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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 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
Sand Tray Therapy: What You Need to Know
Written by Elizabeth Moreno, Licensed Independent Social Worker As a child therapist, it is such an honor that parents and caregivers allow me to work individually with their children. We often hear the term “play therapy” used when working with children. Play therapy encompasses many modalities and theories that a therapist can use. Since each…
Celebrating the Journey: Honoring our PrairieFire Graduates
At Mind & Spirit Counseling Center, we are filled with joy and gratitude as we celebrate the remarkable achievements of twelve individuals who have recently become our next cohort of PrairieFire Graduates. This milestone marks not just the completion of their training, but a testament to their dedication, growth, and the profound journey they have…
Read More Celebrating the Journey: Honoring our PrairieFire Graduates
2023 Women Helping Women event raises $300,000 for hope and healing to those in need of mental health services
More than 500 guests participated in the Center’s 25th annual Women Helping Women event on May 19, 2023, which raised $300,000. Funds will support mental health counseling, education, training and other services that impact women, children and families who are underinsured or from low income households. Connie Isaacson, the 2023 Women Helping Women Honoree, gives an…
The powerful impacts of accepting versus rejecting parent behavior on their LGBTQ+ children’s health & well-being
Written by Doug Aupperle, Licensed Psychologist It’s probably no surprise to anyone that parents have a profound impact on how their children develop, grow, and function in the world. However, research on the LGBTQ+ population has traditionally been scarce, and research related to the youngest members of that population and their families has been even…
Executive Director’s Blog: Juneteenth
Jim Hayes, Executive Director On June 19 we acknowledge and observe Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the day that the end of slavery was announced in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth has been celebrated by the Black community since the late 1800s. Juneteenth represents freedom and justice for Black Americans, and in recognition…
Executive Director’s Blog: Black History Month
Jim Hayes, Executive Director I recently attended an event celebrating Black History Month, and one of the organizers concluded with the admonishment: “Every month is black history month.” It got me thinking. Thinking often leads me to internet research, where I explored the history of “Black History Month” a bit further. As I continued chasing…
The Evolution of Mind & Spirit Center’s 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…
2023 Women Helping Women Donors and Sponsors
Thank you to our generous sponsors and donors who helped the 25th Annual Women Helping Women event raise a record-breaking $300,000! Your contribution ensures mental health services for women, children and families who are uninsured or underinsured.
Executive Director’s Blog: Transformational Love
Jim Hayes, Executive Director Our mission is to walk with people through counseling and education to find hope and healing—and to live a fulfilling life. All people. Early on in my time at the Center, I had a conversation with an esteemed therapist who described the importance of how the healing process happens here. I…
Medicare Part B Recognition has been achieved!
After more than a decade of advocacy from various mental health organizations, licensed mental health counselors (LMHC) and licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT) are now recognized as Medicare providers! The U.S. legislature recently passed the Omnibus package which includes language from the Mental Health Access Improvement Act that expands coverage of LMHCs and LMFTs…