A WORD FROM Dr Veronica…
I was recently at a conference attended by many parents concerned about some cultural movements and their effects on children. Infused throughout was a belief that if children or teens are having a difficult time in life, they should be brought to therapy. I hear this belief frequently – if a child is struggling, they should be required to be in therapy. (And let me be clear – by struggling, I do not mean that the child is struggling with mental health – they are merely struggling with life or exhibit behavior problems.) I cringe at this belief. During the comment time of the conference, I shared my belief: If your child or teen is having a difficult time in life, they don’t need therapy – they need you (parents). Parents are the ones to make a difference in their child’s life. Maybe not as fast or as effectively as we hope, but parents are the most powerful force for kids.
When parents push back on this challenge, it is often because they don’t know what to do in the case of their child. The good news is no one knows what to do. In parenting, we are all in this together, doing the best we can with what we’ve been given. Listen closely: what you have is good enough. You love your child way more than anyone else. You are committed to your child for life (no one else will put up with your child like you will). All this means that the effort, the engagement, the wrestling you do with your child will be wholly more meaningful and fruitful than anything a mental health expert will do with your child. Trust yourself.
MEET THE THERAPISTS | Ann Stager, LPCC
This is a spotlight feature of our very own Ann Stager! Born in a small mining town in the Province of Manitoba, Ann masterfully finished her internship with us here at Envision and is in the middle of completing the state requirement of 2000 hours to advance her licensure to an LPC. Ann is no stranger to schooling as she has her Registered Nursing License and an additional Masters Degree in Public Administration. Talk about perseverance! Ann followed a God prompt to a leadership ministry program in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1984 and has immersed herself in colorful Colorado ever since! Ann has two grown children that are also here in Colorado.
I always ask “what made you decide to be a therapist?” and Ann’s response was layered with the love of caring for people as a nurse, but feeling the void of more involved spiritual care and deeper personal work. Ann loves to come along side of her client’s journey to help eliminate unhelpful things, bring clarity and explore new possibilities of life. Being born in her small mining town of Flin Flon, where she worked her college summers in the mines, she sees a correlation in her client’s journey as they mine for precious personal gems in order to become their authentic selves. If she could do anything else? A quaint and cozy bookstore with amazing coffee and snacks and an abundance of intellectual and spiritual community. Think Cheers…but with books and coffee instead of beer. Ann claims to be a coffee snob….soooo, we know the coffee would live up to the amazing part. What gets Ann up to start her day? Her alarm clock and the drive to do Kingdom work! Her personal mantra is “Show up, be present and be the best you can be today.” This is sprinkled with a bit of “Just keep swimming!” (from Finding Nemo) and “Houston, we have a problem.” (from Apollo 13) on any given day.
What do your therapists do on their days off? For Ann, it’s reading, watching British Crime TV or baking. Her guilty pleasure is staying at 5 Star resorts with a bucket list item being a meandering European vacation. Meandering between the 5 Star Hotels and Resorts, of course. What would Ann’s fantasy job be? Being in a Christian rock band – think Chris Tomlin but add a little more rock. She has done many choirs over the years but dreams about what the big stage would be like. Rock On Ann!
We are here for you – call today to get on the schedule!
