Author Archives: Tate Foster

Job Posting: Contract Therapist- Child and Teen Program

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Job Posting: Contract Therapist- Child and Teen Program

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Specific Duties

  • Maintain weekly contracted caseload of individual and family clients, at least half of which will be under 18.
  • Attend regular meetings with Director of Child and Teen Programs and Child and Teen team.
  • Support policies and procedures of The Refuge Center for Counseling.
  • Demonstrate administrative and ethical excellence in notes, files, reports, EHR, etc.
  • Provide accurate, timely pay logs weekly.

Critical Qualities

  • A passion for the Refuge Center’s mission, vision, and culture to offer affordable, professional counseling services in order to empower, educate and support individuals, couples, and families in need.
  • Understanding of the importance of mental health, therapy, and the confidential nature of our work.
  • Ability to be flexible and prioritize responsibilities in a fast-paced, changing work environment.
  • Ability to be self-directed and show initiative.
  • Maintain ethical documentation.
  • Maintain all requirements for state licensure during time of employment.

 Skills, Education, Experience

  • Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work or related field.
  • Current licensure in the state of Tennessee or necessary Individual Licensure Supervision
  • Experience working with child and adolescent clients.
  • Training in modalities specific to working with children and adolescents.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Participation in continuing education opportunities as required by State License and The Refuge Center.
  • Passion for and training in therapeutic modalities with children and teens under the age of 18.

Submit Resume and Cover Letter to Jenna Monforte, LCSW and 

Director of the Child and Teen Program

EMAIL JENNA

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Abound: Finding Connection, Community, and Self-Love

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As the summer comes to a close and the earth turns away from the warmth of the sun, life takes time to pause and reset into the new season. With this new season comes new goals, hopes, and plans that we are inspired to pursue. It can be a time to be intentional, a time to become reconnected, and a time to find community amongst the shift in life transitions. 

“Amidst all of the uncertainty of this season, something beautiful is growing here, and one day you will look back and see that all along, all by grace, you were blooming.”

-Morgan Harper Nichols

            Finding connection in the midst of the season can seem easy with the world we live in today, where someone is just a swipe or text away. But, finding deep connection can be harder to come by. Connection is a part that we crave and essential to who we are. It allows us to find belonging and it makes us feel like we a part of something bigger. Connection provides support and enables us to collect the wisdom and knowledge from those around us. 

            With connection, we find community. Being a part of community provides stability and encourages individuals to grow and thrive. Our communities lift us up and provide strength and courage where it is needed. They allow us to be a part of a collective group that inspires us to go beyond and achieve our goals and passions. Most of all, our communities inspire change in both individuals and groups. They come together and bring people from various walks of life. These individuals inspire and influence others and encourage them to grow and thrive.

            But, the most important connection you can have is with yourself. Self-love can come in many forms. It is vulnerability, grace, and care all at once. It is about prioritizing yourself and forgiving yourself. Self-love can be being gentle with yourself when you’ve had a not-so-great day or when you have faced hard situations. It can also be simply doing things that bring you joy and providing self-compassion for the parts of you that the world might not know about you yet, those things that make you who you are. 

            As we shift from summer to fall, we think about ways to reconnect. When we find connection, community, and self-love, we can continue to feel the abundant care and love of those who support and inspire us to grow and bloom into the person we continuously work on becoming. 

Here at the Refuge Center, we want to inspire to be abundant in compassion, connection, and love while creating a community to lift you up and empower you on your journey to become who you have always wanted and are working to be.

“May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you.”

-1 Thessalonians 3:12 

Written by Masters Level Intern Taylor Musarra

References: 

Griffin, M., Embracing human connection. (n.d). Purposed Fused. https://www.purposefused.com/embracing-human-connection/

Important of self-love and improving your mental health. (2022, November 18). Samvedna Care. https://www.samvednacare.com/blog/importance-of-self-love-in-improving-your-mental-health/

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Job Posting: Contract Therapist

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Job Posting: Contract Therapist

Position/Title:  Contract Therapist

Organization:  The Refuge Center for Counseling

Category:  Independent Contractor

Reports to:  Director of the Contract Program

 

Purpose of the Position:  Therapists for the Contract Program will provide excellent services to individuals based on the mission of The Refuge Center for Counseling.

Specific Duties

  • Maintain weekly contacted caseload of Individual and family clients.
  • Attend regular meetings with Director of the Contract Program.
  • Support policies and procedures of The Refuge Center for Counseling.
  • Demonstrate administrative and ethical excellence in notes, files, reports, EMR, etc.

 

Critical Qualities

  • A passion for the Refuge Center’s mission, vision and culture to offer affordable, professional counseling services in order to empower, educate and support individuals, couples and families in need.
  • Understanding of the importance of mental health, therapy, and the confidential nature of our work.
  • Ability to be flexible and prioritize responsibilities in a fast-paced, changing work environment.
  • Ability to be self-directed and show initiative.
  • Maintain ethical documentation.
  • Maintain all requirements for state licensure during time of employment.

 

Skills, Education, Experience

  • Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work or related field.
  • Current licensure in the state of Tennessee or necessary Individual Licensure Supervision.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills. Participation in continuing education opportunities as required by State License and The Refuge Center.

 

Submit Resume and Cover Letter to Elizabeth Edwards, LPC-MHSP Director of the Contract Program

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Back to School Anxiety: A Parent’s Guide

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            As July is nearing its finish line, another season of change is right around the corner: Going back to school! This season can bring up a plethora of emotions for kids as they navigate the transition. As a parent, you may notice changes in your child as this time of year approaches. These changes may appear in their behavior, communication, self-care habits, appetite, and an overabundance of anxiety and stress. 

Understanding Causes of Back-to-School Anxiety 

Childhood and teenage anxiety around returning to school may be due to a variety of reasons. Common possible causes could be 2211 academic pressures, life transitions, fear of safety, athletic pressures, being in a new place and navigating social situations. Additionally, your child may feel anxious about different things based on their developmental age. For preschoolers and elementary schoolers, they may worry about how they will adapt at school without their parents, or how they will adjust to their peers and academics. For teens, they may worry about the loss of autonomy and freedom from the summer and how that will play out in school. Teens may also worry about adjusting to a rotating class schedule, and how they will interact socially with peers. They may feel added pressure to stay organized and perform well academically and/or athletically. When it comes to responding to your child’s back to school anxiety, it is important to first try and understand, as well as empathize with what they may be going through. 

4 Tips for Helping Children Ease Their Back-to-School Anxiety

  1. Listen to Them and Validate Their Emotions: Allow your child a safe place to express their feelings surrounding returning to school. Children and teens can express this verbally, through drawing, or even through play. Parents can validate feelings by offering a warm hug or reflecting their feelings. 
  2. Practice Deep Breathing: Spend a few minutes practicing deep breathing with your child or teen. You can explain to your child or teen that taking a few deep and slow breaths sends messages to our brain to calm our body and mind.
  3. Create a Fun Morning Ritual: If your child suffers from separation anxiety, and is specifically worried about morning drop off or bus pick up, create a fun morning ritual. A few examples could be singing a song before drop off, creating a quick handshake, creating a silly rhyme or repeating a mantra or positive affirmations.
  4. Support Your Child in Problem-Solving: After listening to your child and validating their emotions, you may try and problem solve with them. If there are certain areas they are increasingly worried about, you may work with your child on possible solutions. For example, if they are worried about finding their classroom, you may discuss with them possible teachers or peers they would feel comfortable asking for help. If your child is worried about making friends, you may role play or walk through different ways they could approach their peers.

Parents, you may also feel the pressure and anxiety around sending your child back to school. Remember that your feelings are valid and it is important to manage your anxiety as well. By modeling how to manage your own fears and anxiety, you can instill in your children the ways they can do this for themselves. You got this parents, let the back to school season begin!

Written by Masters Level Intern Hannah Miskelley

References:

Helping Your Anxious Child Go Back to School. (2022, August 25). Better Together Family Therapy.

https://betterfamilytherapy.com/blog/separation-anxiety-and-school-dropoff

Anderson, C. (2022, August 9). Back-to-School Anxiety: How to Alleviate Stress for Another Fun School Year. People Incorporated. https://www.peopleincorporated.org/2022/08/back-to-school-anxiety-how-to-alleviate-stress-for-another-fun-school-year/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwwvilBhCFARIsADvYi7L6JGO3ZfLk5BipNUw6uN9o5ir027G2-f4s14WUkMd3frjXpCP6mncaAjDcEALw_wcB

5 Tips to Ease Back-to-School Anxiety. (2022, August 15). Www.hopkinsmedicine.org. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/5-tips-to-ease-backtoschool-anxiety#:~:text=

PhD, J. M. B. (2018, August 23). Back to school anxiety. Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/back-to-school-anxiety-2018082314617

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Catching Zzzz’s

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Do you find yourself struggling to fall asleep? Do you have a hard time winding down, laying awake for hours, and then feeling groggy in the morning? Maybe you have racing thoughts or a never-ending to-do list keeping you up. You are not alone. So many clients coming in for therapy for anxiety report having sleep issues. My goal today is to help you find tools that will help you improve the quality of your sleep.

Creating healthy sleep habits can be a long-term solution to sleep problems, though I always recommend talking with your doctor as well. First, creating consistency in what time you go to sleep and what time you wake up can be very helpful in improving sleep routines, however know that creating this internal clock takes time. In the day, avoid naps, and be intentional with your water intake, meals, and exercise. 

According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, adults need 7 hours or more of quality sleep a night. Studies have shown that 7 hours of quality sleep can improve your immune system, weight management, feelings of brain fog, productivity, decision making, and overall mood. So, what can you do to help?

Focus on building a meaningful bedtime routine. You have freedom to adjust this to meet your needs, but here are some helpful guidelines:

  • Set a screentime limit that goes into effect at the same time every night. Example: set your phone to be on do not disturb from 8pm to 8am everyday. 
  • Engage your five senses as you wind down. Example: diffuse lavender essential oil, dim the lighting, sit with a soft blanket, turn on relaxing music, drink a relaxing tea.
  • Avoid screens for an hour before going to bed
  • Practice deep breathing and mindfulness techniques. Example: Body Scan, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, 4-7-8 Breathing
  • Avoid strenuous activity in the evening, though a calming yoga flow or short walk may help if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
  • Work to create a relaxing environment in your room. For example: use a fan, blackout curtains, tidy your space, comfortable pillow and sheets
  • Only go to bed when you are sleepy. Reduce the amount of time you spend laying awake in bed to help yourself know that laying in bed means sleeping. 
  • Face the clock away from you. It typically adds to anxiety when you are hyper aware of the time you will or won’t get to sleep. 

Perhaps the most important part of all of this is to be consistent! Try a consistent routine nightly for two weeks before you judge its effectiveness. And remember that you can tailor your routine to your needs and preferences. 

If you need extra support in understanding, alleviating, and controlling your stress and worry as it shows up in your life, set up an appointment with a Refuge counselor today, as we would love to help you. 

Please note: I am not a medical provider, and these are only guidelines. Please seek medical advice from your doctor and talk with a physician about any sleep problems you may be having. 

Written by Masters Level Intern, Kat Thompson

The information from this post are from the Center for Clinical Interventions “Sleep Hygiene” handout found here, and from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services webpage found here.