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Dear Friends,
As many of you know, MCS provides a safe
haven for people with limited finances who
seek counseling and psychotherapy. We offer
affordable fees to those in need, and offer
subsidies to clients unable to afford even
our lowest $25 fee. And today, our services
are more important to the Atlanta community
than ever before. The grim economic headlines
are getting more numerous-and economists say
that there's no end in sight.
The economy is hurting many Americans' mental
health. People are feeling more depressed,
anxious, and stressed because of job losses,
declining property values, and rising costs.
A recent national poll conducted by the
American Psychological Association reports
that three out of every four adults feel
stressed about money, and that 66 percent say
the economy is a significant source of stress
in their lives. To make matters worse, this
kind of stress creates a ripple effect. With
an increase in stress levels, anxiety,
depression, sleep problems, substance abuse,
and marital conflicts also increase.
While this stress is reported across all
socioeconomic levels, our clients are among
those hardest hit. Therapy can help people
focus on those things they can change, even
as they feel helpless about the state of the
country. With help and a renewed sense of
hope, MCS clients have found jobs, kicked
unhealthy habits, renewed relationships, and
tapped into inner resources to improve their
lives.
We welcome your referrals, your donations,
and your involvement! Caring for the mental
and emotional concerns of people in financial
need is our mission and our passion. I feel
thankful to you for your continued support of
this commitment to our clients.
Best regards,
Kathie Thodeson, MS, LPC
Executive Director
| Night on the Town - A Walk in Memphis |
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MCS hosts its 3rd annual fundraising event, "Night on
the Town - A Walk in Memphis" on Saturday,
September 6 at the Old Courthouse on the Square in
downtown Decatur. Be transported to Beale Street
and enjoy Memphis-style BBQ, music, dancing,
drinks, and a special video appearance by singer-
songwriter Marc Cohn, winner of the Grammy award
for his hit song, "Walking in Memphis." All proceeds
from the event go toward supplementing our low
sliding scale fees, which do not come close to
covering the cost of providing our services.
Our fabulous silent auction will include 2 beautiful
women's leather jackets, jewelry, wine, dinners to
local restaurants, spa and salon gift certificates, rock
climbing lessons, getaways, art, and much more.
Tickets are $60 in advance, $75 at the door. Dress is
cocktail attire. Tickets can be purchased on our
website by clicking the link below.
We gratefully acknowledge our generous event
sponsors:
Graceland Sponsors
Mickey Desai and Laura Stock
Metropolitan Psychotherapy Associates
Beale Street Sponsors
Frances Cullen, PC
MCS Board of Directors
Paul and Kathie Thodeson
United Behavioral Health
The Peabody Sponsors
Nicole M. Adams
A. Jay Beard, PhD and Martin Coles, MD
Full Circle Fundraising, LLC
Howard Gold and Lee Wilson
Randy Oven, LCSW
Ridgeview Institute
Turning Point Healing Center, LLC
Mike Wroblewski and Kris Yacovone
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| Marc Cohn Helps MCS |
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When you visit the MCS website home page at
www.mcsatlanta.org, you will see a new video
produced by MCS board member Linda Bair. The
video features singer-songwriter Marc Cohn
and promotes our annual Night on the Town
benefit. Linda also interviewed Marc for a
special videotaped message to be shown to
guests at our September 6 event. Marc has
generously lent his time and talent to
MCS, having a great appreciation for the work
that we
do as a non-profit providing low cost mental
health
services.
Marc enjoyed tremendous success when "Walking in
Memphis" became the breakout hit from his
self-titled
Atlantic debut album, released in February
1991. He
won the Grammy Award for "Best New Artist" that
same year. His life was turned upside down,
however, in August 2005 when he was shot in the
head during a random attempted carjacking
after a
concert in Denver. The bullet lodged near his
left
temple, but he never lost consciousness and
walked
out of the hospital the next day. Marc
sought help from
a therapist for post-traumatic stress
disorder, and
credits his therapist for helping him through
a very
difficult period in his life.
While he was recovering at home from PTSD,
Hurricaine Katrina hit New Orleans.
According to
Marc, "I'm in the middle of my own crisis,
and now I'm
watching all these haunting images on
television of
thousands of people suffering through a far more
horrific event." These experiences became the
catalyst for a period of tremendous
creativity that
resulted in his latest album, "Join the
Parade."
Marc Cohn will be appearing at Eddie's Attic
in Decatur on September 20. Tickets to his
two shows will be raffled off at the MCS
benefit, Night on the Town, A Walk in Memphis
on September 6.
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| MCS Annual Report Available |
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MCS has published its first ever Annual
Report! This informative piece is available
for viewing on our website at
www.mcsatlanta.org. Print copies are
available as well. To request a copy, call
404-321-1794, Ext. 12, and ask that an annual
report be mailed to you.
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Get to Know Us |
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Metropolitan Counseling Services (MCS) is a
non-profit center providing quality, affordable
counseling and psychotherapy to adults in the
Metropolitan Atlanta area.
Over the past 12 years, MCS has provided hope and
health for people suffering from a wide variety of
mental health concerns, including the pain of
depression, anxiety, grief and loss, problems
in relationships, and unresolved issues from
childhood abuse and trauma.
Our resident therapists offer individual, couples, and
group psychotherapy on a sliding fee scale based on
household income and number of dependents. Fees
start as low as $25 per session.
Find out more....
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