A Professional Counseling and Community
Overview
The Alliance Wellness Clinic supports the emotional care, behavioral health, and mental health needs of all Houston-area residents.
Our professional health care team of Counselors, Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Educators specialize in delivering care for Houston-area residents requiring culturally and linguistically competent behavioral health services, including individuals who arrived as refugees and immigrants, as well as those who are native born and looking for behavioral health services.
Languages Offered
Our staff clinicians speak Spanish, Urdu, Hindi, and Nepali. The Wellness Clinic partners with the Alliance Language Network to accommodate 80+ other languages with prior arrangement.
Insurance & Payment
We accept Medicaid, Medicare, Point Comfort (Refugee Medical Assistance), and private insurance. For those that are uninsured, a sliding fee scale is available.
Please submit questions and/or appointment requests by contacting our Program Administrator at 713-554-1890 or by email wellness@thealliancetx.org.
Hours
By appointment only.
Monday through Friday: 9am to 5pm
Saturday (Child Psychologist): 10am to 4pm
Psychiatry on Tuesdays only
Brochure (PDF)
COVID-19 Resources
Services Provided
- Individual and group counseling
- Psychiatric consultations and medication management
- Trauma recovery (domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and disaster)
- Child psychology
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
- Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Assessments and testing
- Couples and Family Counseling
The Wellness Center also works with schools and community organizations to deliver wellness services where children learn and where people live.
Professional & Educational Trainings and/or Community & Group Psychosocial Wellness Presentations
- Disaster recovery and resilience building
- Care for the caregiver
- Domestic violence
- Human trafficking
- Trauma recovery
- Perinatal mental and physical healthcare
Our Staff
Aarti Goswami, M.A., M.Ed., LPC. Vice President, Center for Resiliency: Aarti oversees the Alliance Wellness Clinic’s Psychiatry, Child Psychology, Counseling, Social Services and Community Based Services programs. She joined the Alliance in February 2018, prior to which she was Director of Counseling & Clients Services at a Houston area non-profit organization for South Asian survivors of domestic violence & sexual assault. Aarti has a masters’ degree in Human Resource Management & Labor Relations, a masters’ degree in Education & Counseling and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas. She is trained in EMDR & TFCBT and specializes in providing trauma informed, culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate behavioral health services to refugees, immigrants and underserved populations. Aarti has been a part of the non-profit arena since 2012, and has been an advocate for issues relating to social justice and gender based violence. Originally from India, she is fluent in English, Hindi & Marathi.
Sophia Banu, M.D., Director of Psychiatric Services: Sophia is an Associate Professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She is board certified in both Adult and Child and Adolescent psychiatry.She completed her medical education in New Delhi, India and her psychiatry residency at St Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University, New York. She completed a Psychosomatic fellowship at the Bellevue / NYU Hospital and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at St Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University, New York. During her Psychosomatic Fellowship she worked primarily with refugees and survivors of torture at the Bellevue/NYU program for Survivors of Torture.
She served as the Deputy Chief of Ambulatory Psychiatry Services at Ben Taub Hospital/ Harris Health System for over 7 years, supervised the Behavioral Health Therapists, managed the Adult and Child Outpatient Psychiatry Clinics and Intensive Outpatient Program for Adolescents for the county hospital, specializing in indigent patients. Sophia has extensive experience working in Nepal, New York, Greece, Bangladesh and Houston. with refugees and survivors of torture from all over the world. She founded the Clinic for International Trauma Survivors for refugees and torture survivors under Harris Health System and Baylor College of Medicine, training medical students, psychiatry residents and child psychiatry fellows to provide culturally competent care while practicing cultural humility. In collaboration with Dan Stoecker, CEO, The Alliance, she started the Alliance Wellness Clinic for refugees and the underserved population. More recently the division of Global Mental Health under Menninger department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science was started by Dr. Banu and Dr. Gordon.
She is one of the co-authors of the Handbook of Refugee Experience:Trauma, Resilience and Recovery. She is fluent in English, Tibetan, Nepali, Urdu and Hindi, can communicate in Bengali and read Arabic fluently.
Deepthi Suvarna, MSW, M.Sc., LPC, BCN, Director of Clinic Services: Deepthi has a Master’s degree from two different countries and seven years of clinical experience working with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Deepthi is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), trauma-informed therapy and crisis intervention. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and is also Board Certified in Neurofeedback (BCN) and has experience providing neurofeedback services to children and adult survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. She is a first-generation immigrant and understands the challenges an immigrant experiences while navigating unfamiliar systems. Deepthi grew up in India and speaks English, Hindi, Kannada and Tulu.
Jose Hernandez LMSW, Staff Social Worker: Jose is a Spanish-speaking social worker with a background in mental health and case management. His passion is to serve the Houston community by advocating for social justice and race equality. He received his BA in Psychology from Houston Baptist University. He earned his Master’s Degree in Social Work from The University of Pittsburgh.
Natalie Pintado, Program Specialist: Natalie was born New York and raised in Puerto Rico. She is currently completing a Business Administration degree with a minor in Entrepreneurship. I have an extensive background in exceptional customer service. Communication and interpersonal skills focused in creating client growth. Natalie is proficient in English and Spanish. Natalie enjoy assisting people of different communities very much and will always try to look for the best services and options for them. She believes that the key for any successful outcome in any organization or project, comes from teamwork and communication. Natalie understands the importance of having a holistic and integrative perspective and being culturally sensitive when serving others’ needs.
Jeffrey A. Kottler, PhD, Resident Scholar: Jeffrey A. Kottler is one of the most prominent authors and presenters in the fields of counseling, psychotherapy, health, education, and advocacy. He has written over 100 books about a wide range of subjects. Jeffrey has been a counselor, therapist, supervisor, and educator for 45 years, having worked a preschool, middle school, mental health center, crisis center, hospital, medical school, refugee resettlement agency, nongovernmental organization (NGO), university, community college, private practice, and disaster relief settings. He is also the founder of Empower Nepali Girls, a foundation that supports and mentors at-risk children He has served as a Fulbright scholar and senior lecturer in Peru and Iceland, as well as worked as a visiting professor in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Nepal. Jeffrey is Clinical Professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the Baylor College of Medicine and Professor Emeritus of Counseling at California State University, Fullerton and is. He currently lives in Houston where he works on projects related to refugee trauma with the The Alliance.Resources
We understand that many of you are experiencing stress, anxiety, fear, and a whole slew of emotions because of the current crisis. The emotional discomfort we are experiencing is a completely understandable response to our lives being disrupted and changed so drastically. However, you are not alone in this. The Alliance is here to help. Our counselors have compiled resources to assist you and your families during this time. If you are in need of individual or family counseling services, please contact us to make an appointment.
The first step in improving your mental health is ensuring that your basic needs are being met. If you need help, please dial 2-1-1 to reach the United Way social services directory.
If you are experiencing stress and anxiety due to COVID-19, please reach out. Our counselors are available to provide Telehealth services. For more information and to make an appointment, please contact wellness@thealliancetx.org or call 713-554-1890.
The Harris Center has also activated the COVID-19 Mental Health Support Line. To help you or a loved one take care of your behavioral health during this difficult time, call Harris County’s COVID-19 Mental Health Support Line at 833-251-7544
Below, you will find various resources to assist in you mental health and well-being during these trying times.
For Parents
Fighting the Big Virus: Trinka, Sam, and Littletown Work Together – Children’s book to help children and families talk about feelings and experiences related to COVID-19
Talking to Kids about COVID-19
Strategies for Learning at Home
Improving Parent/ Child Communication – Most parents are spending a significant amount of time with their children at home. Improving communication within the family can assist in alleviating stress and tension that may exist between parents and their children
Podcasts
Speaking of Psychology: Coronavirus Anxiety
Mental Health and Wellness during a public health crisis with Dr. LaGenia Bailey
Shrink Speak: COVID-19 Crisis Part 1 with Dr. Brian Fallon
Ten Percent Happier: How to Handle Coronavirus Anxiety
For the Love Podcast: Dr. Hillary McBride’s 7 Steps to Grasp Big Feelings During Hard Times
Videos
Understanding Stress and Resiliency – Dr. Jeffrey Kottler, Resident Scholar at The Alliance Wellness Centers explains the different types of stress and resilience
Dealing with Anxiety and Mental Health During a Pandemic –
Nurturing our Mental Health During COVID-19 with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score
Other Tools
COVID-19 Journal (activities focused on mindfulness, coping skills, yoga, breathing, and goal setting)
Care for Your Coronavirus Anxiety
How to manage anxiety and stress: Visit the CDC for tips and recommendations on how to manage anxiety and stress during this difficult time
Wellness Check Videos
Mental health and wellness guidance from the Alliance Wellness Clinic in various languages
Wellness Check 1: How do I talk to my child about race?
English
Spanish
Farsi
Vietnamese
Arabic
Swahili
Nepali
Wellness Check 2: How do I support my friends who are struggling?
English
Spanish
Farsi
Vietnamese
Arabic
Swahili
Nepali
Wellness Check 3: Is it possible to have healthy disagreements?
English
Spanish
Farsi
Vietnamese
Arabic
Nepali
Wellness Check 4: How do I deal with social isolation?
English
Spanish
Farsi
Vietnamese
Arabic
Nepali
Wellness Check 5: How do I balance both childcare and work?
English
Spanish
Farsi
Vietnamese
Arabic
