Psychotherapy for Victims of Crime & Good Samaritans 

Shine a Light Counseling Center can help you and/or your family members recover from the trauma of crime. We understand the outrage of being violated, the anger at injustice, the heartbreak of loss, and the residual fear when one’s safety has been violated. And we know that each person responds to traumatic experiences in their own way. Therapy can help people process the intensity of their experience, settle their nervous system, interpret events meaningfully, and more forward in their lives. If you have suffered in any way, we would love to give you a chance to talk about it and get help in your recovery.

VCB: Victims Compensation Board

The California Victim Compensation Board can help victims and their families recover from violent crime. The VCB will pay for your therapy if you qualify. To learn more about whether you qualify and what your benefits may be, contact the VCB website or call them at 1-800-777-9229. Or email them at info@victims.ca.gov.

 

People Who Qualify for Free Counseling Services

  • Direct Victims of Crime
  • Immediate Family Members of Crime Victims
  • Primary Caretakers Victims Who Were Minors at the Time of the Crime
  • Good Samaritans
  • Caregivers of Crime Victims

Qualifying Conditions:

  • Applicants must file an application within seven years of the crime or by their 28th birthday if they were a minor at the time of the crime
  • Cooperate reasonably with law enforcement in the arrest and prosecution of the offender
  • Seek reimbursement from other sources (Medi-Cal or private insurance) first
  • Not be on parole, probation or be a registered sex offender
  • Contact VCB for more information

Types of Crime

VCB will pay for counseling related to many categories of crime, including:

  • Child Abuse 
  • Violent Crimes
  • Rape or Sexual Assault
  • Domestic Violence
  • Robbery
  • Threats of Violence
  • Many other crimes

Request an Appointment

To Request an Appointment at Shine a Light or NPCC, please fill out this form. We respond to inquiries Monday through Friday. All inquiries we receive on the weekends or holidays will be processed the next business day. Thank you for your patience. If you need immediate services, please call 911.

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Your Name
Name of Intended Client
Date of Birth (of the intended client)
Use the drop down menu to select your nearest location.
Of whoever is paying for therapy
Use the drop-down menu to select your insurance coverage.
Please carefully input the number from your insurance card.
Use the drop-down menu to select the type of counseling you want.
Use the drop-down menu to indicate if you have seen a therapist with us previously.
Issues You Want Help With:
MORNINGS you are Available:
EARLY AFTERNOONS you are Available:
LATE AFTERNOONS you are Available:
EVENINGS you are Available:
Contact Preferences:
This helps us track your inquiry and respond to you quickly.

Agency Inquiries

This form is for agency information. If you want information about counseling for yourself or your family, use the other form. Thank you.

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Name
This form is for agency information. If you want information about counseling for yourself or your family, use the other form. Thank you.

New Office in San Francisco!

Shine a Light Counseling Center is please to merge with New Perspectives Center for Counseling. NPCC has been serving the San Francisco community for thirty years. Now NPCC is transitioning to become the San Francisco site for Shine a Light. NPCC will retain its name, character and history. For information about NPCC or counseling in San Francisco:

 

New Perspectives Center for Counseling (link)

Emergency Contact

Shine a Light does not provide crisis services. If you have a mental health emergency, call 988 or 911. Or  click here  for more Crisis Resources

Telephone Contact

You can call Shine a Light at 831-996-1222, but we encourage you to use the email forms to the left. If you call, please leave the following:

  • Phone number
  • Preferred location
  • Best times to meet
  • Issue you want help with
  • What insurance you have (if any)

FAX us at: 831-417-0443

Good Faith Estimate

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your therapy sessions will cost. Your fee will be set according to a sliding scale, in collaboration with your therapist, prior to your first counseling session. Total costs depend upon the number of sessions you choose to utilize.

If you have private health insurance and we are not in-network with your plan, please be aware that your costs for therapy may be less by using an in-network provider. This will depend upon your plan's deductible amounts and co-payments. In some cases, counseling at Shine a Light is less costly than using private insurance.

If you hope to use "out of network" benefits through your private insurance, please be aware that many plans will not reimburse for services provided by trainees. Please request an Associate level therapists for out-of-network billing.

Click here to download a flyer for

Shine a Light Counseling Center

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