Compass Counseling & Behavioral Health celebrates initial impact
Published 12:10 am Wednesday, October 25, 2017
- Staff members and supporters of Compass Counseling & Behavioral Health in LaPlace celebrate their official ribbon cutting last week.
LAPLACE — Compass Counseling & Behavioral Health, a new business in LaPlace, fills a need in the community by providing caring and confidential individual, family and couples counseling services to St. John the Baptist Parish residents.
Representatives from the River Region Chamber of Commerce and St. John Parish administration celebrated the business, located at 1708 Chantilly Drive Suite E, last week with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Founder and therapist Mary Cancienne cut the ribbon, signifying Compass Counseling & Behavioral Health’s official entrance into the community, though doors opened to the public last month.
Cancienne, a licensed clinical social worker, offers supportive, insight-oriented counseling services to adults and children as young as 5 years old.
Founder and therapist Mary Cancienne and her husband, Aaron Cancienne, welcomed the community at the ribbon cutting event last week.
Specialty areas include but are not limited to depression and anxiety, childhood behavior problems including ADHD and ODD, family and parenting concerns, marital and pre-marital concerns, trauma and PTSD.
Cancienne said the facility and the scheduling process are inviting and comfortable for clients.
To schedule an appointment, call 985-233-9852, email mcancienne@ccbhealth.com or visit www.ccbhealth.com to access the client portal tab and view a calendar of availability.
“For some people, it can be intimidating to pick the phone up,” Cancienne said. “I think people like to have different avenues for scheduling because it helps people at different comfort levels take the first step.”
The building itself is accessible yet discreet, according to Cancienne, with signs and logos located inside the front doors rather than outside. Three beautifully designed therapy rooms, including a play therapy room for children and a group therapy room, welcome clients with warm, inviting surroundings.
Compass Counseling & Behavioral Health offers three comfortable therapy rooms, including a play therapy room for children and a group therapy room.
Opening hours vary during the week, but Cancienne said she is there Monday through Friday, generally until about 2 p.m., and evening appointments are available Wednesdays and Fridays.
She has never turned anyone away based on scheduling concerns and can accommodate clients on a case-by-case basis.
Cancienne said the community has welcomed Compass with open arms, and local physicians are grateful to have another resource for patients.
“I market with family physicians, and the feedback from them has been, ‘thank God, there is such a need,’” she said, noting similar facilities in the River Parishes are primarily limited to St. James and St. Charles.
Lucien Gauff III, St. John Parish assessor, expressed a similar sentiment at the ribbon cutting.
Mary Cancienne’s mother, Mona Ladner, left, and mother-in-law, Gina Cancienne, right, were also present to celebrate the opening of her new business in LaPlace.
“When I heard about this business, I thought, someone saw there was a need that needed to be filled and did something about it,” Gauff said.
Opening a counseling business has been Cancienne’s lifelong dream, according to her mother, Mona Ladner.
Cancienne said she has always had a knack for empathetic listening and establishing relationships with clients.
“In high school and in college, my track was always 100 percent clear,” Cancienne said.
“There was never any veering from this.”
