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E-Connect Newsletter / 9.14.17
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 Whistle while you work
I recently found myself whistling while walking the halls of the Center. Apparently I have something in common with Snow White and her seven colleagues-whistling while I work.
The genesis of this joy had nothing to do with a recent viewing of the Disney film, but attendance at a strategic planning meeting. Yes, you read that right, a strategic planning meeting inspired joyful whistling.
Why, you ask?
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Trauma Sensitive Yoga
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Instructor: Kathe Irvine, L.M.S.W. and trained trauma sensitive yoga provider
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$75 for a four week class Thursdays October 19 and 26, November 2 and 9, 2017
How to register:
Scholarships:
Scholarships are available, please talk with your counselor or contact the instructor directly through email or by phone.
Time: 5:15 - 6:15 p.m.
Location: Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center, 8553 Urbandale Avenue, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
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Scott Young, Ph.D.
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Men, boys and mental health :: Blog post 3
Suicide prevention and awareness
By Dr. Scott Young, licensed psychologist at the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center
(September 2017) Hi All! For our blog topic this month, I want to open a discussion about a tough topic. September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and while this is an important topic for us all to consider, it is especially important to open a dialogue with boys and men about suicide.
For various reasons, we know from the Center for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) that girls and women are far more likely (3x) to ATTEMPT suicide during the course of their lives; however, we also know that boys and men are far more likely to COMPLETE suicide (3.5-4x) than girls and women.
The above statistics make a chill run down my spine, and are very sobering. They also highlight some opportunities for all of us, male and female, to examine how we can play a part in changing the lives those statistics represent.
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Support group for survivors of suicide loss.
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Click image for more information |
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Billie Wade, writer
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Let's talk about grief
special to the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center
by Billie Wade, writer
Grief, despite its proliferation in human life, is a taboo subject. We don't like to see other people hurting, so we ply each other with platitudes of hope. Grief has a bad reputation, at least when it lasts more than a predetermined period. We appear strong as we handle the whirlwind of initial responsibilities. After that, we're expected to bounce back, buck up, get over it, and get on with our life. Bereaved people are perceived to be in a state of weakness.
Billie Wade is a gregarious introvert whose primary interests are writing, lifelong learning, personal development, and how we all are affected by life's vagaries. Issues facing black people, women, the LGBTQ community, and aging adults are of particular concern to her. She enjoys open-hearted dialogue with diverse people. The opinions expressed here are her own.
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Interfaith Spiritual Direction Group
We are pleased of offer a new spiritual direction group. A spiritual direction group provides privileged time and space to reflect with one another about our spiritual lives and practice the art of sacred listening. In this group we will reflect together about the intersection of social justice and spirituality.
Dates:
Mondays, October 9, 16, & 23, 2017
Time: 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Cost: $100 for the series
Location: Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center, 8553 Urbandale Ave, Urbandale, Iowa
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Depression and anxiety are serious. And they are treatable. Let us help you.
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click image for more information and a printer friendly file |
Free, high quality mental health counseling
Thanks to tremendous donor support, the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center is accepting referrals for Wednesday appointments at our new urban outreach center for eligible children, adolescents, adults and families who need mental health counseling and do not have the resources to cover the costs.
For initial intake session, please contact Nathan DeLange, L.I.S.W., at 515-577-0190. Feel free to share this information. (To schedule an appointment at the Center's home location, please call 515-274-4006 or email
[email protected].)
Please share!
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Volunteers needed!
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click for more information
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You can be a voice for understanding, hope and healing by serving as a Social Media Ambassador for the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center. While it's true that social media can be used in negative ways, it is also true that it can be a powerful tool for the greater good. We choose to use it for the greater good, and we invite you to join us.
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Please help us welcome Jake F. Li, L.I.S.W.
specializing in helping veterans and their families
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Jake F. Li, L.I.S.W.
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We are thrilled to announce a new member of the Center's counseling team.
Jake F. Li, L.I.S.W., is a licensed independent social worker and holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan. Jake provides therapy for adults and couples. He specializes in treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and mood disorders, and adjustment disorders.
As a 24-year Air Force Veteran, Jake has interest in working with military members and their families with transition challenges and coping with the long-term effects of military service. He is also interested in working with people experiencing life transition issues, including those related to school, relationship and family stressors, as well as sexual and gender identity. Jake is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and a life-member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
When not at work, Jake can be found in a mountain of books; currently pursuing his PhD, or relaxing with video games.
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Rising Strong: Cultivating a Spiritual Practice with Courage, Creativity and Compassion
one day workshop based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown
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Click image for more information |
Rising Strong™ is a one-day workshop based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown. The simple physics of vulnerability is if we are brave enough, often enough, we will fall. This workshop is about what it takes to get back up and how owning our stories of struggle give us the power to write a brave new ending. Struggle can be our greatest call to courage and the clearest path to a wholehearted life.
- CEUs for counselors and clergy available. Others please inquire.
- Thursday, October 26, 2017 / 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Facilitated by two Daring Way certified instructors
- Register here: www.dmpcc.org/rising
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With tremendous gratitude to our donors, we're pleased to present the 2016 annual report
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To launch a PDF of the report, click image
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Hard copies of the 2016 annual report are available at the Center, at the front desk and in the waiting rooms. If you would like a hard copy to be postal mailed to you, please contact Zeb at
[email protected].
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Just $10 per month helps others all year long.
Please consider a recurring donation to help others access quality mental health services. As a nonprofit provider of services, we are committed to serving people in need including those who are underinsured or uninsured. We appreciate your support.
- $10 per month helps a child distressed by domestic violence.
- $25 per month helps a family relate to a loved one who suffers addiction.
- $50 per month helps parents who grieve the death of their son or daughter.
- $100 per month helps an adolescent who is bullied at school.
- $250 per month helps a veteran who considers suicide.
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Let's get social!
To receive updates on the Center's programs and services as they are announced, and to learn more about our mission, please follow us on social media. We appreciate your help in sharing news with your friends!
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MBSR™ Intensive Mindfulness Training
The Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center is pleased to offer MBSR™ Intensive Mindfulness Training, an 8-week course that is backed by 37 years of research, proven to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety. Utilizing curriculum developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, the course is designed to teach mind-body awareness and work with the effects of toxic stress. Learn to tap into your inner resources and discover the healing power of mindfulness through MBSR™.
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Sign up for the Center's Leadership and Spiritual Life program newsletter
Did you know the Center has a second newsletter?
In addition to this newsletter which focuses on clinical aspects of the Center's mission, we also issue monthly news on topics related to the Center's Leadership and Spiritual Life programs -- communicating additional opportunities for learning and growth including professional development choices for clergy and congregational leaders.
Sign up to receive the Center's monthly Leadership and Spiritual Life newsletter:
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 What is pastoral counseling?
The Pastoral in our name is the traditional name for counseling that integrates therapy with a client's values and/or faith. It also refers to how Center counselors respectfully accompany their clients through the transitions and crises of life's journey. Center counselors seek to offer healing for the whole person and see each dimension - body, mind, and spirit - as worthy of care.
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Our mission is to bring understanding, hope and healing to people of all ages through counseling and education.
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Our key services:
Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center is a nonprofit organization
serving more than 3,700 individuals in 2016 including children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. The Center is not aligned with a particular religious group and respects the values of all.
Although best known for its 45 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
- Psychiatry (medication management)
- Psychological testing and assessment
- Training for clinical professionals
- Biofeedback therapy and other holistic approaches
- Spiritual direction
- Community education including suicide prevention training
- Leadership and spiritual life programming
- Career coaching
- Conflict transformation and strategic planning services for congregations, nonprofits and businesses
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In gratitude,
Terri Mork Speirs
Director of Development and Communication
Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center
515-251-6670
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