Thank you!
A demo of how your generous hearts bring hope and healing:
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(two minute video)
Executive Director Jim Hayes demos biofeedback therapy -- with thanks to our awesome donors -- with two C.O.O.L. counselors, Danielle Lloyd, tLMFT, and Alicia Krpan, LMHC
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"Children are our greatest resource."
The Viking Foundation is guided by a set of core values including "Young people are the world's greatest resource." We see that value come alive with the resources made available to help children heal from abuse and trauma, and learn to manage their depression, anxiety and other life challenges.
READ MORE. |
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Thank you to the BWA Foundation!
Dr. Shannon Welch-Groves (photo), licensed pediatric psychologist at the Center,
is pictured here with some of the games and activities that the C.O.O.L. (Children Overcoming the Obstacles in Life) counselors purchased with BWA Foundation funds to enhance their therapy plans with children and families.
Some of the materials are used during therapy sessions, and some are lent to families to take home and play together, so they can learn as a family unit how to cope with depression, anxiety and other diagnoses. The games and activities help the children to calm their mind, and they also give the parents the tools to know how to help their children.
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Thank you to our generous donors
for making this service and training possible:
Offering high quality counseling at a low-cost, with no waiting list
The Center's fantastic graduate students increase our capacity to offer high quality, low cost counseling -- with the bonus of no waiting list. To schedule with Emily Yen or Erin Moskal, please indicate on the intake form that you would like to meet with Emily or Erin.
- Schedule with Emily or Erin via online intake form:
https://lnkd.in/emKXJvE
- Learn more about Emily and Erin's robust training and supervision: https://lnkd.in/egKetMJ
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Thank you to our wonderful volunteers including our guest blogger, Billie Wade:
Billie's Blog: Reflection, Introspection, and Moving On
By Billie Wade, guest writer and PrairieFire graduate
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Click image to read more |
"Intentions require thoughtfulness born of reflection and introspection. We take a realistic view of our intention. We think about its importance. We consider our time, ability, equipment, fortitude, stick-to-itiveness, resources, and support. We see the importance of a plan. Intentions differ from resolutions in that they well up from deep within us and offer us flexibility. Intentions afford us the freedom to modify our course if necessary..." READ MORE
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Professional development for clinicians:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Certification
Training for Licensed Clinicians
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Click image to learn more.
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Begins January 14th: The EMDRIA Certification process allows for a clinician to develop a more in-depth understanding of EMDR, case conceptualization, treatment planning and the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model. Through an additional 10 hours of Group Consultation and 10 hours of Individual Consultation, the clinician masters the 8 phases of EMDR treatment and the standard protocol. In a supportive environment, cases are presented, leading to rich dialogue and learning of this often complex therapy....LEARN MORE.
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Professional development for clinicians:
LGBTQAI+ Affirming Counseling Course
For clinicians and clinical students
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Click image to read more |
This course is for clinicians and pastoral counselors who seek to more effectively assess the mental health treatment needs of and provide counseling to child, adolescent and adult clients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, asexual, agender, intersex, and/or identify with other gender nonconforming and sexual minority identities (LGBTQAI+)... READ MORE
Fridays, January 3 - March 27, 2020 / 8:15-9:45AM
Attend in person or online via Zoom platform
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction - MBSR™
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| Allison Peet - Qualified Brown University MBSR Instructor |
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MBSR™ is an 8-week intensive course, backed by 40 years of research, proven to reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety. Utilizing curriculum developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD at UMASS Center for Mindfulness, this non-clinical (i.e. not group therapy) course is designed to teach mind-body awareness, recognize and put to use our inner psychological resources to respond to toxic stress.
READ MORE.
Space is limited and classes are filling up! Register now to reserve your spot.
Begins February 3
Mondays:
Morning or Afternoon
9:00 - 11:30 a.m. or 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.
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Two Open Houses for Potential PrairieFire Students
Hosted by Diane McClanahan, M.Div., B.S.N.
Thursday, January 9 and Tuesday, March 3, 2020
6:00 - 7:30PM
What is PrairieFire?
PrairieFire is an invitation to a deeper spiritual life, an invitation to set time aside for renewing of self and awakening of soul. It is an opportunity for education and mutual guidance and support in developing spiritual awareness and life-sustaining spiritual practices.
If you're curious about what PrairieFire program is all about, please consider attending an open house with PrairieFire staff alongside current and past participants. We encourage those who are interested in applying to attend this opportunity. The 2020 class will start in September 2020. We invite you to consider if this program is right for you. You may also contact Diane McClanahan, the Center's Director of Leadership and Spiritual Life and co-director of PraireFire, to discuss your discernment process: [email protected], tel: 515-251-6667.
Please RSVP:
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Accepting Applications
Applications for the 2020 class will be accepted beginning on
January 1, 2020
PrairieFire is an invitation to a deeper spiritual life, an invitation to set time aside for renewing of self and awakening of soul. It is an opportunity for education and mutual guidance and support in developing spiritual awareness and life-sustaining spiritual practices....
READ MORE
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click image for more information |
Thank you to our generous donors for making this service available for the community at no cost.
Support group for survivors of suicide loss
The group meets every third Tuesday of the month and is facilitated by two professional counselors from the Center. All are welcome.
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Thank you to our generous WHW volunteers and supporters!
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click image for more information
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Mental Health First Aid
Learning Opportunity
This class teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
Classes coming up in January and April 2020.
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More classes and groups at the Center:
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Support hope and healing through your IRA
If you are 70½ or older you may also be interested in a way to lower the income and taxes from your IRA withdrawals. An IRA charitable rollover is a way you can help make an impact in your community and benefit this year.
Benefits of an IRA charitable rollover:
- Avoid taxes on transfers of up to $100,000 from your IRA to the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center
- Satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year
- Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions
- Make a gift that is not subject to the 50% deduction limits on charitable gifts
- Help further the work and mission of the organizations that are important to you
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Thank you to our board and staff!
We are pleased and proud that 100 percent our
board and staff gave above and beyond to the Center's mission in 2019. Thank you!
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We are now happy and proud to be listed on GIVEdsm, a community-wide platform that highlights Central Iowa charities! We are proud to be included in such a caring and generous city.
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The Center is hiring!
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| Click image for more information |
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How to schedule a counseling appointment
To better serve our clients, we've added a new, secure online intake form.
The first step in scheduling an appointment is to help us understand your concerns by completing this brief form.
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click image to access report |
2018 Annual Report
We gratefully acknowledge and thank all who so kindly contributed to the Center in 2018. This generosity brings hope and healing to children, teens and adults in need of high quality mental health services.
2018 service highlights include:
- 24,000 sessions of counseling, psychiatry or psychological testing
- 651 children and adolescents plus their families served through C.O.O.L.™ (Children Overcoming the Obstacles in Life™)
- 50 percent of presenting concerns include depression and anxiety
- 1,164 hours of MBSR™ (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction™) classes
- 55 participants in PrairieFire™ renewal program
- 753 hours of ASIST™ (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training)
- 40 percent of clients access services through subsidies, thanks to generous community donors
- 714 faith leaders participated in Clergy Boundary Trainings™
- and more!
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Mission: We walk with people through counseling and education to find hope and healing, and live a fulfilling life.
Vision: The Center will be recognized as the welcoming place for those seeking inspiration, hope, and healing of mind, body, and spirit.
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Key services:
Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization
serving more than 5,000 individuals annually including children, adolescents, adults, couples and families through 30 multidisciplinary clinicians.
Although best known for its 47 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
- Psychiatry (medication management)
- Biofeedback therapy, Healing Touch and other holistic approaches
- Training for clinical professionals
- Leadership and spiritual life programming
- Career Coaching
- Conflict transformation and strategic planning services for congregations, nonprofits and businesses
- And so much more!
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| 2019 staff baby shower #1 |
Happy holidays dear ones!
This issue of our newsletter is a "thank you" issue. Everything we do here at the Center comes with thanks to so much generosity in the community. That's probably one reason why our monthly newsletter gets so long -- there are so many thanks to give.
I wanted to give a special shout out to our staff -- who not only give at 100 percent above and beyond their daily duties -- but also seek to create a supportive workplace for one another, so we can all be at optimal for our clients. For example, this year we had
two baby showers for two of our clinicians.
We hope this joy radiates to all who come to us for help, and to all who join us in supporting the mission of hope and healing.
In gratitude,
Terri Mork Speirs, she/hers
Director of Community Relations
Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center
515-251-6670
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