Resources & Blog
Mental Health Resources
The following resources and blog articles may be helpful to you while you wait for your appointment. Please remember help is always available.
911 Emergency
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek help immediately by dialing 911, available 24/7.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please dial 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator provides information for persons seeking treatment facilities for substance use/addiction and/or mental health problems.
Resources for Children & Families
- Child Mind Institute Family Resource Center
- National Federation of Families Resources
Resources for Coping
- Mind Over Mood exercises focused on mindfulness, acceptance and forgiveness
- RAIN Meditation with Tara Brach
Online Recovery Groups
- Alcoholics Anonymous Online Intergroup
- In the Rooms global recovery community
- Recovery Dharma
Spiritual Resources
- Insight Timer with 40,000 free meditations
- Institute for Jewish Spirituality free resources
- Faith and Fear episodes by The Kirbas Institute (variety of faiths)
- Seeing the Good meditation with Craig Hase
- Tonglen: The Practice of Compassion from Shambhala Publications
- Guided Meditation for Young Children from Shambhala Publications
The Center 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…
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Center
As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this month, the Center would like to reiterate our ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion with the announcement of our diversity statement, adopted by our Board of Directors: “The Mind and Spirit Counseling Center is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive community for our clients…
Experiencing Winter Blues? Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) with Dr. Geoffrey Hills, Psychiatrist
Geoffrey Hills, DO In Johnny Nash’s song I Can See Clearly, the singer references that all his troubles and pain are gone and now he sees nothing but blue skies and sunshine. While this song is metaphorical, it is also rooted in science. Some people experience increased mental health issues during the fall and winter…
Executive Director’s Blog: The Duty of Delight
Jim Hayes, Executive Director One of my role models for how to live a good life is Dorothy Day, who died about this time of year in 1980. Her witness to solidarity with the poor is a prophetic voice that regularly reminds me of the importance of simplicity. A noteworthy phrase from her diaries is…
50th Anniversary Celebration
A celebration of fifty years.
June 2022 Pride Month Focus
The powerful impacts of accepting versus rejecting parent behavior on their LGBTQ+ children’s health & well-being 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…
Resources in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting
“The tragedy of school shootings should never numb us, in spite of their heinous frequency. Our mission is to walk with people on the path to hope and healing through counseling and education so that we might all find our way to the fullness of life. Many of our clients are the same age as…
Mental Health Advocacy Day at PCM
Meet Trey Voeller, a junior at PCM (Prairie City Monroe) High School! Trey organized a Mental Health Advocacy Day at his school that included multiple speakers, over a dozen mental health organizations throughout Iowa, and the entirety of the student body. Staci Fosenburg, a psychologist from the Center and a graduate of PCM, hosted…
50th Anniversary Reunion for Past & Present Staff
Join us on June 16 for a reunion of past and present Center staff and training program participants! June 16, 5:30pm-9:00pm Raccoon River Park Nature Lodge 2500 Grand Ave, West Des Moines, IA 50265 Come when you can and stay as long as you like! You are welcome to bring a guest. Formal remarks will…
2022 Women Helping Women Sponsors
Thank you to our 2022 Women Helping Women Sponsors and Leaders! as of 5/23/22 Leadership Sponsor – $5,000 Kathy Fehrman Susan and Carl Voss Sally Wallace Supporting Sponsor – $2,500 Pamela Bass-Bookey and Harry Bookey Carol Bodensteiner Trudy Holman Hurd Todd and Sue Mattison Shirley Poertner Rachel Stauffer and Jim Lawson Marti Wade Wittern…
2/11/2022 – Celebrating Black History
I subscribe to the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa newsletter and want to start off my thoughts by sharing a lengthy example of their recent content around Black History Month: Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans. It is a time to recognize the central role of the Black community in…
Accepting new clients ages 5 and older for medication management services!
Immediate openings available for telehealth and in person appointments, including evening hours. Wenjing (Wendy) Cao is a board certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who offers medication management services to children and adults. Wendy received her BS in nursing from the Ohio State University and later earned her master’s degree as a psychiatric mental health…
Read More Accepting new clients ages 5 and older for medication management services!
On #givingtuesday, we give thanks for you!
You made a difference for one child. Emily came to Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center’s Children Overcoming Obstacles of Life (C.O.O.L.) program when she was five years old. She had a difficult time focusing in school and making friends. Thanks to you, children like Emily are provided with tools to manage her learning and get along…
Please join us in welcoming our newest Marketing and Communications Manager, Shannon Schott!
Shannon earned her undergraduate degree from the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota with a double major in Peace and Conflict Studies and Theology. She began her career in the behavioral health field as a Prevention Specialist addressing substance use and addiction in central Iowa. She later led a local prevention education initiative focused on…
11/4/2021 Why Get Vaccinated?
Why Get Vaccinated? Help us to help those we serve. Get vaccinated! Covid vaccinations continue to be in the news as we work together to face the challenges of this ongoing pandemic. We understand there are many sides to this issue, but we join with other health care organizations and public health experts to enjoin…
2020 Annual Report
We gratefully acknowledge and thank all who so kindly contributed to the Center in 2020. This generosity brings hope and healing to children, teens and adults in need of high quality mental health services. VISIONARIES ($45,000+) Polk County Health Services CHAMPIONS ($25,000 – $44,999) Delta Dental of Iowa of Foundation DEFENDERS ($10,000 – $24,999) American…
August 2021 Staff Highlight: Alicia Krpan, L.M.H.C.
What do you like best about working at the Center? I like the people that I work with and the collegiality we have developed through the years. What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work? I love to cook, read, travel, and going on unplanned adventures with my family. What is your…
Read More August 2021 Staff Highlight: Alicia Krpan, L.M.H.C.