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Meet Our 2025–2026 Board Leadership
At The Guidance Center, strong leadership helps ensure children and families receive the compassionate, accessible mental health care they deserve. We’re proud to recognize our 2025–2026 Board officers and the dedicated community leaders guiding our work forward. Kris...
Meet Irving Martinez: Clinical Supervisor – Compton
In many communities, mental health is not always openly discussed. That silence can make it harder for children and families to seek the support they deserve. For Irving Martinez, LCSW, helping break that silence is part of the work. Irving serves as a clinical...
Meet Rubi Quezada: Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Long Beach – Outpatient
Some children come to therapy unsure of how to open up. They may be navigating pain that’s hard to name or trauma that has passed through generations. The Guidance Center offers a safe space for their healing to begin and provides their families with the tools to grow...
Meet Isha Bhatt: Licensed Clinical Counselor, Compton
Isha Bhatt, LPCC, is a clinical therapist at The Guidance Center’s Compton site. There, she supports children and families through trauma-informed, relationship-based care. “I did not choose this career. This career chose me,” Isha shares. Because of that...
Meet Kristin McNeese: Clinical Supervisor- Intensive Services
For Kristin McNeese, mental health care is not just a job. It is a calling rooted in justice, connection, and respect for every person’s story. Over the past eight years at The Guidance Center, Kristin has supported children, families, and clinicians through both...
Year-End Impact: A recap from our CEO
As 2025 comes to an end here at The Guidance Center, we pause to acknowledge a year marked by both challenges and moments of deep gratitude. Even as the world at times feels less kind, the people around us continue to show that hope and optimism endure. We are...
Year-End Approaching: Last Chance to Give
Since 1946, The Guidance Center has provided comprehensive mental health services to children and families facing serious challenges. Every day, we walk alongside those who are navigating trauma, big emotions, and overwhelming uncertainty. With the support of...
Our Family Resource Center is Officially Open!
"We’re giving back to the community and making sure there are proper resources for community members.” - Kris Allen, Guidance Center Board Chair Last week, our community came together to celebrate the official grand opening of our new Family Resource Center. It was a...
Gratitude in a Season of Healing: A Message from the CEO
A Reflection on Gratitude This year, I’ve been struggling with finding the words for my gratitude message to all of you. I’ve procrastinated. I’ve stumbled, and I’ve given up. This isn’t like me, so I had to do some soul searching to sort out the barriers to...
Adopt-A-Family 2025: Make the Season Brighter for Local Families
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.” — Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross The holiday season is right around the corner! While many of us are planning gifts and gatherings with loved ones, countless families in our...
Family Resource Center: Opening at The Guidance Center Next Month!
We are proud to share the exciting development of our new Family Resource Center (FRC), opening at The Guidance Center headquarters in Long Beach! This new space will be a community hub where children and families can access the resources, programs, and connections...
World Mental Health Day: Caring for Our Community
World Mental Health Day is a time to reflect on what mental health means to us and how we can build stronger systems of care for those who need it most. The theme for 2025, “Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” reminds us that care is especially critical in...
Long Beach Gives 2025 Wrap Up: Community Makes a Difference
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, The Guidance Center raised nearly $60,000 during Long Beach Gives 2025. We surpassed our fundraising goal this year, allowing us to impact more children and families through our new Family Resource Center. “It’s...
Hope and Healing Club: How to Support Youth, Every Month
Every child deserves the chance to grow, heal, and look forward to a brighter future. At The Guidance Center, we walk alongside them on their healing journey, offering hope and the support they need every step of the way. We strive to provide accessible and...
Mental Health Month: Prioritizing Awareness and Wellness
May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to break the stigma, advocate for accessibility, and highlight the importance of mental well-being for children, families, and communities. This year, we kicked off Mental Health Month with our signature event,...
Nancy & Bob Foster: Our 2025 Tim Sailor Legacy Award Honorees
Meet the Champions for Mental Health in Long Beach From the baseball diamond to city hall, Nancy and Bob Foster have spent decades planting seeds of hope for Long Beach families. Together, they have shown us what it means to lead with compassion, purpose, dedication,...
Sunset Sip 2025: Planting Seeds of Hope is just one month away!
Sunset Sip 2025: Planting Seeds of Hope is just one month away! Don’t miss this extraordinary evening of giving and gratitude on Saturday, May 3rd, at the Hotel Maya in Long Beach. What is Sunset Sip? Sunset Sip is more than just a fundraising event—it’s a celebration...
Agency Update: Our San Pedro Clinic Has Moved!
Did you know? The Guidance Center's San Pedro clinic recently moved! As of January 2025, our new office has relocated to better serve our clients and community members. We hosted a special open house event last week to welcome the community as their new neighbor. This...
You Are Safe Here: A Message of Hope from The Guidance Center
The Guidance Center is a safe place for all who come to our doors, regardless of their gender or sexual identity or orientation, ability, race, ethnicity, religion, or immigration status. In light of recent events, we understand that many in our community, and within...
Adopt-A-Family 2024: Reflecting on the Power of Community
As we close the chapter on the Adopt-A-Family 2024 program, The Guidance Center is filled with immense gratitude and pride. This year has been challenging for many of the members of our community. However, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our supporters, we...