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New counselor caters to Latino community

Alexandria Gonzalez , The Park Record
Claire Camp is a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and received her doctorate in clinical psychology at Azuza Pacific University in Azuza, Calif. She is now the Spanish-speaking counselor at the Christian Center of Park City. Photo by: Christopher Reeves/The Park Record.
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Claire Camp spent two years in Mexico as a missionary after graduating from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Being bilingual in English and Spanish, she worked at a non-denominational Evangelical Christian ministry called Rancho Santa Marta about 70 miles south of Ensenada in Baja California. Now that she has received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Azuza Pacific University in California, Camp has begun working as a Spanish-speaking counselor at the Christian Center of Park City.

"I have always enjoyed the Spanish language and culture, so I loved the work that I did [in Mexico] with the kids and my co-workers," Camp said. "It was an orphanage that had a school for kids with learning disabilities, and it was great to be able to use my Spanish and make a difference in the world."

She is currently working with a supervisor out of Salt Lake City, a licensed psychologist, Joshua Clauson, in order to become a licensed clinical psychologist in the spring. Until then, she is working at the Christian Center to help those who speak only Spanish.

Camp works one job in emergency assistance on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but also works by appointment in the counseling center. Those who need mental health services can set up an appointment for whenever they are available, and she said she will be there.

For those worried about the cost, Camp said financial assistance is available. "All they need to do is contact me here, sit down and talk with me, and we can determine how much scholarship money they will need," she said. Camp said she does not accept insurance yet, but other English-speaking counselors do. There is also no requirement of documentation.

While Camp is not the only Spanish-speaking counselor in town Valley Mental Health also has Spanish-speaking clinicians she said she feels that the Latino community may feel safer going to a Christian-affiliated organization than someplace secular.

"The Christian Center has history in the community, and we are here to try and meet their needs, regardless of their background," Camp said. "We have the food pantry, the thrift store, emergency assistance with bills on a limited basis and mental health services, so we are thinking about how we can really reach out to people to help them through hard times with not just food but other things as well."

Latino families, she said, usually try their best to handle problems within the family, but she said she is available for those who need that little bit of extra help to manage the "stressors of life" while raising children in Park City. She said she understands counseling can be intimidating to think about but can be extremely beneficial.

"I feel that being able to speak multiple languages allows you to reach and help more people," Camp said. "I just happen to speak Spanish, and I have really enjoyed being able to use it to help the Latinos in the communities I live and work in."

For more information or to set up an appointment with Claire Camp, psychological resident, call 435-649-2260 extension 11.

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