Harbor Area Counseling Services

Reviews 5

KR

Kristen C

I had the pleasure of working at Harbor Area Counseling Services for two years as an MFT Trainee and Intern. I have now been a therapist for over five years and have never worked for an organization that was as humanistic, client-centered and compassionate as Harbor Area. Clients are treated as unique individuals and there is a strong focus on providing timely and effective client care. The Director, Dario Ghio, personally ensures that each potential client is matched appropriately to a therapist based on the therapists skill level and expertise and the clients needs and goals for therapy. Almost 100% of client requests for services are answered within 48 hours to schedule an intake appointment, regardless of weekends. Appointment scheduling is flexible, allowing clients to be seen for appointments at times that are convenient for them, including mornings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Special attention is paid to co-occurring and crisis issues. While the majority of the staff are Trainees and Interns, each staff member is either enrolled in or has completed a full-time Masters level training program in Marriage and Family Therapy, Counseling, or Psychology, and has completed appropriate coursework in law and ethics, child abuse, basic counseling skills, and other essential classes. Trainees and Interns receive a wide variety of training, including on-site weekly supervision and consultation with licensed therapists and peers, training in evidence-based practices, cultural sensitivity, and additional work experience with special populations, including children, teens, groups, couples, families, and substance use treatment. Rigorous evaluation of all staff occurs on a regular basis. Harbor Area does not allow for Trainees or Interns to provide therapeutic services if they do not continue to show advancement in their counseling skills and adhere to strict law and ethical practices as established by the state of California and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Harbor Areas facilities offer individual and group therapy rooms, including a specially designed child therapy room, which allows for effective treatment of children using sandtray and play therapy modalities. Harbor Area also provides a sliding scale fee schedule to ensure that therapeutic services are not cost-prohibitive to clients. There is a strong focus on community outreach, with Harbor Area partnering with several local schools and child and teen organizations to offer groups in substance use, anger management, social skills, communication skills, and self-esteem building. As a past staff member, it was my personal experience that the staff are genuinely caring and kind to one another and to the clients that are served. There is a great deal of administrative, technical, and clinical support available to all staff and an open-door policy, which ensures that all staff are able to communicate and support one another consistently and effectively. In addition, self-care and professional burnout is regularly addressed in clinical supervision and team meetings, ensuring that staff members, especially those newer to the field of therapy, are well-supported and have opportunities to address their own struggles and challenges. Staff members of Harbor Area have gone on to work at public and private therapy officers, schools, social services, at colleges as professors, and to pursue advanced, doctoral level degree programs in Psychology. I am extremely honored to say that I had the opportunity to work and learn at Harbor Area for two years. I personally saw the dedication, compassion, and teamwork of all of the staff and witnessed first-hand the positive changes that occurred for our clients. I continue to have past clients contact me to let me know how they continue to use their skills and to meet the goals they established at Harbor Area and to express their feeling that they were genuinely cared for. I would highly recommend Harbor Area without hesitation to any potential clients or staff.

---

RO

Ron Barry

This organization is aware that many of the people who are court ordered to go to a substance abuse course. In FACT do not meet medical need for the course. At the same time they have no problem enrolling people as long as they have medi cal. Insurance or any insurance they can bill. In FACT im aware of some people who are forced to attend the program and do not have any substance abuse problem. What they will do is create problems for people or use the right language in writing a note or letter for you that one does not tell the truth or write you a letter in a way that makes you think there is a real cause for you to be there to cover there on butts. As for care of the people attending. They dont care about any ones welllness. Like i said if you have insurance they will be more than glad to bill it. They are committing insurance fraud. Needs to be addressed and changes need to be made before the arrests. I have sufficient evidence that proves they are committing medi cal fraud. And is being reported. I feel bad for some of the staff but you going down. Thats my veiw on this place. If you consider a licensed professional to get treatment. why is an intern in charge. If sone really think they will get help from a collage student that dont know jack crap about any thing and just there to get the credits to graduate. Sounds like your getting shaffeted if you ask me.

---

AN

Annie Kotok

I have been familiar professionally with Dario Ghio and Harbor Area Counseling over the last 5 years, and my experience has always been extremely positive. Harbor Area Counseling Services provides excellent low cost counseling services to the San Pedro community. Dario Ghio treats staff and colleagues with professionalism and adheres to the ethical standards in our field. Dario Ghio has done much to serve and give back to the greater community while providing an excellent training site to MFT interns and trainees. It is with confidence that I refer people to Harbor Area Counseling Services to obtain top-notch and affordable counseling.

---

PR

Priscilla Traub

Harbor Area Counseling Services is a gem. It is nearly impossible to find a counseling agency where you can receive outstanding counsel from well trained therapists. They offer a sliding scale and are incredibly willing to work with their clients. I am proud to say that I have worked here and I have referred many!

---

CH

Chad McCain

In 2012, Dario Ghio, then Owner of HACS Inc. separated me from my traineeship at HACS Inc under false pretenses. He falsely accused me of negligence, while in fact, he had led me through suggestion to complete work in a way that he would later find fault with.

---

---