Billie’s Blog: The Beauty of Fall

Rachel Vespa on September 14, 2026

Fall, my other favorite season, is like its early-year counterpart, but not quite. While spring is about opening and blossoming, fall is about resting and a different transformation. Ushered in by the last hot days of summer, fall signals decreasing temperatures—there is a crispness in the air even before the need for sweatshirts moves in.

We often think of fall in terms of trees shedding their leaves, carving pumpkins, and apple cider. There is so much more to this delightful time of year. We can spend our time as actively or as restfully as we need. Fun fact: The natural world is quite busy.

When the tree no longer produces green chlorophyl, bright colors emerge. The colors of fall—red, gold, yellow, orange, brown—show off in stunning vividness. Those colors were hiding all along under the green. Leaves flutter silently to the earth, then crunch as we shuffle through them. I live across the street from a flood control berm topped with a stand of mature trees. The tops of some trees are turning colors while the rest of the tree remains green. I do not recall seeing that before this year. In other areas, some trees are dropping their leaves.

Even wildlife and the rest of the natural world transform during fall. Spiders loom larger than normal and build bigger, more dense webs closer to the ground, and Canada geese fly in their precise, needle-point formations. As seeds harden in fields and gardens, field mice alter their foraging patterns.

A host of species migrate every fall. Monarch butterflies fly up to three thousand miles one way from their homes east of the Rocky Mountains to Central Mexico. None of the butterflies survive the entire trip. It takes several generations to make the round trip. Hummingbirds migrate a few hundred miles to three thousand nine hundred miles one-way, depending on their species. Canada geese migrate zero to three thousand miles depending on their proximity to open water and food.

Many people also take up residence in warmer climes during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter months. Most are in their winter homes from December through March or April. Some have winter homes in the southern United States or Mexico, or other countries.

El Niño is an irregular climate phenomenon characterized by unusually warm central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures. This year, NOAA’s* CPC** has predicted “greater than 90% chance” the event will be very strong. That means the Midwest could experience a milder than usual winter with less snow overall and fewer extreme cold episodes.

The fall equinox, this year on September 22, 7:05 p.m. CDT, is celebrated around the world. The Earth is tilted neither towards nor away from the sun, so the Sun is directly over the Earth’s equator and day and night are roughly equal in the northern and southern hemispheres.

Fall can be a time of transformation for people, too. This can be a time of renewal, strength, and beauty as you release what no longer serves you or what is no longer necessary. You can create space for more meaning to enter your life. The slower pace helps soothe away the frenetic stress of summer and gives way to increased calmness and more balance. You may want this time to cocoon.

Fall is a great time to create an altar with your favorite objects, whether they represent your past adventures, current life, or dreams for the future. Some people use the peacefulness of fall to reexamine their life, their values, and what they want for themselves in the future. Perhaps this fall is a time for you to grieve a loss or to face a painful reality. Make sure you are gentle with yourself and ask for help. Journaling, especially introspective, reflective, and gratitude journaling, can be poignant and powerful. Writing about your values, principles, and who you want to be in the world can be quite empowering.

Your need may be to get away from it all and regroup after a summer of stress, whether getting away means leaving for another country, staying in a local hotel for a weekend of pampering, or your favorite spot at home.

You may prefer to strengthen your relationships with your family, friends, social circles, or faith community. Fall festivities could be more to your liking. Creatives experience a boon in the fall. Decorating, cooking, baking. Crafts and recipes all get a workout.

If fall is not your friend, myriad reasons may hinder, or even prevent, your joy and participation in the season’s wonders. Loneliness and isolation are common during this time of year. You may want to revisit my November 2025 article, 20 Ways to Ease Loneliness. (hyperlink, please). Again, please be gentle with yourself.

However you recognize and celebrate fall, may you find renewed energy to live your best life. Fall is a wonderful time to start.

* National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

** Climate Prediction Center (CPC)

Billie Wade, guest blog writer for Mind & Spirit Counseling Center

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.

Remembering Eileen Burtle: A Lasting Legacy of Compassion, Courage and Care

Rachel Vespa on August 31, 2026

Eileen Burtle

Mind & Spirit Counseling Center mourns the passing of Eileen Burtle, who died on July 30, 2026. One of the Center’s earliest clinicians and a deeply influential member of our community, Eileen served the Center from 1981 until her retirement in 2013. She helped shape not only the care provided to clients, but also the mission and values that continue to guide us today.

Eileen joined what was then Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center during a formative time in its history. After completing additional clinical training at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas, she became part of a small and dedicated group of clinicians working to establish the Center as a trusted source of compassionate, professional mental health care.

As a counselor, supervisor and educator, Eileen’s influence extended far beyond her own clients. After becoming a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and obtaining her license as a mental health counselor, she supervised residents in the Center’s clinical training program and helped guide new therapists entering the profession. She also taught ethics, encouraging developing clinicians to approach their work with integrity, thoughtfulness and deep respect for every person who sought care.

Eileen was a steadfast advocate for the Center’s mission. Even during financially uncertain years, she believed strongly that high-quality mental health care should remain available to people regardless of their income. She championed the Center’s sliding-fee program and insisted that honorariums from community presentations be directed to the Counseling Assistance Fund—known today as the Client Assistance Fund—to help individuals and families afford care.

That commitment remains central to Mind & Spirit Counseling Center. Today, the Client Assistance Fund continues to ensure that cost does not interrupt someone’s opportunity to find hope and healing.

Eileen also understood the importance of bringing conversations about mental health beyond the counseling room. She helped develop presentations for churches and civic organizations and contributed to consultation services for congregations navigating staffing challenges and conflict. Shaped by an enduring faith and her early life as a Dominican Sister, Eileen became a trusted counselor to religious sisters, priests and members of the broader faith community.

Her influence is especially visible in one of the Center’s most enduring traditions: Women Helping Women.

Through her extensive relationships across the Des Moines and faith communities, Eileen played a leading role in planning the first Women Helping Women event, created to help women and girls afford counseling. She served as the keynote speaker at the inaugural gathering.

What began as a luncheon for contributors and community leaders has grown into an annual event welcoming more than 500 people and raising more than $2.7 million in support of accessible mental health care. Every person who has received assistance through Women Helping Women is part of Eileen’s remarkable legacy.

Eileen’s colleagues remember her not only for her professional contributions, but also for her warmth, confidence, loyalty and courage. She brought energy and connection to the Center’s early team. She cared deeply for her friends, remembered the people who entered her life and showed up for others during times of loss and transition. She respected tradition, but she was also willing to challenge it when her values—and the needs of others—called her to do so.

Her longtime colleague Dr. J. Jeffrey Means described Eileen as having “a backbone of steel,” as well as a gracious heart and spirit. She offered both strength and tenderness, qualities that shaped her relationships and her decades of service.

Eileen helped build the foundation upon which Mind & Spirit Counseling Center stands today. Her belief in accessible care lives on through our Client Assistance Fund. Her commitment to developing compassionate clinicians continues through our clinical training program. Her dedication to women and girls is carried forward each year through Women Helping Women. And her conviction that counseling should care for the whole person continues to influence how we walk alongside our clients.

We are profoundly grateful for Eileen’s 32 years of service and for the lives she touched as a clinician, teacher, supervisor, colleague and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to her family, loved ones, former clients and all who were fortunate enough to know her.

Eileen’s family has graciously designated Mind & Spirit Counseling Center to receive memorial gifts in her honor. These gifts will help ensure that individuals and families can continue to access compassionate mental health care, regardless of their ability to pay—a commitment Eileen championed throughout her years at the Center.

Those wishing to honor Eileen may make a memorial gift here or read her full obituary and learn more about her life here.

Eileen’s presence will be deeply missed, but the hope and healing she helped make possible will remain part of the Center for generations to come.

A Message from Our Executive Director

Rachel Vespa on February 9, 2026

Written by Amy Doyle, Executive Director

I’m so excited to officially join Mind & Spirit Counseling Center as Executive Director. My path here has been a winding one—but a well-tended one. I began my professional life as an attorney and spent nearly a decade in private practice and corporate law before realizing how deeply I value purpose-driven work. That realization led me into nonprofit leadership, where I spent the next ten years building and growing organizations in both nonprofit and for-profit spaces. After a period of consulting closer to home, I knew I was ready to return full-time to nonprofit leadership—and I found my best fit here at Mind & Spirit Counseling Center.

What initially drew me to Mind & Spirit Counseling Center is its truly holistic mission. It’s rare to find an organization that integrates care for the mind, body, and spirit, and even rarer to find one that ensures access to all three regardless of income or insurance. Equal access to holistic care is something I believe in deeply, and I feel extraordinarily lucky to bring my experience and expertise to serve this mission.

My leadership style is rooted in listening, learning, and providing clarity. I’m guided by values of transparency, sustainability, and growth. To me, strong leadership begins with open, direct communication and thoughtful long-term planning—ensuring the Center can thrive both now and into the future.

What excites me most about serving as Executive Director is the opportunity to lead an established organization into its next chapter—one where we are known not only for the care we provide our clients, but also for the care we extend to our employees. Too often, nonprofit professionals are asked to make do with less. At Mind & Spirit Counseling Center, I believe we have the opportunity to create a workplace defined by meaningful work, a strong and supportive culture, competitive pay and benefits, and opportunities for professional growth.

In my first months here, I’ve been deeply inspired by the Mind & Spirit community. Over more than 50 years, the Center has touched countless lives, and it’s incredible to see how many people—clients, alumni, and supporters alike—continue to give back so generously. The longevity of this support speaks volumes about the strength of this community and the connections built over decades.

Looking ahead, my vision is to build on our strong foundation by expanding our sense of community. I see Mind & Spirit Counseling Center continuing to meet the mental health needs of all while also growing as a hub for connection, education, and shared learning. With alumni across generations, there is so much wisdom to exchange—and every network is stronger when it grows together.

Personally, holistic wellness means caring for the mind, body, and spirit in equal measure. Outside of work, I recharge through connection—laughing with the people I love—and through daily movement like running, weightlifting, and yoga. Reading is another daily practice that grounds me, offering comfort, curiosity, and escape as needed.

A fun fact about me: I’m the oldest of five siblings, none of whom are biologically related. Our family includes step-siblings and adoptions from South Korea and Russia, making us a bit of a mini United Nations.

As we enter this exciting new chapter together, I know change can feel both energizing and a little intimidating. Please know my door is always open. I’d love to connect, answer questions, and get to know you—after all, how else do we learn?

With Gratitude and Confidence in the Future

Rachel Vespa on January 13, 2026

Written by Reo Menning, Outgoing Board President

As my two-year term as President of the Board of Mind & Spirit Counseling Center comes to a close, I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude—gratitude for the people, the purpose, and the shared commitment that make this Center such a vital part of our community.


Serving in this role has been both an honor and a humbling experience. Mind & Spirit exists to offer healing and hope, and that mission is not abstract—it lives in the daily work of counselors, psychiatrists, staff, volunteers, and supporters who show up with care, professionalism, and compassion. My time as Board President coincided with a season of transition, and it is during moments like these that the true strength of an organization becomes visible.


Over the past year, the Board undertook an intentional and thoughtful search for our next Executive Director. It was not a rushed process, nor was it an easy one. The Board remained united, grounded in trust, and committed to doing what was right for the long- term health of the Center. Every trustee brought their time, talents, and perspective to the table, always guided by our mission and the culture that defines Mind & Spirit. I am deeply proud of how the Board worked together—with openness, patience, and a shared sense of responsibility—to ensure strong leadership continuity.


That continuity would not have been possible without the steady leadership of Shannon Welch Groves, who stepped in as Interim Executive Director when the first round of the search did not yield the right candidate. Shannon provided far more than stability. She ensured the Center stayed on track, continued to evolve, and remained aligned with our strategic objectives during a critical period. Her leadership allowed the Board to stay focused on finding the right long-term leader rather than the quickest solution, and we are all better for it.


I am also incredibly grateful to the staff of Mind & Spirit Counseling Center. Their talent, professionalism, and commitment never wavered during this transition. They trusted the Board to do its work well, and they continued to serve clients and families with the same care and excellence that defines this organization. That trust is something I do not take lightly, and it speaks volumes about the culture that has been built here over many years.


With great confidence and excitement, we now look to the future under the leadership of our new Executive Director, Amy Doyle. She brings strategic vision, deep compassion, and a proven ability to strengthen teams, build sustainable fundraising models, and expand access to life-changing services. She is uniquely equipped to advance Mind & Spirit’s mission of healing and hope. I am confident that Amy’s leadership will help the Center continue to thrive and expand its impact across our community.

As I step out of the role of Board President, I want to say thank you—to my fellow Board members for their partnership and trust, to the staff for their unwavering dedication, and to our donors and supporters for believing in this work and in my leadership. Your support makes everything we do possible.


Mind & Spirit Counseling Center has a strong future. The Board has been instrumental in strengthening the organization’s foundation so that it can expand its ability to serve children, families, and individuals for years to come. I leave this role with confidence, gratitude, and a deep appreciation for being part of such a meaningful and mission-driven community.


Thank you for allowing me to serve.

Understanding Psychological Testing: What to Expect

Rachel Vespa on January 13, 2026

Written by Haley Williamson, MD, Predoctoral Psychology Intern & Provisionally-Licensed Psychologist

Haley Williamson, predoctoral psychology intern at Mind & Spirit Counseling Center

One of the biggest sources of anxiety I hear from clients isn’t the testing itself; it’s not knowing what to expect. Psychological testing can feel mysterious if you’ve never experienced it before. In hopes of easing this anxiety, let’s explore what psychological testing is, why someone might seek it, and what to expect.


What is Psychological Testing? Unlike a typical therapy session, where we sit and talk, psychological testing is a more structured process designed to gather specific information about how someone thinks, learns, feels, and interacts with the world. We use a combination of standardized tests, questionnaires, interviews, and observations to gather this information.

Why Somone Might Seek Psychological Testing

People come to psychological testing for many different reasons, and there’s no “typical” client.
Here are some common situations where one might seek testing:

  • For children and teens: Parents might notice their child struggling with reading despite
    excelling in other areas, having difficulty focusing in school, experiencing intense anxiety, or
    showing behaviors that seem different from their peers. Testing can help clarify whether ADHD,
    a learning disability, autism, anxiety, or something else might be contributing to these challenges.
  • For adults: Maybe you’ve always felt like you had to work twice as hard as everyone else to stay
    organized. Perhaps you’re wondering if ADHD or anxiety has been affecting your work
    performance. Or you might be seeking clarity about mood patterns or memory concerns. Testing
    provides the objective information needed to understand these experiences and guide treatment.
  • For treatment planning: Sometimes individuals already in therapy find that testing helps their
    therapist better understand how to tailor treatment approaches to their specific needs.
    For accommodations: Students or employees might need documentation of a learning disability
    or ADHD to access appropriate accommodations at school or work.

What to Expect During the Testing Process


While every evaluation is unique, here’s a general overview of what the process typically
involves:

  • Initial consultation: We start with a conversation about what questions you’re hoping to answer
    and what concerns have brought you in. This helps determine which assessments will be most
    helpful.
  • Testing session(s): Depending on the scope of the evaluation, testing might take anywhere from
    two to six hours, sometimes spread across multiple appointments. During testing, you (or your
    child) will be guided through different activities such as answering questions, solving puzzles,
    remembering information, drawing, or completing questionnaires. These may be administered on
    a computer, on paper, verbally, or through hands-on tasks.
  • Feedback session: After the clinician has scored all the tests and written a comprehensive report,
    you will be scheduled for a feedback session. This is where we’ll walk you through the results,
    answer any questions you may have, and provide specific recommendations.
  • Written report: You’ll receive a detailed written report that summarizes the results, includes the
    diagnosis (if applicable), and outlines recommendations. This report is yours to keep and share
    with other providers, schools, or whoever else might need it.

What Comes Next

If you’ve been wondering whether psychological testing might help answer questions you’ve
been carrying, you don’t have to keep wondering. Testing can provide the clarity and direction
needed to move forward with confidence and the right support.

At Mind & Spirit Counseling Center, we approach psychological testing with compassion and
collaboration. We’re here to walk alongside you through the process, answer your questions, and
help you make sense of the results. If you’re curious about whether testing might be right for
your situation, reach out. Sometimes understanding begins with simply asking the question.

Questions or ready to schedule? Call (515) 274-4006 or request an appointment online. Our team at Mind & Spirit Counseling Center is here to help.

Mind & Spirit Counseling Center Announces Amy Doyle as New Executive Director

Rachel Vespa on October 27, 2025

Urbandale, IA – October 15, 2025 

The Board of Directors of Mind & Spirit Counseling Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Amy Doyle as Executive Director, effective November 1, 2025.

Doyle brings over 20 years of leadership experience across the nonprofit, corporate, and start-up sectors. She most recently served as Chief Development Officer at YSS, one of Iowa’s largest nonprofits, where she spearheaded a $20 million capital campaign to create Iowa’s first nature-based behavioral health campus. Her career also includes leadership roles at Tero International, YSS, Emory Industrial, and EMBARC, as well as experience as an attorney and executive coach.

“Amy’s strategic expertise and passion for mission-driven work make her an ideal leader for Mind & Spirit Counseling Center,” said board of directors president, Reo Menning . “Her track record in fundraising, operational excellence, and team building will help us grow our impact and serve even more individuals and families in need.”

Doyle holds a Juris Doctor from Drake University Law School and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Iowa State University. She is also an experienced consultant and executive coach, known for aligning teams with organizational purpose and driving sustainable growth.

“I am honored to join Mind & Spirit Counseling Center,” said Doyle. “The Center’s mission of healing and hope is deeply important to me, and I look forward to working with staff, donors, and community partners to ensure its continued strength and impact.”

For more information, visit mindspiritcenter.org.

Media Contact:
Heather Stuyvesant, Director of Development
Mind & Spirit Counseling Center
(515) 574-5122 | [email protected]