REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: SPIRITUALLY INTEGRATED PSYCHOTHERAPY TRAINING

Join The Rev. Roosevelt Brown, D.Min., LMFT, Chief of Chaplain Service for Hampton VAMC and The Rev. Douglas M. Thorpe, Ph.D., LPC, Executive Director for the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care for the educational program, Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy Training.

Sept. 17 & 18 and Sept. 24 & 25 and October 1, 2021

Online

Link to register: https://acpe.edu/.../spiritually-integrated-psychotherapy...

Schedule:

Friday and Saturday, September 17 & 18, 9:00 - 4:00

Friday and Saturday, September 24 & 25, 9:00 - 4:00: Friday, October 1, 9:00 - 12:00 - all online

Cost is $750 per person and limited scholarships are available; for more information and to register contact Roosevelt Brown at akchaps53@gmail.com or Douglas M. Thorpe at dthorpe@vipcare.org

For mental health professionals and graduate students

30 hours of NBCC Continuing Education Credit

Optional consultation, certification, and ongoing support that continue beyond the training

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The word psychotherapy means “care of the soul” (from the Greek psyche + therapeia). While the history of psychotherapy includes theorists and practitioners with a bias against spirituality and religion, there have always been practitioners who found effective ways to include spiritual wisdom in psychotherapeutic work and a large portion of psychotherapy clients who wanted to talk about the spiritual dimension of their lives.

The SIP Training draws upon diverse spiritual traditions and psychological research to provide practical, usable resources to help therapists integrate spirituality into their work. SIP teaches mental health therapists how to elicit and make therapeutic use of their clients’ spiritual perspectives make ethically appropriate use of their own spiritual perspectives.

The SIP Training is for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals: counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, pastoral counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, addictions specialists, and others.

Participants who complete the 30-hour curriculum are eligible to pursue certification in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy by completing 20 hours of consultation with an ACPE SIP Trainer.

COVID-19 Precautions at VIPCare

AUGUST 11, 2021 UPDATE

 Given the current surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, we have adjusted our COVID precautions in line with recent recommendations from medical experts. 

 For the health and safety of all VIPCare clients and staff:

 ·     If you are feeling sick, have a cough, fever, loss of taste, or shortness of breath, please go home immediately.  We will gladly reschedule your appointment for a later date and will waive any late-cancellation fees. 

 ·     Please wear a face mask or cloth covering over your mouth and nose while you are in the waiting room, or wait outside until your counselor is ready for you, even if you have been vaccinated.    

 ·     In your counseling session, you and your counselor can discuss the appropriate precautions to protect both of you, depending on risk factors and immunity status.

 ·     All VIPCare counselors continue to be available by videoconference or telephone if you prefer.

  Thank you for helping keep everyone healthy.

A Unique Calling: Perspectives on Pastoral Counseling

In 2005, then VIPCare colleague and friend Jason C. Whitehead compiled a booklet, A Unique Calling: Perspectives on Pastoral Counseling, with essays on the work of pastoral counseling.

VIPCare counselors revisited the booklet recently and thought it would be GOOD to share these essays anew.

BACKGROUND: Jason Whitehead is the director of Consultation and Formation at Iliff School of Theology. He has served in pastoral roles for congregations in South Carolina, Virginia, and Colorado. Whitehead is a licensed clinical social worker and a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is the author of Redeeming Fear: A Constructive Theology for Living Into Hope, as well as articles on neuropsychology and theology for Sacred Spaces: The Online Journal for the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

His research interests include pastoral theology and care as it relates to memory, emotions, imagination, belonging and the intersection of science and theology.

He graduated with a BA from The Citadel, an MDiv from Union Presbyterian Seminary, an MSW from Virginia Commonwealth University and a PhD from the Iliff School of Theology and University of Denver.

Jason C. Whitehead

Human Equine Alliance Relational Transformation Program: VIPCare Counselor Darla S. Renshaw

What is H.E.A.R.T.? The H.E.A.R.T. program invites clients to heal through a relationship with horses. Working with horses on the ground, not by riding them, helps clients connect with their emotions and bodies through the horses' responses to them.

Therapeutic work with horses engages clients in an intimate and relaxing partnership (in contrast to human relationships, which may be complex, confusing, and painful) and invites healing, especially for clients who have experienced trauma, loss, and grief.

Therapy with horses incorporates appropriate touch, heart attunement, grounding, and breath work to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Socializing with equines via non-verbal communication can act as a therapeutic catalyst promoting learning and personal development.

Equine therapy provides a transformative link or bridge between clients’ internal pain, healing, and growth.

The HEART program is offered in individual sessions for adults and adolescents ages 14 and up (insurance and sliding scale).

With the lessening of COVID-19 restrictions, the program will expand into group and family sessions.

To schedule an individual session with the HEART program, please contact Darla Renshaw directly at 804.282.8332 ext. 237.

CONTACT:

EMAIL: DRENSHAW@VIPCARE.ORG

VIPCARE TELEPHONE: 804.282.8332 ext. 237

EDUCATION:

M.S., Counseling Psychology, Prescott College

M.P.H., Public Health, Johns Hopkins University

Post-graduate certificaton in Equine-Assisted Mental Health (EAMH), Prescott College, AZ

EAGALA Certified EAMH Practitioner and EAGALA Certified Equine Specialist

EMDR trauma-informed advanced level therapist, EMDRIA

VIPCare Counselor Paul Simrell Offers Mental Health Wellness Moment

Bon Air Christian Church Facebook Live Mental Health Wellness MomenT

SPIRITUALLY INTEGRATED PSYCHOTHERAPY TRAINING Sept. 17 & 18, Sept. 24 & 25 and October 1 (online)

JOIN THE Rev. Roosevelt Brown, DMin, LMFT, Chief, Chaplain Service Hampton VAMC, and THE Rev. Douglas Thorpe, PhD, LPC , Executive Director, Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care for Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy Training.

Schedule: Friday and Saturday, September 17 & 18, 9:00 - 4:00

Friday and Saturday, September 24 & 25, 9:00 - 4:00: Friday, October 1, 9:00 - 12:00 - all online

Cost is $750 per person and limited scholarships are available; for more information and to register contact Roosevelt Brown at akchaps53@gmail.com or Douglas M. Thorpe at dthorpe@vipcare.org

• For mental health professionals and graduate students

• 30 hours of NBCC Continuing Education Credit

• Optional consultation, certification, and ongoing support that continue beyond the training

The word psychotherapy means “care of the soul” (from the Greek psyche + therapeia). While the history of psychotherapy includes theorists and practitioners with a bias against spirituality and religion, there have always been practitioners who found effective ways to include spiritual wisdom in psychotherapeutic work and a large portion of psychotherapy clients who wanted to talk about the spiritual dimension of their lives.

The SIP Training draws upon diverse spiritual traditions and psychological research to provide practical, usable resources to help therapists integrate spirituality into their work. SIP teaches mental health therapists how to elicit and make therapeutic use of their clients’ spiritual perspectives make ethically appropriate use of their own spiritual perspectives.

The SIP Training is for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals: counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, pastoral counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, addictions specialists, and others.

Participants who complete the 30-hour curriculum are eligible to pursue certification in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy by completing 20 hours of consultation with an ACPE SIP Trainer.

LATEST UPDATE: COVID-19 Precautions

As the COVID-19 pandemic eases, and as the number of fully vaccinated Virginians approaches 50%, VIPCare has adjusted its COVID precautions in line with recent recommendations from medical experts. 

MEMORANDUM

to: ALL VIPCARE CLIENTS

from: DOUG THORPE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

subject: COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS

date: May 20, 2021

 For the health and safety of all VIPCare clients and staff:

 ·      If you are feeling sick, have a cough, fever, loss of taste, or shortness of breath, please do not come to VIPCare for your appointment.  We will gladly reschedule your appointment for a later date and will waive any late-cancellation fees. 

 ·      If you have an in-person appointment at a VIPCare office, please wear a face mask or cloth covering over your mouth and nose while you are in the waiting room, or wait outside until your counselor is ready for you.    

 ·      In your counseling session, you and your counselor can discuss the appropriate precautions to protect both of you, depending on risk factors and immunity status.

All VIPCare counselors continue to be available by videoconference or telephone if you prefer.

Thank you for working with us to keep everyone as healthy as possible.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Dale: Former VIPCare Board Member Passed Away April 30

Former Board Member and friend of VIPCare, The Rev. Dr. Robert Dale passed away on Friday, April 30, 2021.

Dr. Dale served on VIPCare's Board of Directors for many years and spearheaded the strategic planning process in 2006. He remained in contact and in recent years Executive Director Douglas M. Thorpe and Counselor Peggy Newman participated with him in church workshops.

As a professor and church leader, Dr. Dale mentored many clergy throughout Richmond (see the Dover Baptist website link below). VIPCare Board and staff send Dr. Dale's wife, Carrie, and his children, Amy and Cass, love and prayers.

Visitation will be held:

Tuesday, May 4th 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Sandston Baptist Church

100 Williamsburg Road, Sandston, VA 23150

Services: Due to Covid, a private graveside service will be held. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Dale

MEET OUR COUNSELORS: DARLA S. RENSHAW M.S., M.P.H., LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR

WHY I SERVE AS A COUNSELOR AT VIPCARE?

A conversation with Darla S. Renshaw

QUESTION: How did you come to work at VIPCare?

ANSWER: Initially, I came to VIPCARE to do my MS in Counseling Psychology practicum and internships to fulfill the degree requirements. I was especially drawn to a not for profit spiritual core agency, and I wanted to have experienced clinicians who would be committed to providing me with excellent supervision in my professional formation as a counselor. At the heart of it all, is my need to be of service in ministry to those who need care and support for their overall well-being, and who can’t really afford it. I am now a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and have been a VIPCARE Associate staff for two plus years. VIPCARE has a spiritual core and holds the space for hope and healing with the heart of practicing positive regard and loving kindness for those who find their way to VIPCare.

VIPCARE. QUESTION: How do you approach therapy (or the counseling relationship)?

ANSWER: My approach to the therapeutic alliance is to create a safe, secure, sacred space for clients to do their healing work, and to explore their personal growth and development as they see fit. As an Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) trauma-informed therapist, I assess with the clients what life circumstances have presented as issues that have not been integrated into their life experiences and keep them from being the best versions of themselves they want to be in life. Clients hold their own answers for their healing, learning, growth, and development. I view my role as practitioner as one of support, hope, loving kindness, and acceptance. I am a compass or guide with clients who hold their own road maps and destinations for their life journeys.

QUESTION: What inspires you amidst COVID-19 challenges (what advice do you offer clients)?

ANSWER: The majority of my clients are EMDR clients, who have significant trauma histories. Most of my (EMDR) clients have chosen to continue with office sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic. I hold great admiration for clients’ resiliency and willingness to rise above the courage line for their healing in light of the threat of COVID-19. A very few of my clients have willingly chosen to do telehealth sessions, and these clients usually have co-morbidities and are better served by reducing their risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. I completely affirm and encourage them to set boundaries to safeguard their well-being as a part of practicing healthy self care. Clients are very resourceful and imaginative in how they have chosen to use their time and energy during sheltering in place. I am always inspired by the things clients discover about themselves and their families when they have time to just be together for meals, games, arts and crafts, and their abilities to create fun in the midst of so much loss of socializing with extended family, friends, and peers, especially during the holidays and special occasions.

QUESTION: What are special therapeutic techniques you offer your clients?

ANSWER: Loss, mourning, grief, depression, and anxiety, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, are challenging for clients, and with both EMDR therapy and the Equine-Assisted Mental Health (EAMH) practice I have these amazingly powerful resources to provide to clients. I also draw on transpersonal psychology and expressive arts therapy with clients seeking these modalities. Specializing in marriage, couples, and family therapy, I also use the Gottman Institute’s Solid House theory, Encounter-centered Couples therapy, and Emotion-Focused therapy while also relying on EMDR therapy with these clients. As needed, I can utilize other therapies in addressing clients’ challenges and needs. I am a client centered, multi-cultural, integrative practitioner, who is a better counselor and person because of my clients.

EDUCATION:
M.S., Counseling Psychology, Prescott College
M.P.H., Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Post-graduate certificaton in Equine-Assisted Mental Health (EAMH), Prescott College, AZ
EAGALA Certified EAMH Practitioner and EAGALA Certified Equine Specialist
EMDR trauma-informed advanced level therapist, EMDRIA

CONTACT:
EMAIL: DRENSHAW@VIPCARE.ORG
VIPCARE TELEPHONE: 804.282.8332 ext. 237

Darla S. Renshaw, M.S., M.P.H., Licensed Professional Counselor

COPING WITH COVID-19: THOUGHTS ON 'GATHERING AGAIN'

By Executive Director, Douglas M.Thorpe, Ph.D.

I realized last week, when I stepped into a neighbor’s screened-in porch, that I have not set foot inside a house other than my own – except one rental cottage last summer – for over a year. As vaccination rates increase, though, I have been thinking more about getting together with other people. My wife and I recently ate our first meal inside a restaurant since the start of the pandemic – 10 feet from the nearest table and served by a masked waiter, but still in a restaurant. Our friends are talking about getting together again, outside at first, then, eventually, inside for meals and conversation. We’re dreaming of worship services with singing, movies, concerts and sporting events. We’re longing for birthday parties and family reunions, and we have a granddaughter we have not yet met.

While all this talk of re-gathering holds the promise of great joy, it can also stir anxiety and unease. How safe is that restaurant? How careful have my friends been about limiting their potential exposure to the virus? Who in my circle has been vaccinated, who is still waiting, and who is dismissive of the need for vaccination? How much protection do the vaccines provide against the nasty variants now circulating?

As you contemplate re-entering something more like your former life, here are some strategies for navigating the terrain between hope and anxiety.

Begin gradually. As much as you might want to fill your home with friendly faces, the risk of transmission remains high. The City of Richmond remains in the level of Very High risk, with case numbers actually rising over the last 14 days. Start with a small group of people you know and trust, maybe outside on a beautiful spring day.

Be prepared to work harder for the reward of social contact. It not only takes more planning to pull off an enjoyable, safe social experience, but re-engaging may stress you in unexpected ways. Most of us have grown accustomed to quieter homes and smaller crowds in public places. The noise and bustle of going back into a crowded venue can be surprising and stressful. Recall the first time you visited a bustling urban core such as mid-town Manhattan or Chicago’s Loop. The sensory overload of that experience could be repeated the first time you’re back in a crowd.

Know your own limits. Your friends and family will not all have the same level of comfort with re-engagement. Do your own research into risks and mitigation practices, then set your limits and stick to them. Others may pressure you to open more, or might criticize you for what you deem acceptable. Once you have made an informed decision, feel free to stick with it until conditions change.

Recognize that you may have to do some tough negotiation with those around you. Are you comfortable asking people about their vaccination status before you invite them over? Will you require masks of anyone who comes into your house? Before you RSVP to that birthday party invitation, will you ask the host about safety protocols? Not everyone will take kindly to that sort of questioning. Try to focus on your hopes and fears, not on any criticism of others’ practices.

We’re all trying to reach the same end of re-opening safely. We’ll get there more surely if we exercise a little patience and grace.

Douglas M. Thorpe, Ph.D.

Executive Director and Licensed Professional Counselor