Run a free full auditStronghold Counseling Services is a mental health service in Sioux Falls, SD. The practice provides counseling for individuals, couples, and families, addressing challenges such as addiction, marital difficulties, parenting struggles, grief, and general mental health issues. Founded in 1993 by J.C. Chambers, Ed.D., and Marlene Ruff, M.A., the organization combines clinical excellence with a faith-based approach, aiming to offer hope and healing to those experiencing emotional distress. The Sioux Falls location offers services both in office and via Telehealth through Zoom. The practice holds a rating of 3.50 based on 32 reviews.
The counseling team includes licensed professionals such as Larry Dancler, MS; Nick Buus, MA; Jennifer Baehler, MS; Ellie Larsen, MA; Paul Wurth, MS; Laura Garmatz, MS; Ryan Folk, MA; Bethany Handsacker, MA; Sara Wurgler, MA; Lizzie Miller, MMFT; and Erin Blouin, MA. The staff is trained to provide a judgment-free environment where clients can openly discuss their struggles without fear of repercussions. The practice emphasizes listening with patience and compassion, seeking to earn the trust of clients who may be hiding painful experiences or feelings of shame. Services are designed to address the whole person, integrating spiritual elements with clinical care.
Stronghold Counseling Services maintains a steady record of repeat and referred customers, reflecting the trust built with the Sioux Falls community over decades. The practice accepts most insurance plans and provides assistance with insurance and cost questions during the initial contact. Clients are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes early for their first appointment to complete new client paperwork, which can also be prepared in advance and emailed to the office.
By combining experienced clinical staff with a compassionate, non-judgmental approach, Stronghold Counseling Services offers a supportive resource for residents of Sioux Falls seeking help with life’s difficult challenges.
The practice is situated on S Louise Ave, just steps from the main road of South Louise Avenue and about a tenth of a mile from West 49th Street. Nearby landmarks include the Caille Branch Library half a mile away and Martini's Casino & Lounge roughly four tenths of a mile distant.
BizScoreAI gave the website a Technical score of 92 out of 100, ensuring the site is secure and readable for search engines without errors. The Discoverability score is 75 out of 100, which allows AI crawlers to find every page and serves as the first step for AI assistants to recommend the business.
BizScoreAI scanned the website strongholdcounseling.com on June 4, 2026. Stronghold Counseling Services has a BizScore of 45 out of 100. The website audit behind the SEO score ran on October 24, 2026.
AI visibility scan by category: AI Discovery 10 of 25 points, Structured Data 0 of 25 points, Content Readiness 8 of 30 points, AI Trust Signals 8 of 20 points.
Website audit sub-scores (out of 100): On-Page 64, Technical 48, Performance 78, Content 55.
Strengths: 4 checks passed. AI Crawler Access, AI Content Blocking, About/Team Page, XML Sitemap.
Areas to improve: 8 checks. llms.txt (failed), FAQPage Schema (failed), Q&A Content (failed), Meta Description (failed), Organization Schema (warning), Speakable Schema (warning), Weak Heading Structure (warning), Author Signals (warning).
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