As a leader in behavioral health services and clinical development, we promote hope, healing, and positive change for children, adults, and families across New Mexico. Founded by Dr. Craig Pierce in 2004 to provide individualized behavioral health services for clients and their families, our agency has emphasized best-practice standards, collaboration between service providers, and evidence-based practices since its inception.
Programs & Services
Individual & Family Therapy
Southwest Family Guidance Center is a certified Treat First Center. When people are in distress, long background interviews and exhaustive intake paperwork can become a barrier to support.
C.C.S.S.
Comprehensive Community Support Services provide support for individuals and families facing non-clinical challenges that hinder recovery. Community Support Workers help clients develop life skills and access resources in areas like independent living, learning, working, socializing, and recreation, throughout New Mexico.
Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
Also known as Home Based Therapy, the major goal of MST is to give parents the skills and resources needed to address the difficulties that arise in raising youth with delinquent behaviors.
Problem Sexual Behavior (PSB)
Multisystemic Therapy For Youth With Problem Sexual Behaviors (MST-PSB) is a clinical adaptation of MST that has been specifically designed to treat youth and their families coping with problem sexual behavior
Thriving Kids™
An intensive parenting curriculum designed to improve overall family health and success. The Southwest Family Guidance Center presents the program and is trauma and developmentally-informed. Much of the program is based on the latest research and work in Interpersonal Neurobiology.
Fostering Family
This program supports relatives, friends, or tribal members who are raising children because their parents are unable or unwilling. It provides resources, education, benefits access, and therapeutic services to help these families thrive and reduce the impact of childhood trauma.
Infant Mental Health
This program offers specialized therapeutic support for children aged 0-5 who have experienced trauma, such as abuse, violence, or loss. Through child-parent psychotherapy, the program aims to improve the child's and parent's emotional well-being, behavior, and stress responses.
7 Challenges
This evidence-based therapy program is based in Las Cruces and designed for adolescents aged 13-17 struggling with substance use. The program engages both the individual and their family, focusing on improving communication, life skills, and family dynamics to support a drug-free lifestyle.
School-Based Therapy
Southwest Family Guidance Center & Institute is contracted with Albuquerque & Las Cruces Public Schools to provide therapy services to Medicaid-eligible students in the school setting.
Suicide Assessments
Through a contract with the Albuquerque and Las Cruces Public Schools, Southwest Family Guidance Center & Institute provides same-day suicide risk assessments to all students in the district who have made any statement or gesture, written and/or verbal, indicating suicidal ideation.
Internship Program
Southwest Family Guidance Center offers an internship program for Master’s level graduate students in counseling and social work. Our internship program is available in our Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe offices.
Professional Development & Training
We conduct regular trainings on various topics, including specific treatment modalities, interventions for particular mental health issues, best-practice standards for treating specific diagnoses, and ethical considerations in mental health. Participants in these trainings can NBCC certified CE hours.
Project Thrive
An evidence-based initiative designed to empower adults—educators, clinicians, caregivers, and community leaders—with the tools to build resilience, model well-being, and foster positive development in children and youth.