Centers Solutions

November 11th, 2021 was Veteran's Day and we had the privilege of hosting Darryl James--author of "PHOENIX 13" and strong supporter of Centers. Joined by a "Zoom" audience, Darryl shared a few of his adventures flying scout/observation helicopters in Vietnam--a storytelling experience you won't want to miss!

The holidays, coupled with a global pandemic can be a time of torment for those struggling with eating disorders. Food anxiety is real and can affect us all. Jenn Mason, LPC & owner of Intuitive Healing Therapy and Denise DelPrincipe, Registered & Licensed Dietician Nutritionist & owner of ThoughtFull Nutrition join the podcast to offer some powerful insight into this important topic.

Studies have shown that nutrition is linked to both physical and mental health. During a pandemic, many of us find ourselves trying to find ways to boost our immunity. Valerie Acosta, Executive Director of Healthy City, joins the podcast to share information about the plant based lifestyle and why adding more vegetables and fruit to your diet is essential.

DID YOU KNOW THAT KINDNESS CAN POSITIVELY AFFECT BOTH YOUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH? In a world filled with so much adversity, it is a great time to encourage the spreading of KINDNESS! Listen in to learn a little about how and why we should practice the act of kindness today.

Violence has erupted in cities across the US sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African-American man in police custody. The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health has recognized that the mental health impact of racism is considerable, and has formally declared a commitment to addressing the problem through all available means. Pastor Roy Smith of True Lite Christian Fellowship Church in Midland joins us to share his thoughts on this sensitive topic.

FROM IN ZOOM TO IN ZOOM "I'm reminded of this quote from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, “Curiouser and curiouser!” cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English.)As our community faces the ongoing pandemic and as we learn more about the coronavirus, curiouser provides an apt description, even if it is not proper English." Shelby Hammer, Head of Trinity School in Midland, joins the podcast to share the return to the classroom in 2020.

HOW DOES A COMMUNITY THEATRE COPE WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING? "In this pandemic world, I'm going to quit looking too far ahead --there's just no way to have any certainty in that." Tim Jebsen, Executive Director of the Midland Community Theatre, joins the podcast to share the theatre's story of keeping the show going during a pandemic.

STAYING CONNECTED FROM A DISTANCE--Who knew that the term "Social Distancing" would someday become a part of daily life? While practicing social distancing is vital in order to flatten the curve of COVID-19 admitted hospitalizations, it does not have to mean social isolation. Social Interaction is Essential!

SUICIDE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE --September is suicide prevention month and this year, people seem to be struggling more than ever! Angel Munoz, Army Veteran and member of a White Star family joins the team to share her story of the loss of her Marine Veteran brother. Together with Kristi Edwards, LPC, we will learn about the signs to look out for and why it is important to be bold, speak up, and possibly save a life.

The team welcomes Kay Crites of Big Brothers Big Sisters to talk about a special relief effort designed to help non-profit organizations deal with the devastating effects of COVID-19 and the shift in our oil economy. Learn how to help the helpers on August 25th!

ONE OF OUR OWN--Local RN, Heather Hale, gives us an overview of the life of a nurse in the COVID-19 unit, the mental health effect on our health care workers, and the reality of how they are bringing both physical and emotional comfort to patients fighting for their lives in our own community. This is as real as it gets.

Are you angry at 2020? There are so many reasons for our community to be on edge right now. A worldwide pandemic, protests, the decline of oil prices...pick your poison! With the events of 2020 and an overload of news and social media--we need coping skills now more than ever! Listen to a special "Almost Therapy" session with our podcast team as LPC, Kristi Edwards, gives us some much needed guidance for peace.

Food Insecurity...what is it? We have discussed it before, but have never had a moment in time quite like this to actually see it play out before our very eyes. The lines at food banks across the country have been growing and Craig Stoker with the WTX Food Bank joined the podcast to talk about an uncomfortable, but very real issue in our community.

Our local journalists are on the front line of every major crisis in our area. They review countless stories - many of which are tragic in nature. The mental health challenges are increasing in this important line of duty and Kristi Edwards, LPC, offers some coping techniques. Learn about the human side of broadcasting!

Isolation--we experienced it and we didn't like it. For some people, this is a way of life. Join Centers Solutions as we talk to John Mark Echols and Laura Chandler with Fields' Edge about the isolation experiences of homelessness in our community. **Bonus**topic--did you know you could rent a Llama for the cause? Listen in--it's good for your mental health!

Join Centers Solutions - COVID Edition - as we discuss the transition from quarantine back into our full and active lives with Elaine Bedell, Executive Director of Healthy MInds. Preparation is key and we are discussing some of the steps that will help lessen the anxiety and uncertainty of the changes ahead.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we have never been more aware of our mental health...join us as we celebrate our one year anniversary by taking a look back at special episodes. We will also discuss the Joy We Found in Quarantine--taking a look at some of the blessings as recalled by our Facebook friends!

"Protect our Frontline West Texas" is a coalition of West Texas Healthcare Providers Battling COVID-19. Co-founder, Dr. Summer Merritt, joins the podcast team to share the local experience from our own dedicated healthcare workers. The mental health challenges are increasing in this important line of duty and Kristi Edwards, LPC, offers some coping techniques.

Social Isolation has created a reason to reconnect with nature—a silver lining in our cloudy normal! Join us as we take little hike through Sibley Nature Center with Phil Salonek, Education Director. We will discuss the mental health connection followed by an audio description on the nature walk!

Just weeks ago, it seemed that the sky was falling. A stock market crash, a pandemic, and a historically low oil price had become a part of our new reality. Then, there was Monday, April 20th. The Permian Basin watched intently as the West Texas Intermediate futures fell into negative digits and with it went our sky. We were collectively stunned. Centers Solutions is bringing coping tools to work us all through the rebuild process.

COVID-19--Are we all in this together? We are the world, but in the Permian Basin--the struggle is unique. Oil Prices have affected our community's livelihood, in addition to the world economic and health crisis. This special edition of Centers Solutions will go over the problems we are facing in the Permian Basin and ways to cope. Kristi Edwards, LPC, is here to coach us through it!

The Centers Solutions Team welcomes Courtney Heard with Chevron as she describes her experience with Centers' "Kids First" from a volunteer's perspective. Kids First supervised visitation and exchange program gives children and parents the opportunity to bond in a secure and controlled environment. It is all about keeping kids SAFE! Listen to one of our favorite community warriors as she takes us through the process.

How important is volunteerism? Just ask any of your local non-profit organizations! Our Centers Solutions Team has a conversation with Molly Murphy of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Permian Basin as she describes their efforts to provide effective mentoring for the youth in our community. As always, we highlight the mental health connection!

It is 2020 and we are ringing in the new year with our 20th episode! Instead of resolutions, we are talking about creating "intentions" for our lives--present and future. Kristi Edwards walks us through an ALMOST therapy session and EMBRACING THE PROCESS OF YOUR PROGRESS!

Kids Grieve too--and grief has many triggers in today's world! Rays of Hope Children's Grief Centre joins the Centers Solutions podcast team to discuss their programs for helping children through the grieving process and the mental health connection.

What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is the concept of maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. Jennifer Whitehead, Stress Management Specialist at Midland Memorial Hospital, joins the podcast team to share information on the practice and how it can help our community.

Libby Campbell, Executive Director of The West Texas Food Bank joins our team to talk about the many ways in which the lack of food affects not only the physical, but the mental state of well being . For more information on The West Texas Food Bank, visit: www.wtxfoodbank.org

Student Athletes often struggle through academic stress, exhaustion, and the pressure to perform. Forrest Allen with Midland College joins Centers Solutions to discuss the issues faced by our students and the mental health connection.

HOLIDAY STRESS ALERT! Let's face it: Sometimes the holidays are not so jolly. In fact, this time of year can create feelings of doubt, overwhelm, anxiety, and depression. Kristi Edwards leads the podcast team in an ALMOST THERAPY session with coping techniques for the "most wonderful time of the year..."

Winter Blues is no joke! In fact, many people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder--or SAD--during the darker, colder months. Our podcast team tried LIGHT THERAPY and we are discussing our own experiences, while Kristi Edwards shares the theories behind this SAD therapy option.

Homelessness--it's a critical issue in the Permian Basin. We tend to see Homelessness as symptom of Mental Illness. Maddie West with Family Promise joins our podcast to address the other side--the mental health effect on families because of their homeless state.

This special Centers Solutions episode is part of our new ALMOST THERAPY SESSION--Kristi Edwards leads the podcast team in a discussion about "feeling stuck" in life and ways to get out of a rut and back into a productive and positive space.

"The day you get told you have cancer is the day that your world stops turning, but the rest of the world keeps going." October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Centers Solutions podcast team welcomes Leticia Reinke to talk about her own experience and the way in which Centers for Children & Families has helped her along this difficult chapter in the life of her family.

Mom Guilt--The Centers Solutions team has a candid discussion with Jessica Nosek, owner of Midland Moms Blog, about unrealistic expectations, comparisons, and the trap of "wanting it all." Listen as three moms talk about different perspectives of the same important issue.

Sex Trafficking is real, terrifying, and happening within our own community. Lisa Bownds, founder of Reflection Ministries, joins us to share her harrowing story and how she turned her own adversity into hope for victims in the Permian Basin. Listen to Sex Trafficking and the mental health connection.

Kim Collier joins the Centers Solutions podcast team to discuss addiction and overdose from a mother's perspective. In sharing her own experience with her daughter's untimely death, Kim has created an important voice for her family's pain--educating the community about hope after the storm and reminding us that no one is immune to this disease.

Centers Solutions, Episode 6--Aging and Mental Health presents a conversation with Saul Herrera, Director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and Kathleen Kirwan-Haynie, Executive Director of SENIOR LIFE. We are discussing the issues faced by our aging population and the mental health connection. Everyone is affected by aging--let's learn more about how to help!

Centers Solutions presents a SPECIAL EPISODE to help us learn about ways to cope with the aftermath of the recent active shooter tragedy in our own community. It begins with a message from Dr. Matt Brown--a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon / Hand Surgeon and his own professional and personal account as a surgeon on that fateful day. Kristi Edwards, Centers' CEO and Licensed Professional Counselor, gives advice on coping with a forever-changed Permian Basin.

Centers Solutions, Episode 5--The Stigma of Therapy with Dr. Stephanie Moses takes an in-depth look at the stigma of mental health and its prevalence in various cultures and populations--particularly with women. We talk about Dr. Stephanie's book, "In Session" and how her characters help give life to this very subject

In this episode, we have the privilege to sit with Ginamarie Soto, owner of The Little Gym, to discuss PlayTherapy, Play, and the Mental Health Connection. Ginamarie is the parent of a child participating in Play Therapy at Centers and has a unique understanding of the importance of this therapeutic process, as an owner of a play and exercise center for kids.

On this episode of Centers Solutions, we sat with Majia George, the Executive Director of Breaking Bread Kitchen, to talk about hunger in the Permian Basin, food insecurity, and child-hunger issues. Majia shared some of the innovative ways in which Breaking Bread Kitchen is providing SOLUTIONS and we discussed the mental health effects resulting from not having enough to eat. For more information on Breaking Bread Kitchen, visit: www.breakingbreadkitchen.org

Centers Solutions is a podcast dedicated to your mental health. Listen to the team from Centers for Children and Families as they discuss tips and tricks on how to improve your mental health. Join Kristi Edwards, Centers Executive Director and licensed therapist, Melanie Saiz, Centers Marketing and Development Director and the host Bailee Hennis live from the Recording Library of West Texas studio. Tune in to hear special guests talk about important mental health issues! Centers and The Recording Library of West Texas (#RLWT) are both non-profit organizations located in Midland, Texas. Visit www.centerstx.org and www.recordinglibrary.org for more information.

Centers Solutions is a podcast dedicated to your mental health. Listen to the team from Centers for Children and Families as they discuss tips and tricks on how to improve your mental health. Join Kristi Edwards, Centers Executive Director and licensed therapist, Melanie Saiz, Centers Marketing and Development Director and the host Bailee Hennis live from the Recording Library of West Texas studio. Tune in to hear special guests talk about important mental health issues! Centers and The Recording Library of West Texas (#RLWT) are both non-profit organizations located in Midland, Texas. Visit www.centerstx.org and www.recordinglibrary.org for more information.