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Mind & Spirit Counseling Center Blog
Welcome to the Mind & Spirit Counseling Center blog, your go-to destination for insightful and supportive content on mental health and well-being. Our posts are dedicated to exploring a wide range of topics, from practical strategies for managing stress and anxiety to the latest research on emotional wellness, or updates about what is going on at the Center to an inviting message from our Executive Director, Jim Hayes. Whether you’re seeking guidance on personal growth, tips for maintaining a balanced lifestyle, or information on the benefits of therapy, the Center aims to provide valuable resources and thought-provoking articles to support your journey towards a healthier, more fulfilled life.
The Center Blog
Billie’s Blog: Independent or Emancipated?
Fifteen days separate June 19th from July 4th on the calendar. The significant events of these two dates, July 4, 1776, and June 19, 1865, took place eighty-eight years, eleven months, and fifteen days apart. July 4th was hailed as Independence Day. June 19th was dubbed Emancipation Day, also known as Juneteenth. The two terms…
The Evolution of Mind & Spirit Counseling Center’s Pollinator Garden
Lois Crilly, Volunteer Gardener It started in August 2018. My best friend, Sally Wood, was serving on the Board of Directors at the formerly-named Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center and asked me to meet the new Executive Director, Jim Hayes, to discuss whether I might be interested in maintaining the Center’s four garden beds. Jim…
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Jim’s Blog: Solstice Spirituality
Jim Hayes, Executive Director So many of our holidays come from changing of the seasons. Consider Christmas, which often falls near the winter solstice. Nature often helps us to make sense of what is happening in our world, as well as in our bodies, minds and spirits. One discovers acknowledgement of such insight in the…
Walking Beside Children & Families: A Therapist’s Reflection on Hope & Healing
Written by Elizabeth Moreno, Licensed Independent Social Worker Over the last 10 years, I have had the privilege of walking side by side with hundreds of kiddos and families as they navigate their child’s mental health. Over the years, I have learned the importance of including the family unit in helpful and healthy changes to…
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Women Helping Women 2025 Ignites Community & Connection With Over $234,000 Raised to Support Mental Health Services in Central Iowa
Nearly 600 attendees joined the Center’s 27th annual Women Helping Women event on May 2, 2025, raising over $234,000 to support vital mental health counseling, education, training and services for underinsured women, children and families in need. This year’s luncheon offered guests the first experience of a panelist discussion in the history of Women Helping…
2025 Women Helping Women Donors and Sponsors
Thank you to our generous sponsors and donors who helped the 27th Annual Women Helping Women event raise over $234,000! Your contribution ensures mental health services for women, children and families who are uninsured or underinsured.
Billie’s Blog: Let’s Talk About Mental Health
Mind and Spirit Counseling Center hosted the 27th Annual Women Helping Women luncheon on Friday, May 2, at Prairie Meadows. Nearly 600 attendees were treated to a delicious lunch while honoring community leader Mary Gottschalk. Women Helping Women began in 1999 with a mission to support women and girls who lack financial resources to access…
Reclaim Your Mind: Setting Healthy Boundaries with Social Media
Did you know the average person spends over 2.5 hours a day on social media—and teens can spend even more? According to the Pew Research Center, 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and nearly 1 in 2 say they’re online “almost constantly.” While these tools can foster connection, the mental health cost is…
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Art in Therapy: A Powerful Medium for Expression, Exploration, and Healing
Written by Sierra Lauber, PhD, Postdoctoral Psychologist Art has a unique ability to reach parts of ourselves that words often cannot. Art in therapy can serve as a powerful medium for expression, exploration, and healing. For clients across the lifespan, art can facilitate a new way of seeing emotions or past experiences, and may help…
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Billie’s Blog: The Antiracism Book Club Explained
You may have considered joining the Center’s Antiracism Book Group announced in the newsletter, but you have some questions and do not know whom to ask. May this month’s post be useful. According to Statista, in 2020, of the 1,020 people killed by police officers, 243 were Black. These numbers included Breonna Taylor, murdered on…
