by Jill Ragar Esfeld
jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Are you anxious or depressed? Are you at an impasse in life and need support? Is there an issue you’d like to discuss with someone impartial and nonjudgmental?
Do you just need someone to listen?
“These are all good reasons to seek counseling,” said Dr. Silvia Byer, director of counseling services at Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
Don’t worry if English isn’t your first language; Byer is also fluent in Spanish, Italian and French.
Don’t worry if you can’t afford to pay. The service is free and available to anyone regardless of race, religion, gender or immigration status.
Just call Keeler Women’s Center to schedule an appointment.
It’s that simple.
“There’s a lot of support here,” said Byer. “And now there needs to be awareness.”
Keeler Women’s Center recognized the need for a bilingual mental health professional on staff when attendees at grief retreats and groups for spiritual direction expressed a desire for more support.
The need was further highlighted by priests in the archdiocese who were meeting with parishioners that needed counseling beyond spiritual direction.
“Of course, they wanted somebody who was Catholic, somebody who would clear the credentials for the archdiocese,” said Keeler Center director Sister Bridget Dickason. “Silvia, luckily, passed the scrutiny.”
Argentinean-Italian roots and an upbringing in Buenos Aires and Turin, Italy, has shaped Byer’s deep appreciation for cultural diversity. Add to that 35 years married and raising a family in the United States, and Byer can relate to anyone.
Her journey to mental health counseling involved a major career shift that is nothing short of divinely inspired.
After studying linguistics and earning her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Byer spent more than 25 years as a professor and lecturer in modern languages and a published author on Renaissance mystic writers.
Then she felt God leading her to a new vocation.
“Even though, as a professor, you serve the students,” she said, “I felt the call to serve more.”
So, in prayer and consultation with her pastor and spiritual directors, she discerned a great need for help in the field of psychotherapy, especially within Hispanic communities.
Byer had two master’s degrees and a doctorate, she said, so, “When I decided to go back to school to get a third master’s (in social work), my kids were like, ‘She’s crazy.’
“But I do feel like I can have an impact, and I can serve the community in a better way.”
Byer believes there has long been a stigma about seeking counseling, especially among Hispanics. But in recent years that has changed.
“Now I think we’re in this new phase where the community accepts seeing a psychotherapist,” she said. “So that alone is opening more doors.
“The problem, conversely, is that many do not have the means to afford counseling.”
At Keeler Women’s Center, donations are welcome, but payment is never required.
“Anybody can receive counseling,” said Sister Bridget. “We have Silvia who is a paid counselor, Jackie is a volunteer, Michelle is a volunteer, and MOCSA has a counselor that comes here; we provide space.”
Byer’s doctorate is not medical, so she cannot prescribe medication, but she can diagnose and recommend that patients see a physician if necessary.
The Keeler Women’s Center is supported by donations, grants and Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison. It operates under the Rule of St. Benedict, emphasizing hospitality, listening “with the ear of your heart,” and welcoming all guests as Christ.
“There’s no judgment here,” said Sister Bridget. “There’s no problem you can’t come here with. Nobody is going to ask who’s Catholic, who’s not, who’s legal, who’s not.
“We don’t ask a whole lot of questions. We just treat everybody as Christ.”
Check out Keeler
Keeler Women’s Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors are welcome to take part in a variety of free classes, seek social services or counseling, or just have a moment of peace.
Keeler Women’s Center
759 Vermont Ave Suite 100-B
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 689-9375
Español: (913) 708-0286
kwc@mountosb.org
