In 2004, the Community Outreach Project developed its first direct service, youth mentoring program – Through My Eyes: The DC Photo Narrative Project.  While the program teaches photography, the objective is to help at-risk youth, under the guidance of dedicated mentors,  develop a greater sense of themselves and their place within their families and community.   This program has run continuously and with great success for the past six years at the Washington Middle School for Girls and this past year at Beacon House.

In 2009, with a wish to expand our direct service and mentoring programs, the Community Outreach Project with the agreement of the Washington School developed its own non-profit organization, so that we might more fully commit to our service and mentoring mission.   To this end, we renamed our group The Center for Self Discovery  (CSD-DC) and affiliated with the Community Foundation of the National Capital Region.  The Washington School’s non-residential partner status within THEARC  also transferred to CSD-DC at this time.

In 2009, we also developed Teens Run DC –  to help at-risk youth envision and work towards the achievement of personal goals through an adult mentoring and distance running program.  In its first year, 16 of our 17 students attempted and completed a marathon, half-marathon, or half-marathon-relay.

In 2011, CSD-DC became a 501C3 non-profit public charity.

PLANS GOING FORWARD

Currently, we are planning to expand both Teens Run DC and Through My Eyes programs.  Additionally, we hope to have DC Counseling Connection up and running by late this year or early next year.  This latter program will  assure that uninsured or under-insured, low-income individuals and families, living in the District of Columbia and in need of mental health care are linked with licensed and insured mental health professionals who can provide care on a volunteer basis at no cost.

CSD-DC as a research lab

This past spring, we began a collaboration with George Washington University’s Schools of Public Health, Education, and Psychology so that we might not only develop stronger programs, but also develop a model for best practices in youth mentoring and support.  As such, the Center for Self Discovery  will be engaged in various research activities as we evaluate those aspects of our programs that lead to success among the youth and families that we serve.