The Shield Bearer Mission
Since our charter in 2005, Shield Bearer has been on the front lines championing healthy relationships, strong marriages, healthy families and strong communities. Shield Bearer promotes individual growth and development, preserves and enriches marriages and strengthens and unites families. We believe that strong communities are built by healthy families and that healthy families have their strongest link in the marriage relationship. Shield Bearer focuses on restoring broken relationships and building on the strengths of existing relationships.
Shield Bearer’s counseling expertise lies in Marriage and Family Counseling and Trauma Recovery. Our unique and innovative Marriage Intensive is saving 9 out of 10 troubled marriages. Our trauma specialists work with survivors of human trafficking. veterans, crime victims and their families and disaster survivors (such as Hurricane Harvey survivors.
Through a variety of mission focused programs and services, including professional counseling, seminars, retreats and workshops, Shield Bearer is an active partner with community based organizations, hospitals, universities, schools and churches
Our History
In the fall of 2005, Matthew White decided to do something about the growing number of families he had known who had fallen apart over the years. He had witnessed marriages end due to affairs, internet pornography issues, and unhealthy communication. The devastating effect of divorce on the exes and their children was hard to bare.
With the help of several others who joined him in the cause to save marriages and families, Matthew became the founder of a nonprofit designed to make a difference. The community-minded volunteers decided to name the nonprofit Shield Bearer.
“The Shield-bearer’s primary purpose was to help the soldier battle to victory.”
For centuries when hand-to-hand battles were fought, the fighting soldiers had someone who went into the battle with them to assist them with supplies and resources. The Shield-bearer’s primary purpose was to help the soldier battle to victory.
Shield Bearer is fighting for hearts of people, couples, families and adolescents as they battle to victory. Shield Bearer exists to help people struggling with personal, marital and family problems.
Since we opened our doors in the summer of 2006, Shield Bearer has grown into a multi-service organization with nine Greater Houston area locations. Last year Shield Bearer provided over 14,000 professional counseling sessions and we anticipate delivering 22,000 sessions in 2020 . Through community, school and faith based services, over 10,300 lives have been affected by the programs and services of Shield Bearer.
Matthew and the initial group of volunteers have been joined by numerous others who serve as Shield Bearers through their volunteer efforts and financial support.
COUNSELING CAN BE AFFORDABLE
We believe financial concerns should not hinder access to quality counseling services. We accept most insurance plans and can discuss other options with you during your initial phone consultation. Don’t let finances get in the way of addressing your mental health concerns. Quality counseling can be affordable!