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E-Connect Newsletter / 9.14.16
Health Tip - Five ways to help children cope with anxiety

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Shannon Welch-Grove, Psy. D. 
By Shannon Welch-Groves, Psy.D., licensed psychologist at the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center

It's back to school time and for some children that means increased anxiety. Academics, sports, family circumstances and social events create pressures that may feel overwhelming for children of all ages. As a parent you can't protect your child from all worries but you can help them develop skills to cope. There are many ways including the following:

1.  Listen to your child. Taking the time to listen to your child calmly and genuinely without judgment can be empowering and helpful for children coping with stress.

2.  Model healthy coping skills such as exercise, deep breathing, yoga or just slowing down from a busy schedule.

3.  Help children name their feelings. When children have the words to express their feelings many times they will not need to act out in an unhealthy way.

4. Strive for good sleep schedules and healthy eating habits.  

5. Limit media and video game time. Be cautious of too many after school activities to allow children enough time for play and school work.

The Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center provides quality mental health counseling and education for children, adolescents, adults, couples and families through 26 licensed clinicians. The Center has developed a unique approach to treating children and adolescents. We call our practice COOL which is short for "Children Overcoming the Obstacles of Life." COOL is an experiential approach to counseling. For more information: www.dmpcc.org/COOL. 

This health tip originally appeared in the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce monthly newsletter.
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Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center earns accreditation renewal

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"I am so proud of our clinicians and staff for their excellence that makes it possible for us to earn this accreditation, and to serve the community through quality counseling and education," said Ellery Duke, executive director of the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling. "I am also grateful to our capable board of directors, generous base of support and clients who entrust us with their concerns. This is a team effort."

Welcome 2016/17 graduate practicum students


We welcome two new and one returning graduate counseling student to the Center, to complete their graduate practicum requirement for their respective academic programs. 

Our graduate practicum students are:
  • Alicia Krpan (photo right), from the University of Calgary, specializes in counseling children, families and adults, and can provide services in both Spanish and English language. 
  • Chris Ogle (photo center), from the University of Iowa, specializes in counseling adults for substance abuse issues and trauma. 
  • Caitlin Anderson (photo left), from Iowa State, specializes in treating sports and performance anxiety, utilizing biofeedback techniques.
The Center's Graduate Psychology Training Program was founded in 1980 by Jeff Means, Ph.D., and has helped prepare more than 100 counselors over the years. The program is directed by Christine Deitz, Ph.D., L.I.S.W., pictured below teaching the first didactic course of the year: Introduction to Trauma Sensitive Practice. For more information:  http://dmpcc.org/our-services/clinical-education-training/


Spanish-speaking counseling services available

The Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center is pleased to offer Spanish-speaking counseling services with thanks to Alicia Krpan, one of our three graduate practicum students for 2016-2017. (See segment above.) Alicia specializes in providing counseling services to children and families, and also serves adults. To schedule an appointment with Alicia, please call the Center's intake specialist, Carol, at 515-274-4006.
Learn Youth Mental Health First Aid

Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016 /  8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Grand View University Student Center
1200 Grandview Ave
Des Moines, IA

Presented by the  Central Iowa Symposium on Youth Suicide Prevention and Mental Health

Wisdom Stories: A Class for Elders-in-Training

Christine Dietz, Ph.D. ,
 L.I.S.W.

Have you ever thought about writing your personal story? Perhaps as a process of gaining greater clarity, leaving a legacy for family members or making connections with friends and peers?This six-week class will explore the process of personal autobiography. Through writing prompts, creativity exercises and personal sharing, we will discover together the wisdom that may be found in our own life experience. This class is part of the Redefining Aging initiative of the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center. 

DATES:  Mondays, October 31 - December 5, 2016
TIME:  10:30 a.m. - Noon
COST:  $150 for the six week series
LOCATION:  Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center, 8553 Urbandale Ave/Urbandale, IA 50322

FACILITATOR: Christine Dietz, Ph.D., L.I.S.W., D.Min. candidate is the Director of Clinical Training, as well as a therapist, teacher and spiritual director at Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center. She is particularly interested in how we define ourselves and grow through our stories.
For more information and a printer-friendly flyer, click here:  www.dmpcc.org/wisdom
A Spirituality of Being Mortal, a four week class

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A Spirituality of Being Mortal will explore many of the themes brought up in the Redefining Aging Conversations, including living meaningful and purposeful lives, the continuing process of human growth, fearlessly looking at mortality while we are living the fullest possible lives, being creators of new opportunities, and valuing our roles as contributors to the well-being of our families, communities, and this good earth.

    • Thursdays, October 6th and 20th, November 3rd and 17th, 2016
    • 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
    • $150 for the series
Facilitator:  Kathy Reardon, RN, MS, is a Spiritual Director and Holistic Nurse at Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center. She uses holistic approaches to help her clients grow in self-responsibility, empowered well-being and wholeness.
register now
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Our mission is to bring understanding, hope and healing to people of all ages through counseling and education.
Our key services:  

Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization  serving more than 4,000 individuals annually including children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. Although best known for its 44 years of quality, professional mental health therapy, the Center is a multi-faceted organization providing a range of services:
  • Counseling, including specialized services for children and adolescents
  • Psychological testing and assessment
  • Psychiatric consultation and care
  • Training for clinical professionals
  • Leadership and spiritual life programming 
  • Career Coaching
  • Conflict transformation and strategic planning services for congregations, nonprofits and businesses
 www.dmpcc.org   / 515-274-4006
September 14, 2016

Dear Reader, 

Thank you for your interest in the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center, and congratulations for making it all the way to the bottom of this very long newsletter. Believe it or not, this could have easily been even longer. There is a lot of news around here!

I can't close without telling you about something amazing that has been happening at the Center.  If you come by, you might see one of many clear jars setting upon desks and counter tops throughout the building. Some staff have taken it upon themselves to address the world monarch shortage one pupa at a time. They are rescuing vulnerable caterpillars that do not have access to milkweed and incubating in clear jars. Thus, staff and clients are literally watching butterflies evolve, emerge and fly away -- as we move through our daily routines.

This jar shows two stages, a green pupa to the left and a freshly emerged monarch on the right. All in a days work?

Where to start with the symbolism? Hope. Growth. Wings.  Change.  Newness. Beauty.   Renewal.   Transition. Opportunity. 

The next stage. 

Something's in the air. 

Control is an illusion. 

And yet on some level it's not really about the symbolism. It's about a simple delight in the mysteries of nature. It feels like an enormous privilege to witness a desktop birth while working down a task list of daily duties. I'll leave you with a short video of one of our monarch releases:
 

In gratitude,

Terri Speirs
Director of Marketing and Communications
Interim Director of Development
Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center
515-251-6670