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Featured Counselor: Christine Batzer

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 16:34:34 GMT

Why did you choose counseling as a career?

I considered going into counseling at various times but was finally encouraged to do so by my Pastor a couple years ago. Pastor prompted me to enroll in a master’s program and I graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin in May of 2022.

What do you love most about working with your clients?

It is an honor to hold space for my clients’ struggles. It is rewarding to see the changes and progress clients can make in their lives. While the client is responsible for making those changes it is fantastic to be the therapist who helped with the process.

What's something most folks don't know about you?

I have two cats – Ivan is 25 lbs and sleeps in a flamingo floatie bed. Minette is named after Julia Child’s cat and is purrs constantly.

Out with the Old, In with the Ew?

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 03:22:39 GMT

I’m going to tell it to you straight out – 2020 was the Crisis, 2021 will be the Fallout, and 2022 will be the Recovery. This is how we deal with community grief and loss.

As we reached the end of 2020 and with the advent of the COVID-19 vaccine, so many of us were filled with relief and anticipation that our worst days were behind us and we could start to move forward. Yet, the grieving process doesn’t work that way – grief is a strange beast and we will all have different experiences with it.

Essentially, fallout is the biproduct of facing crisis and chaos. So, what do we do in “2021 - Year of the Fallout”? I recommend these four helpful ways to have stability in your environment:

Good Self Care – Sanctuary is Key during this period. Times of rest and rejuvenation are vital to our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health. So, get restorative sleep, make relaxation time a priority, and engage in calming activities.

Check Your Emotions – we may not even realize we are getting anxious or frustrated until someone asks: “Are you ok?” So, make sure to check your emotions, especially when you are in a stressful environment. When you find yourself getting agitated or irritated, move to a different environment or focus on something that will calm your mind and reduce the possibility of “losing your cool.”

Make Time for Meaningful Pursuits – engage in activities that bring joy and satisfaction to your life. Get into a good book or THE Good Book (God’s Word), spend time with friends who are positive and encouraging, engage in physical exercise, and pursue a hobby that brings fulfillment.

Foster Gratitude – consider being thankful for yourself and with others . Reflecting on how much you have and what God has blessed you with in your life can bring peace. We still have worries and stressors, so it may take work to focus on gratitude. Start by journaling gratitude. This will help you begin to settle your mind and start to produce contentment.

The “Ew-filled” moments of this new year can be lessened if you take care of yourself and consider what you can do to help others. I will be praying you through.

In Him,

Kim

Want more information about mental health and communal grief?

https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/covid-19

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html

Five ways to manage the rest of 2020

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:03:25 GMT

“I can’t take it anymore” it’s a phrase that’s heard a lot in our community, our country, and around the world right now. We’ve had enough of dealing with COVID-19, racial injustices, and an election marred with conflict and hate.

Clients I work with are basically fed-up and stressed out and confused about what they can do to change their own environment.

As a therapist, I’m often asked the question – “What should I do?” When that happens, my goal is to assist clients with finding their own solutions rather than giving cookie cutter answers to individual situations. Yet, a theme emerges when I encourage clients to engage in good self-care practices which I believe are essential to well-being when dealing with stress.

So, listed below are five evidence-based ways that may help you through this time of grief and strife:

1 – Limit Your Social Media Access – set a time limit with Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat, and other apps. Although informative and engrossing, social media can often take away your time and your joy.

2 – Add Time for Engaging in Joy-filled Activities - do whatever fills your “self-care cup” such as reading, socializing with friends (6 feet apart, of course), enjoying a hobby, or cooking together with loved ones.

3 - Limit Watching or Scrolling the “News” – too much input from outside sources can often lead to emotional and mental stress. Check into respected news sources for a smaller amount of time, then use the rest of time to get into God's Word and find the truth and peace Jesus offers.

4 – Add in Exercise and Mindful Eating – both regular exercise (at least 3 days per week) and mindfully eating at meals can assist with improved physical health which leads to improved emotional and mental health.

5 – Spend Time in a Peaceful Place – I often ask clients: “How do you create sanctuary in your home and life?” And they admit they don’t have sanctuary. So, find your favorite spot and then include your favorite things such as mug, books, art supplies, and plants. Choose regular time for reading, gardening, creating, and spending a few minutes in prayer. It’s often refreshing to shut out the distractions and have an honest moment with God.

Know that you have the power to limit outside factors and safeguard how you think and feel throughout the coming weeks and months.

Blessings and Love to All!

- Kim

Kim Stein leads the Clinic for Christian Counseling. She specializes in helping clients journey through depression, anxiety, life transitions and more. Kim draws inspiration from 2 Corinthians 4:18: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”