Offering Healing, Wholeness and Hope to Those in Need and Educating Others for This Servic
e    July 2014

 

1814 Clairmont Rd  �  Decatur GA  � 30033  404.636.1457  www.cccgeorgia.org

NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

 

   

  

At long last, we're thrilled to be back home in our beautiful Decatur office.   When our organization was strained by an unexpected flood this past January, we were called upon to accept the situation and then quickly develop short- and long-term solutions.  Often we tell our clients that challenges can present opportunities for growth, and so it was with our organization.   Like Dorothy and her entourage on the Yellow Brick Road, our team of leaders, staff, and clients drew upon strengths and developed new coping resources to make the journey home.    

  

Kudos to all who demonstrated flexibility, ingenuity and grit in making do with temporary space while we rebuilt our home office.   This has been a great reminder about the power of pulling together as a community to triumph over adversity.   We invite you to visit our restored offices, which are more user-friendly than ever before.   Be on the lookout for fresh flooring, paint and furniture.   We have also added a new teen room, a fully furnished play therapy room, a family restroom, and complimentary coffee/tea service.  

In this issue, we explore life stressors that can present significant obstacles, plus protective factors including grit, perseverance, and growth mindedness.    

 

 
CROSSING THE FINISH LINE:
2014 PEACHTREE ROAD RACE 
 
Just as we were completing the journey to our restored Decatur offices, a team of five CCCG athletes began another journey of 10 kilometers --- the 2014 Peachtree Road Race.

 

 Congratulations to Team CCCG -- Bill Harkins, David Hunter, Vanessa Gabriele, William Renshaw, and Lewis Bozard.  They won first place in our hearts as they prepared for this challenge, facing inevitable training obstacles including lack of time and steamy weather.   Race day saw every single team member hoof it across the finish line to raise awareness and support for CCCG's critical services.  Forty-eight generous sponsors pledged donations to our crew. 

 

Together, we raised $2,771, surpassing our fundraising goal while having lots of fun.  Team CCCG demonstrated the power of integrating mind, body, and team spirit to achieve important goals.  Monies raised from this effort will be utilized to provide mental health care throughout our community. 

 

  

 

 

GRIT AND GROWTH
  

Grit is defined by positive psychology researcher Angela Duckworth as "having resilience in the face of obstacles, while also having deep commitments that you remain loyal to over time."   Our runners called upon grit to train for the road race.  The CCCG community called upon grit to bounce back from adversity.  

 

What's your grit quotient?  Take an online grit assessment and view Duckworth's TED talkwhich has received more than 4,600,000 views to date.

   

 

 

We can all agree that grit sounds useful, but we're not all naturally gritty.  So how do we cultivate this crucial set of traits in our children and in ourselves?  Duckworth believes that the growth mindset, a concept introduced by researcher Carol Dweck, may be a key to cultivating grit.   Those of us with fixed mindsets believe that our mental, emotional and physical capabilities are set in stone.   Those with growth mindsets believe that we can change and grow throughout our lives.   

 

Recent discoveries regarding brain plasticity prove that our brains really do change as we practice new cognitive, emotional and physical skills.  Though we may be tempted to give up easily when we experience setbacks or failures, trusting in our inherent ability to grow (the growth mindset) can motivate us in the direction of grit -- persistent and devoted efforts.  The growth mindset encourages us to greet failure as a necessary and even valuable part of the lifelong learning process.  

  

To learn more about grit and the growth mindset, read this article.

 
 
July is
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
 
The initiative aims to improve access to mental health services for multicultural communities.   This month and every month, CCCG celebrates clients of all ages, genders, races, creeds, sexual orientations, and ethnic backgrounds.  Enjoy these videos and resourcesprovided by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Did you know that CCCG has 5 bilingual counselors on staff?  We also partner with Culture Connect and Refugee Family Services, as well as AID Atlanta, the HEALing Community Center, SOJOURN, Grady Satellites, and many other partners to increase access and awareness of mental health services to all. 

WORKING WITH FAMILIES IN POVERTY 

 

 

  

CCCG welcomes Andrea Christie to our Decatur office this month for a workshop on Psychotherapy with Families Living in Poverty.  Participants will delve into the culture of poverty and the dynamics that maintain it from individual to systemic levels.  

 

According to Sendhil Mullainathan, an economist at Harvard, there are three types of scarcity - money poverty, time poverty, and bandwidth poverty.  These separate but inter-related types can keep individuals and families trapped in a cycle.  Click here to learn more.  

 

The CCCG workshop, scheduled for July 29, will be facilitated by our own JoEllen Holmes.   Participants will learn effective strategies for counseling clients in poverty.   Join us to cultivate knowledge, skills and hope.   It's not too late to sign up for this workshop!

 

 ContacUs Today 

(404) 636-1457

www.cccgeorgia.org 

 

When faced with daily life challenges, it can be hard to distinguish a real problem from a normal struggle everyone faces at some point. In either case, working with a professional counselor can be a positive, healthful experience.

 

If you or a loved one is dealing with issues that might benefit from speaking with a counselor, please contact us to schedule an appointment.

Join our growing Facebook Community.  Get tips on mental health, wellness,new groups and workshops, and some positive inspiration.


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In This Issue
Crossing the finish line
Grit and growth
Working with families in poverty
Contact us today
Join us on Facebook
Top Five Stressors
Minority Mental Health Month
Workshops at CCCG

 

 CCCG cannot do this work without YOUR support.   



 

There are so many reasons to give - the child who needs extra support, the father who gives with all his heart and soul and keeps fighting the Cancer,  for the military wife who can't sleep at night worrying about her spouse or the hospital chaplain that holds your hand and sings quietly.  These are the reasons to give.

 

Your gift does make a difference! 

 

For Example: 

 

- A gift of $25 helps provide art supplies for working with children.

 

- A gift of $65 sponsors a counseling session for a family in crisis.

 

- A gift of $100 supports a grief group to help those who have lost a loved one.

 

- A Gift of $250 provides psychological testing for things like ADHD, depression and  other mental health challenges.

 

- A gift of $500 helps provide chaplaincy care at Grady Hospital.

 

 

 

Give the Gift of  

Healing, Hope, and Education

 

 

 

Thank you for your generous support! 

 

  

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top Five Life Stressors
  

According to the online resource HealthStatus, the top five life stressors are:

  • Death of a loved one
  • Divorce
  • Moving
  • Major illness
  • Job loss
Friends of CCCG who have been feeling stressed will note that moving is number three on this list!  In fact, the seminal research on life stressors (Holmes and Rahe) reveals that all life changes create stress, even positive life changes such as getting married or attaining a significant life achievement.  

 

Stress can be conceptualized as the ratio between your environmental demands your coping resources (Lazarus).   The recipe for high stress?  Mixing high demands with low coping resources.  
 
Take this online stress assessment to evaluate your current environmental demands.  
We all experience stress, and a certain amount of stress is considered healthy.  Protective factors for coping with stress include utilizing external resources (support of family and friends, access to a counselor, availability of time, money, information) and internal resources (positive attitude, self-soothing skills, self-care practices, relaxation techniques, spiritual practices, healthy lifestyle).  
 
  

 

Transitions

 

After six years of service at CCCG, Director of Chaplaincy and CPE Dorothea Lotze-Kola is continuing on her journey.  We wish Dorothea all the best and thank her for her contributions.   

 

During this time of transition, we enthusiastically welcome Miriam Needham as a program consultant.  Miriam will help us fine tune our vision for growth and guide our priorities as we search for a new Director.  Her style is highly collaborative, so staff and leadership can expect that Miriam will engage them in helping to chart the way forward.   

 

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Taking care of yourself is critical for a healthy life
 and family. 
 
CCCG offers ongoing workshops that can help with self-growth and self-care.  You don't have to do it alone.  Here are some of our upcoming workshops: 
 
Understanding More About Substance Abuse, Addiction, and Relapse Prevention Psychoeducational Group -
In Decatur with Monica Dutke, Tuesdays 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Buckhead group meets Thursdays 9:00 am to 10:00 am - $45 per group session.

  

Adult Survivors of Child Abuse Support Group - At Oak Grove United Methodist Church with Robin Kirkpatrick, Thursdays 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm - $Free.

  

-In Decatur with Karon Ferguson, Wednesdays 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm - $35 per group session.
 
Premarital Workshop - At The Cathedral of St. Philip (Atlanta) with Doyle Hamilton - upcoming dates include July 12, August 9 and September 6, 2014 - $150 per couple. 

Click here for a complete listing of all CCCG groups and workshops.

 

 

Care and Counseling Center  

of Georgia  

 

 

 

HEALING- CCCG Chaplains meet the needs of people who experience crisis, loss or pain in several of the metro Atlanta hospitals, hospices, and prisons.

 

HOPE - CCCG Counselors and residents with an integration of sound clinical practice and deep understanding and respect for the sacred self are trained and serve those of every age,  gender, race, creed, sexual orientation, and ethnic background, and makes our services affordable to all.   

 

EDUCATION - CCCG educates resident counselors and chaplains to serve in places where lives are falling between the cracks and trains them to help bring healing and hope in to those in need.

 

For more Information go to www.cccgeorgia.org