OASIS Christian Counseling was established in 1998. Our purpose is to provide a quality private counseling and psychiatry alternative to our community. OASIS counselors are professionally trained and licensed accordingly. We strive to integrate Biblical guidelines for living in all that we do. Our mission is to offer encouragement and hope as we work with clients toward reconciliation with themselves, other people and with God. We are committed to building strong leaders, strong marriages, and strong families so that they can then minister to others.

FOOTNOTE: 

January 1, 2011 OASIS became OASIS Christian Counseling Center, Inc., a non-profit, charitable organization.  We are in the process of finalizing all of the requirements for this transformation but are able to receive tax deductible donations to support the work of the OASIS ministry.  Please see more below under  "Where We Are Now". Please pray with us for guidance and wisdom.

1. OUR BEGINNING

OASIS began as a part time therapy practice of Juanita Duerkop Robbins, LISW-CP-S & AP-S in her home while she was working full time, first at The Kennedy Center, and later at the Berkeley Community Mental Health Center, both in Moncks Corner, SC.  The LORD gave her the name of the practice at a bi-annual conference of the American Association of Christian Counselors' meeting where the featured presenter was from Africa; the presenter's practice was Oasis Counseling Center, and the LORD told Juanita that "OASIS" was to be the name of their practice.  As time passed Juanita's son, Joshua, had difficulties attending middle school in public school his first year there - 6th grade - and during that year God told Juanita to "bring him home".  Juanita knew this meant to quit her full time job and home school him as she had done at an earlier time in his life when she had familial financial support.  So, expecting to have a small private practice (and probably be on welfare since this time they were on their own!), Juanita's last day at Berkeley Community Mental Health Center (BCMHC) was Joshua's last day of 6th grade.  As with the Israelites and the parting of the Red Sea - God did not part the water until they had their feet wet! - several days before Juanita's last day at BCMHC a psychiatrist called to say she would like to join OASIS on a part time basis.  Thus the practice and the home schooling began.  As the practice grew God would send practictitioners to meet the needs.  Eventually the practice grew to the point we had to hire administrative staff and an assistant to help monitor the homeschooling curriculum activities Juanita planned and reviewed each night.  OASIS continued to grow - we were still working out of Juanita's house - and every inch of usable space was taken up as office space.  No one knew that Juanita and Joshua lived in one small room in the back of the house for nearly two years while the practice grew.  But as God would have it, the time came for Joshua to return to school, this time private Christian school; and for OASIS to move to bigger quarters.  We rented a house on Main St. next door to the property where we built our current location during its construction phase. 

WHERE WE ARE NOW

OASIS has been committed since its very beginning to try to help as many people as we can by taking as many insurances as possible, including most Medicares and Medicaids.  Over 70% of South Carolina's children are on Medicaid.  As a result of these policies the recession has caused us to have grave financial struggles for the last couple of years.  Due to the recession, many of our insurance clients have not paid their deductibles or co-payments.  Medicaid payments are never certain at best, and July 2011 they made a total of 8 and 10% across the board cuts in payments for all services we provide.  OASIS currently has the only private psychiatrists in Berkeley and Dorchester counties that accept any Medicaid clients (that we know of) since the Medicaid cuts began earlier in 2011.  Berkeley county is the largest county in the state.  A large number of the Medicaid clients that we serve are ineligible for treatment at the county mental health centers, therefore if we did not treat them they would not be able to receive psychiatric treatment anywhere locally.  We see a lot of Medicaid clients.  We believe that the Bible charges us to do so.  But, we have also come to know that we are only one link in the chain, so as of January 1, 2011 we changed OASIS to a charitable organization, and hope to receive financial support from the community to help us continue this work.  We know we keep many schools and communities in Berkeley and other surrounding counties safer because of the services we provide.  We know many who have fulfilled the mission statement the LORD laid out for us, and now, with their own healing, can - and do - minister to others in the LORD'S name. It is our goal to be a light in your community.  Please let us know if there is anything we can do to get the OASIS message out in your area of influence, or if we can be of service to you.  We will do our best.  Most importantly, we ask that you please pray for us.  As stated elsewhere, the needs are great - our own, and the needs of our clients.  We need financial support.  We need another called psychiatrist.  The Lord has recently answered our prayers for another called social worker that can see Medicare clients.  Thank you for all that you do for His Kingdom. 

May God richly bless you.