IAMA Institute for Healing and Restoration, Inc.,
Washington, DC

In 1996, IAMA Institute for Healing and Restoration, Inc. was established as a non-profit affiliate of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, DC where Dr. H. Beecher Hicks, Jr. serves as Senior Minister. The IAMA Institute provides biblically based confidential counseling services, assessments and evaluations, consultations, and community based workshops and seminars. IAMA is the New Testament word for the gift of healing that appears in 1 Corinthians 12:9 and reflects the institute’s commitment to an integration of theology and psychology that facilitates holistic clinical intervention in matters concerning individuals, couples, families and communities. Christ has promised us life more abundantly and IAMA gives priority to helping families and communities experience the joy of emotional and psychological healing as well as spiritual formation and restoration. 

IAMA Institute operates on the belief that in Christ there is hope for every crisis and every experience of the human dilemma, and that God has provided the resources and tools for our growth and development. Among these tools are the services of Christian psychologists, social workers, family therapists, and other related disciplines to guide families and communities into better emotional and spiritual health. IAMA addresses the issues of marital conflicts, stress, depression, anxiety, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and substance abuse relapse and recovery. 

One area of focus for the IAMA Institute is the effect of chronic unemployment on mental health, particularly as it relates to the use of chemical substances as a way of managing stress and anxiety.  Unemployment and poverty impact a person’s emotional and mental health in numerous ways that affect the individual’s social and occupational functioning. Often these emotional and mental health concerns are evident in the lives of members of the church, impacting the well-being of the life of the congregation, examples include:  poor attendance, inability to follow through on ministry assignments, family difficulties, and reduced financial support.  

IAMA’s clinical services are available to a diverse population in the metropolitan Washington, DC area.  Clients are referred from local churches, parachurch organizations, word of mouth, and the internet. IAMA has a standard fee per session. However, for those who cannot afford the fee or who need only short term prayer or spiritual support, referrals are made to a cadre of licensed and/or ordained Associate Ministers who have been extensively trained in paraprofessional counseling.  

Contact point: 

Dr. Sherrill McMillan
IAMA Institute, Inc.
Phone: (202) 238-0465
E-mail: mbccounsel@aol.com