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Even Caring Families Encounter Problems...but Healthy Families Seek Solutions
Give us a call at 918.745.0095
Brenda, Rachel, Tina or Terri are available to help!
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Some of Our Staff Maintain their Own Professional Webpages:
Bowden McElroy
Salley Sutmiller
Jamie Brandon
Tim Doty
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Dear Friends,
Welcome to our February CFI newsletter. Our goal for our
newsletter is to bring relevant articles, announcements and links to
issues related to families, marriages, parenting and mental health
concerns.
This month's newsletter:
- Mr. Eric Clements writes an article about the value of Hope in counseling and in responding to life circumstances.
- Dr. Dale Doty, Ph.D. will be hosting a
PREPARE/ENRICH training seminar in Tulsa on April 2, 2010. An article about the utility of the PREPARE assessment tool is
included in this newsletter. For information on how to register for the training, click here.
- Lastly, we also want to announce a suicide-prevention resource for members of faith communities. Dr. Tim Doty, Psy.D. has co-authored a Guidebook that is now available through Amazon.com.
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Hope in Counseling
Hope
is a big word. It is what keeps us going. It is something that helps us
cope with bad times and it is the essence of what we celebrate in good times.
It is something that is often lacking in those who seek out counseling.
Lately, I have realized that one of my primary goals in counseling is to assist
in instilling a sense of hope.
Hope is the confidence that something better is to
come. Whether it is that grief will pass or that we can turn a struggling
marriage around or that survival will actually occur, hope helps us to
persevere.
A lack of Hope steals our motivation. It wrecks
our energy and it halts any progress. Without hope, we have no reason to
do anything. This is why it can be one of the most devastating symptoms
of depression. Hopelessness is the lie that tells us "things cannot
improve, in fact they are likely to get worse." We can take harbor
in the fact that it is just that, a lie.
We serve a God of hope. Look at 1 Corinthians
13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the
greatest of these is love." I must admit as I have contemplated
faith, hope and love, it has been common for to highlight faith and love and
overlook hope. That's like trying to construct a two sided triangle.
Faith is dependent on hope. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of
what we hope for..." If we have no hope then we have no reason to
love. Without hope, following the Christian faith offers us very little.
With hope, our faith offers us, and the world, everything, including an
eternity with the absolute source of love.
Just as the eternal optimist needs to be reminded
that it isn't always going to be pure bliss, the person caught in the grips of
crisis and grief, needs hope to remind him that this season will also pass.
Better times are to come.
Eric Clements, M.S., LMFT
www.ericclements.com
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Premarital Counseling With the PREPARE/ENRICH Customized Version
Christian Family Institute has been training mental health
professionals, pastors, and lay counselors to do premarital counseling for over
30 years. We are strong believers
that such premarital preparation can improve relationships and reduce divorce
rates. One tool CFI commonly employs to strengthen relationships and marriages before they begin is the PREPARE/ENRICH assessment inventory.
I look back at
the old versions of this test and am amazed at the changes that it has
undergone over these many years. I
first met Dr. David Fournier, an early developer of the inventory in 1977 when he was pilot testing PREPARE in
Kansas City. Little did I know how
significant our relationship would later be, and what an important role PREPARE
would serve in our work.
This last year, PREPARE underwent another major
revision. It is now going to be
known as PREPARE/ENRICH Customized version, instead of PREPARE 2000. Several major changes in the instrument
are immediately apparent. One
change is that all the instruments are combined. Another change is that this version can only be taken by
computer. When a counselor agrees
with a couple to utilize this version, a private login account is
established allowing the parties to take the inventory online. The initial items inquire into the
status of the couple's relationship, such as whether they are engaged, living
together, or married. Other items
inquire about age and other factors.
The answers to these questions determine which banks of questions are
relevant and will be administered to the couple. Each couple takes a "custom" version of the assessment.
The outcome results are immediately obvious. Separate reports are generated for
counselors ("facilitators") and couples.
Reports include a massive amount or information about the couple and
their relationship, no matter what stage of relationship the couple may be
in. This enables couples to make important
informed decisions, including commitments to grow and change.
Another important aspect of the PREPARE/ENRICH inventories
is the increased emphasis on interactive feedback and therapeutic
exercises. For those trained in
this approach, tools for helping couples grow are immediately available to meet
the couple's needs.
CFI will be providing workshops to train new users of the PREPARE/ENRICH Customized Version, and to update those already trained in PREPARE
2000. Watch CFI's website for dates
and times. Also, check out theLife Innovations website for more information.
by Dale R. Doty, M.S.W., Ph.D.
To sign up for Dr. Dale Doty's PREPARE/ENRICH training workshop on April 2, please click here.
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Suicide Prevention
Approximately 30,000 suicides occur in the United States each year. For every suicide, there are at least six people profoundly and intimately affected.
Our churches and faith communities promote protective factors for people who may be experiencing a suicidal crisis. Faith communities are a source of hopefulness for many people, a place to experience sadness and joy, and a place to find and offer forgiveness. This guidebook assists members of faith communities in knowing how to assist in the prevention of suicide; in knowing how to respond in the midst of a suicidal crisis; and in responding after a suicide loss.
Read more about Suicide Prevention resources on Dr. Tim Doty's website.
Take a moment to order a copy of The Role of Faith Communities in Suicide Prevention: A Guidebook for Faith Leaders for you and your faith community today. We can all play a role in preventing suicide.
The Role of Faith Communities in Suicide Prevention: A Guidebook for Faith Leaders
by Doty, Psy.D. Timothy by Carson J Spencer Foundation
Paperback 
Our Price:$9.99 Buy Now
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On a Lighter Note
Disclaimer: The views of cartoons do not necessarily represent the views of Christian Family Institute or its staff. They are for comic relief and are intended for entertainment purposes only.
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If we can be of service, please contact CFI to set up a time to consult with one of our counselors. We also provide psychological assessments and evaluations for ADHD and educational needs as well as pre-marital evaluations and counseling. To view our full range of services, please visit www.CFItulsa.com.
Sincerely,
Timothy Doty, Psy.D. on behalf of
Christian Family Institute
Our Staff includes:
Dale R. Doty, Ph.D.
William B. Berman, Ph.D.
G. Bowden McElroy, M.Ed.
Eric L. Clements, M.S.
Jill E. Butler, M.S.
Salley Sutmiller, M.S.
Lois K. Trost, M.S.W.
Jamie Brandon, M.S.
Amber R. Sherrell, M.S.
Timothy D. Doty, Psy.D.
Stephen Harnish, M.D.
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