Hope for Minds & Hearts
Hope, Knowledge, Prayer & Support
Monthly Focus
June Resources - Navigating Grief Grief is a natural and deeply personal response to loss that everyone experiences at some point in life. Whether you're mourning the passing of a loved one, a major life transition, or another form of loss, it's important to remember that healing takes time. Everyone grieves differently, and there is no "right" way to feel. Some days you may feel overwhelmed with sadness; other days, you might feel numb, angry, relieved, or even find moments of laughter--and all of that is okay. Grief doesn't follow a straight path or a set timeline. Everyone's experience is unique, and your feelings, whatever they are, are valid. Avoid comparing your journey to others' or judging yourself for how you're coping.
Coping Skill to Try: Journal your emotions. Writing can help you untangle complicated feelings and give your grief a safe place to be expressed. Spend just 10 minutes a day jotting down your thoughts, memories, or even questions. There's no need to be polished or perfect--just be honest with yourself. Your journal can become a gentle companion through the healing process.
Local Resource: You don't have to grieve alone. We have a GriefShare group meeting on Friday afternoons, through August 15 from 1:00-3:30 pm at Inspire Royal Park, 4101 Glenloch Circle in Matthews. Register on the GriefShare site.
Annual Topic Outline & Schedule
Congregational Depression Awareness Program (CDAP)
Date TBD
We are launching a program to disseminate valuable information about depression to individuals directly and indirectly impacted by depression. Participants will receive instruction, resources, and ongoing support on the following topics:
- Recognizing the signs and symptoms of depression
- Strategies to overcome the stigma associated with depression and other mental illnesses
- Medical and psychosocial treatments for depression
- Assisting individuals who need help identifying and accessing mental health services
- Providing informal (i.e., non-professional) support to complement the professional care individuals suffering from depression are receiving
- Providing guidance and support for individuals who have a loved one suffering from depression
- Recognizing and responding to suicide warning signs
Local and national resources (e.g., National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention).
Some homework between sessions.
Mental Health Resources
- Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology and How You Can Heal - By Donna Jackson Nakazawa
- Grace for Afflicted - By Matthew S. Stanford
- Out of the Darkness and Into The Light - By Daniel Hale, Ph. D.
- Resurrecting the Person: Friendship and the Care of People with Mental Health Problems - By John Swinton
- The Deepest Well - By Nadine Burke Harris, M.D.
- Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church's Mission - By Amy Simpson
- What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing - By Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph. D. and Oprah Winfrey
- The Noonday Demon: An Atlas Of Depression - By Andrew Solomon
- The Body Keeps The Score - By Bessel Van der Kolk
Annual Mental Health Symposiums
Past Education Series Topics
- Mental Health Overview: What do you think Christ would say about Mental Health challenges?
- Healthy Boundaries: What do boundaries have to do with Mental Health?
- Stigma & Shame:
Bipolar
Anxiety - Power of Empathetic Listening
- Healing Addictions: Yours & Mine with Janet Dagenhart
- Eating Disorders - Dr. Greer Mitchell from Hopeway
- Trauma & PTSD - King Jones from Carolina Family and Maternal Counseling
- Supporting Your Loved One's Mental Health - Christopher Weedom - NAMI
- Understanding Adolescent Mental Health with Brittany Collins, Therapist, Queen City Counseling
- "Depression - Out of the Darkness and Into the Light" - Worship & Luncheon Guest Speaker Dr. Daniel Hale
- It's OK to Talk: Mental Health in Our Community, Kevin Markle, Mental Health America
- Mental Health Issues in Children Ian Murray M.ED, LCMHC
- Broken Men, in God's Image Jay Cobb MA, LMFT, LCMHC
- The Beauty of Anxiety Rev. Bill Roth Myers Park Methodist
- Anxious Nation Documentary Viewing & Panel Discussion with Megan Yaho, M.ED, LCMHC & Ian Murray, M.ED, LCMHC, Southeast Psych
To find out more, please contact Kim Layton at 704-815-1913.
