Post-Adoption Group for Girls

My name is Lauren Jones, and I am a counselor at Martin Counseling with David Martin.  We wanted to let you know about a group we are running for adopted junior high and high school girls.  This group will provide a supportive environment where students can learn healthy ways to communicate their feelings and explore their adoption story.  

Who: Junior High or High School aged girls

When: Tuesday evenings from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Where: Martin Counseling (439 Mason Park Blvd, Suite C, 77450)

Cost: $50 per session

To register: Call Lauren at 832-779-1417 or email at lauren@houstonlpc.com

Please pass along this information to anyone you think might be interested or could benefit from this opportunity.  

Thank you, Lizi!

1,000,000 THANK YOUs to Lizi Bailey for generously donating her incredible pictures for our site. 

There are artists who give and artists who take.  Lizi gives.  Over and over again.

KATY MENTAL HEALTH - Friday, November 7, 2014

TOPIC: Why You Need a Platform to Succeed.  5 Steps to Building Your Platform.

Do you ever feel like trying to get your message out is very hard today? Like trying to get noticed in a packed stadium?

You’re not alone.

At this meeting we will talk about why you need a platform and how to build one:

1. A platform provides visibility. The word platform itself is a metaphor for a stage on which you are elevated above the crowd.

2. A platform provides amplification. It enables you to be heard above the roar of the crowd. The noise.

3. A platform provides connection. Traditional media platforms make possible a kind of one-way conversation. But social media has taken this to a whole new level. It makes possible two-way conversation—in other words, engagement.

Without a platform—something that enables you to get seen and heard—you don’t have a chance.  Having an awesome product, an outstanding service, or a compelling cause is no longer enough.

David Bueno Martin, LPC-S and Ruby Renz, LPC are co-hosting the next Katy Mental Health networking luncheon in Katy, Texas.  Our lunch is sponsored by Houston Behavioral Healthcare.  There is NO COST to this meeting (donations are appreciated to help with ongoing costs). To reserve your place at this event please RSVP by filling out this simple form.  

This meeting is for professional counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists.  We also want to invite anyone interested in connecting resources with those who need them and making mental health a priority in our community in Katy and West Houston.

Feel free to forward this info to other mental health professionals.

Friday, November 7, 2014. 11:30 AM UNTIL 1:00 PM.

THE BRAZOS VALLEY SCHOOLS CREDIT UNION

25525 KATY MILLS PARKWAY

KATY, TX 77494

281-391-2149 (PHONE NUMBER TO THE LOCATION)

For any questions, please contact David Bueno Martin at 713-364-8590 or e-mail: David@HoustonLPC.com.

Daring Way(TM) groups starting soon in Houston, TX

This is a guest post by Ruby Renz. She is a therapist in private practice and provides counseling services in Houston, TX.    If you want to guest post on this blog, get in touch with me: david@houstonlpc.com

Imagine yourself at extended-family holiday gatherings in a few months.  You are calm, serene and yes, even joyful.  You let the comments about your (fill in the blank: job, weight, children, spouse, lack of children or spouse, etc.) roll off your back.  You are truly happy to learn that your (fill in the blank: siblings, high school friends, old boy/girlfriends, arch rivals, etc.) are all outrageously successful, have exemplary children, look 20 years younger than they are and have deeply happy marriages.

You are comfortable being you.

What happened to the shame, comparison and disengagement that used to consume you?  Why aren't you caught up in a "hustle for worthiness," trying to prove that you're just as good as everyone else?

Maybe you have been deliberately working on discovering what holds you back in life.  Maybe part of that work was participating in a Daring Way™ group, based on the shame resiliency research of Brené Brown, PhD.  With a few others you courageously searched for what triggers your shame and fear, recognized it for what it is and learned how to take its power away.

Dealing with our shame is not a once-and-for-all-time effort.  The Daring Way™ doesn't work magic.  Here's what it does do: it gives you insight and tools, and encouragement from and connection with others who "get" what holds you back from wholehearted living because they are in the same boat.

If you participate in a group, you may feel worse before you feel better.  You will definitely do some hard inner work.  You will quite likely need to let go of some old behaviors that don't work anymore--maybe never worked.  You will practice being vulnerable with others while keeping safe boundaries.

If you do the hard work, you can expect to see more courage, compassion and connection in yourself.  You will begin to figure out not only what triggers your shame but what values keep you grounded and moving forward to becoming your best self.  You will learn to "show up, be seen, live brave™."

You will begin to feel comfortable in your own skin.

If this sounds like something you're ready for, take a look at this attached flyer.  Contact me to discuss your participation in a group.  Groups begin soon and are kept small by design.  Give yourself permission to show up.  Get a head start on the family holiday gatherings.

Daring Greatly,

Ruby Renz, M.Ed., MDivBL
Licensed Professional Counselor
Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator

Ethics workshop in Houston, TX

Ethics workshop lead by Dr. Randy Sanders followed by a CAPS meeting on September 26.  Students are given a discounted rate.

Follow this link for registration: http://tiny.cc/dfo2hx

I hope to see you at the workshop!

happiness and gratitude

It turns out, there is a clear relationship between happiness and gratitude.

So, here you go.

3 quotes about gratitude:

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” Maya Angelou

Reflect upon your present blessings -of which every man has many- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. Charles Dickens

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

I wanted to share this helpful resource:  Free therapy worksheets and tools for Mental Health counselors = http://ow.ly/oqoCT

I also found this interesting article: How to Help a High-Functioning Alcoholic in Denial = http://ow.ly/yOhF5

Other things…

NEW LPC JOBS = http://ow.ly/yFzmL

KATY MENTAL HEALTH - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

NEW LOCATION, AFFORDABLE RATES!! = http://ow.ly/ySUsA

KATY MENTAL HEALTH - Friday, September 5, 2014

David Bueno Martin, LPC-S and Ruby Renz, LPC are co-hosting the next Katy Mental Health networking luncheon in Katy, Texas.  Please bring your own lunch. There is NO COST to this meeting (donations are appreciated to help with ongoing costs). To reserve your place at this event please RSVP by filling out this simple form.  

This meeting is for professional counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists.  We also want to invite anyone interested in connecting resources with those who need them and making mental health a priority in our community in Katy and West Houston.

Here are some details about our topic this month.

Feel free to forward this info to other mental health professionals.

Friday, September 5, 2014. 11:30 AM UNTIL 1:00 PM.

THE BRAZOS VALLEY SCHOOLS CREDIT UNION

25525 KATY MILLS PARKWAY

KATY, TX 77494

281-391-2149 (PHONE NUMBER TO THE LOCATION)

For any questions, please contact David Bueno Martin at 713-364-8590 or e-mail: David@HoustonLPC.com.

Dallas - Fort Worth LPC Jobs

Dallas - Fort Worth LPC Jobs

I have been doing some research to help my LPC and LPC intern colleagues in their quest to find new career opportunities in the DFW area.

Here is what I found:

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.  Unlike the United Way in the Houston area, they don't seem to have a job board.  Here is a list of their service providers.  I would suggest getting in touch with EACH of them and inquire about open positions or new opportunities.

Here is the link to the same kind of list for the United Way of Tarrant County.

MetroCare jobs

Jobs at MHMR Tarrant County

The Parenting Center

The Women's Center - Job Openings

Catholic Charities of Dallas - Career Opportunities

Catholic Charities Fort Worth - Employment

Simply Hired

Indeed

Health Care jobs on Craig list

The following sites are not specific to the Dallas area, but you might be able to find some valuable leads: 

MHA CAREER CENTER

Texas Non-Profits website jobs listing

SocialService.com

IHireMentalHealth.com

Best to you in your search for your next career move,

David

NEW LOCATION, AFFORDABLE RATES!!

Martin Counseling is excited to announce that we have a second location!  We are offering appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1846 Snake River Rd. Suite B., Katy, TX 77449.  

We are committed to providing affordable services to meet the mental health needs in the Katy community.  Therefore, we are offering a special discount this summer for Counseling with Lauren of $50/session for new clients!

Lauren Jones, LPC Intern, is supervised by David Bueno Martin, LPC-S, and works with children, adolescents, and adults. For more info about Lauren, please visit our website at martincounseling.com/lauren 

Fully furnished LPC office space for rent

Fully furnished LPC office space for rent.  Space includes one fully equipped play therapy room, two comfortable office spaces and a waiting area.   Copier located in one of the office spaces.   Grant and Jones Road area.  Rent is $200/month for one day a week per month use, $375/month for 2-3 day a week use and $475/month for unlimited use per week.  Contact Kim @ 618-581-1160.

Katy Mental Health - FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2014

Do you ever feel disconnected from others in your profession?   Here is your chance to do something about it this July.  Find other mental health folks. Form teams, solve problems. Hire. Be hired. Dream big. Make promises and keep them. Talk about Katy. Talk about helping others. Invite your friends. Reinvigorate yourself.  Invigorate someone else. Discover how small the world is. Remind yourself how big the world is. This meeting is for counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists.  We also want to invite anyone interested in connecting resources with those who need them and making mental health a priority in our community in Katy .

FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2014. 11:30 AM UNTIL 1:00 PM.

THE BRAZOS VALLEY SCHOOLS CREDIT UNION

25525 KATY MILLS PARKWAY

KATY, TX 77494

281-391-2149 (PHONE NUMBER TO THE LOCATION)

David Bueno Martin, LPC-S and Ruby Renz, LPC are co-hosting the next Katy Mental Health networking luncheon in Katy, Texas.  There is NO COST to this meeting (donations are appreciated to help with ongoing costs). To reserve your place at this event please RSVP by filling out this simple form.  

Dr. Guerrero will be talking about TMS.  Lunch is sponsored by his office this time.  (Yes, there is such a thing.  FREE lunch :)

For any questions, please contact David Bueno Martin at 713-364-8590 or e-mail: David@HoustonLPC.com. 

Weight management

This is a guest post by Stefanie C. Barthmare. She is a therapist in private practice and provides counseling services in Houston, TX.  Her specialties include compulsive eating & body image issues, weight loss, couples counseling & relationship problems, therapy for trauma, anxiety management & stress management, and counselor supervision.  If you want to guest post on this blog, get in touch with me: david@houstonlpc.com

Did you know that one small shift in perception can trigger changes impacting many areas of our lives? In fact, scientist are now convinced that if we focus on changing one long standing pattern, or "keystone habit," it may be possible to reprogram an entire network of other routines in our lives as well. In the book, "The Power of Habit," Charles Duhigg explores how our vast and myriad daily routines, which may feel like independent and well-thought out decisions, are actually just an infinite web of habits. These habits, over time, impact when we eat, what we eat, what we order at restaurants, how frequently we exercise and what we do in our relationships, among other things. In short, he suggests that our daily routines become the habits that impact our "health, productivity, financial security and happiness."

Why is this whole idea of understanding our habits so important? It's complicated. And I'm not sure there is one specific answer. What I know is that maintaining a significant weight loss, or making any other lifestyle improvements requires us to make enduring changes in our routines, ones that we still practice long after we stop "dieting." In fact, if we're going to maintain our weight, we need our habits to support us in all sorts of situations, like when stress strikes or when we are out of our comfort zone. Unfortunately, when most people want to lose weight they "diet," which doesn't usually mean overhauling old eating habits. A "diet" temporarily interrupts our habitual routine of eating high calorie foods (like ice cream or cookies) that, for example, we have almost imperceptibly paired with the experience of relaxing at night while watching the news. In fact, at a certain point, we even began anticipating, with increased intensity, the whole experience of putting on our pjs, sinking into the couch, turning on the news and eating some delicious snack (probably one that is not on our "diet"). Eventually, even the sight of ice cream triggers our deeply ingrained anticipatory reward. Ice cream or cookies mean relaxation. So, we go back to eating the high calorie food as soon as we are off the "diet" so we can relax, or feel comforted after a hard day of work. It happens almost every time.

Most assuredly, we can all relate to trying to make changes that seem both possible and sustainable at the onset, only to feel the undeniably powerful pull of old habits. Upon closer examination, most of our lives are filled with automatic decisions that we don't think about anymore. Conscious choice reroutes itself into habit, which is precisely what we want it to do. On one hand, it's a gift to not have to think about every little decision, on the other hand, it can be problematic to fall back on old habits that might have gotten us into trouble. In fact, relying on our brain's "cue/trigger-routine-reward" system when choosing dessert (or other activities) we ultimately become vulnerable to more unconscious drivers. So, as long as we have good habits, it is ok to be dependent on doing what we do without thinking. My challenge today is to consider this: what are we really looking for when we reach for the ice cream, the cookie or the extra glass of wine? 

Katy Mental Health - Friday, May 2, 2014

FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2014. 11:30 AM UNTIL 1:00 PM.

THE BRAZOS VALLEY SCHOOLS CREDIT UNION

25525 KATY MILLS PARKWAY

KATY, TX 77494

281-391-2149 (PHONE NUMBER TO THE LOCATION)

David Bueno Martin, LPC-S and Ruby Renz, LPC are co-hosting the next Katy Mental Health networking luncheon in Katy, Texas. Please bring your own lunch. There is NO COST to this meeting (donations are appreciated to help with ongoing costs). To reserve your place at this event please RSVP by filling out this simple form.  For any questions, please contact David Bueno Martin at 713-364-8590 or e-mail: David@HoustonLPC.com. 

Helena Washington, Treatment Consultant at American Addiction Centers will speak about FitRx. FitRx is a lifestyle transformation treatment program that helps men and women recover from binge eating, emotional eating, night eating syndrome and compulsive overeating disorder. With professional support, therapy, education and motivation, they help individuals adopt physical, emotional and spiritual lifestyle patterns that, when put into practice, begin the process of complete transformation from the inside out.

Katy Mental Health - Friday, March 7, 2014

David Bueno Martin, LPC-S and Ruby Renz, LPC are co-hosting the next Katy Mental Health networking luncheon in Katy, Texas. Please bring your own lunch. There is NO COST to this meeting (donations are appreciated to help with ongoing costs). To reserve your place at this event please RSVP by filling out this simple form.  For any questions, please contact David Bueno Martin at 713-364-8590 or e-mail: David@HoustonLPC.com. 

Daniel Reid Johnson MEd LPC will be presenting on "Making Second Families First."  His training, study, and life experience has enabled Dan to become an expert in step-family dynamics. The divorce statistics for second marriages, especially complex families where both bring biological children to the new marriage, have over 70% failure rate.  Dan’s passion is to see couples beat these odds by recognizing the uniqueness of the step-family system and then retraining to handle the expectations, conflict, and ambiguity inherent in these difficult, multi-layered families.

Friday, March 7, 2014. 11:30 AM UNTIL 1:00 PM.

THE BRAZOS VALLEY SCHOOLS CREDIT UNION

25525 KATY MILLS PARKWAY

KATY, TX 77494

281-391-2149 (PHONE NUMBER TO THE LOCATION).

Get Free CEUs in February at PaRC

Free Continuing Education Units at Memorial Hermann PaRC 

February 2014

Tuesday, February 4th - Houston

"HIV Update" Steve Halterman, MPH, LCDC

Where: Memorial Hermann PaRC - Main Campus

Wilford Room, 2nd Floor Alumni Center

3043 Gessner, Houston TX 77080  Driving Directions 

Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm

Cost: Free with $5 lunch available for purchase.

Credits: 1.5

RSVP: Write to this email with your attendance date(s). mhparcnewsletter@memorialhermann.org

Reminder: Bring your marketing literature to share with the group. 

Wednesday, February 5th - Katy

"Adapting Interventions When Working with the Latino Population" David Bueno Martin, MA, LPC-S

Where: Memorial Hermann PaRC - Katy IOP

MH Katy Hospital, Tiger Room A

23900 Katy Fwy, Katy TX 77493 Driving Directions 

Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm

Cost: Free. Bring your lunch, relax and enjoy the lecture.

Credits: 1.5

RSVP: Write to this email with your attendance date(s). mhparcnewsletter@memorialhermann.org

Reminder: Bring your marketing literature to share with the group.

Friday, February 21st - Sugar Land

"Mental Health Crisis Intervention" Manish Pandya, LCSW, MBA

Where: Memorial Hermann PaRC - Sugar Land IOP

1111 Highway 6, Ste 170 Sugar Land TX 77479  Driving Directions 

Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm

Cost: Free. Bring your lunch, relax and enjoy the lecture.

Credits: 1.5 hrs

RSVP: Write to this email with your attendance date(s). mhparcnewsletter@memorialhermann.org

Reminder: Bring your marketing literature to share with the group.

Katy Mental Health - Friday, January 10, 2014

David Bueno Martin, LPC-S and Ruby Renz, LPC are co-hosting the next Katy Mental Health networking luncheon in Katy, Texas. Please bring your own lunch. There is NO COST to this meeting (donations are appreciated to help with ongoing costs). To reserve your place at this event please RSVP by filling out this simple form.  For any questions, please contact David Bueno Martin at 713-364-8590 or e-mail: David@HoustonLPC.com.

Dr. Debra Stokan from STOKAN JAGGERS & ASSOCIATES will be presenting "An Overview of Current Medications used in Treatment of Autistic Spectrum Disorder".  They will also be providing snacks- finger sandwiches and a fruit and veggie tray!!

Friday, January 10, 2014. 11:30 am until 1:00 pm.

The Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union

25525 Katy Mills Parkway

Katy, TX 77494

281-391-2149 (phone number to the location).

Here is a quote from Seth Godin’s blog.  It reflects, in part, our intention with this meeting:

“Open, generous and connected

Isn't that what we seek from a co-worker, boss, friend or even a fellow conference attendee?

Open to new ideas, leaning forward, exploring the edges, impatient with the status quo... In a hurry to make something worth making.

Generous when given the opportunity (or restless to find the opportunity when not). Focused on giving people dignity, respect and the chance to speak up. Aware that the single most effective way to move forward is to help others move forward as well.

and connected. Part of the community, not apart from it. Hooked into the realities and dreams of the tribe. Able and interested in not only cheering people on, but shining a light on how they can accomplish their goals.

Paradoxically, the fancier the conference, the more fabled the people around the table, the less likely you are to find these attributes. These attributes, it turns out, have nothing to do with fame or resources. In fact, fear is the damper on all three. Fear of failure, intimacy and vulnerability. Fear closes us up, causes us to self-focus and to disconnect.

When we find our own foundation and are supported in our work by those around us, we can get back to first principles, to realizing our own dreams and making our own art by supporting others first and always.”

3 interesting articles

Based on number of clicks, here are 3 articles from PsychCentral that resonated with my social media audience.   I hope you enjoy reading them.  Feel free to share them with your friends.  I tried to make it easy for you to tweet them:

10 Movies to Uplift You from #Depression = http://ow.ly/qEHgA  [CLICK HERE TO TWEET THIS]

Living with & Loving Someone with #Borderline Personality Disorder #BPD = http://ow.ly/r1sOv  [CLICK HERE TO TWEET THIS]

4 #Therapy Skills Everyone Should Have = http://ow.ly/qJTem [CLICK HERE TO TWEET THIS]

6 Katy Mental Health Meetings in 2014

Here are the dates for all of our Katy Mental Health meetings in 2014:

01/10/2014

03/07/2014

05/02/2014

07/11/2014

09/05/2014

11/07/2014

Grab your calendar and pencil us in! 

Katy Mental Health networking luncheon- Friday, November 1, 2013

We will be discussing the highlights of changes in the DSM-5 and the Affordable Care Act.  To read more about the changes made to the DSM-5, I suggest that you take a look at this article before hand.

Friday, November 1, 2013. 11:30 am until 1:00 pm.

The Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union

25525 Katy Mills Parkway

Katy, TX 77494

281-391-2149 (phone number to the location).

Kris Kerlin, LPC-S, David Bueno Martin, LPC-S and Ruby Renz, LPC are co-hosting the next Katy Mental Health networking luncheon in Katy, Texas. Please bring your own lunch. There is NO COST to this meeting (donations are appreciated to help with ongoing costs). To reserve your place at this event please RSVP by filling out this simple form.  For any questions, please contact David Bueno Martin at 713-364-8590 or e-mail : David@HoustonLPC.com.

The Greater Houston Behavioral Health Affordable Care Act Initiative

Check out these TWO EVENTS in October taking place in Houston.

Register by completing the registration form (click here)  or by contacting ymendoza@mhahouston.org

We encourage you to bring staff who will be affected by these changes.

Thanks to the generosity of our funders, Houston Endowment Inc., The Meadows Foundation and United Way of Greater Houston Community Response Fund, these events are offered at no cost.

We want to acknowledge The Montrose Center for their gracious provision of meeting space.