Healing from Chronic Pain and Chronic Conditions
This 6-week group is designed to help individuals with ongoing symptoms that impact their daily life. Anyone with chronic conditions such as body pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), etc can participate.
This group will help you:
- Connect with a community of like-minded individuals on healing journeys
- Gain a deeper understanding of the neuroscience of pain
- Develop new tools to help you transform your mindset and your body
- Overcome fear of pain, movement, and more
- Find empowerment and joy in everyday activities again
This group aims to combat the isolation felt by those experiencing chronic symptoms and to actively help them regain control over their lives. The curriculum draws from modern neuroscience on the brain and central nervous system’s roles in chronic pain, providing opportunities to retrain the brain to process pain differently.
WHEN: Thursdays, 5:30 - 7:00 pm (6 sessions)
February 2, 2023
February 9, 2023
February 16, 2023
February 23, 2023
March 2, 2023
March 9, 2023
WHO: Anyone with chronic pain or chronic conditions
WHERE: Virtual, link will be sent to participants
COST: $50/session with sliding scale based on need; free for military-connected individuals with proof of eligibility
FACILITATOR: Brooke Culbertson, LMSW promotes mind-body wellness and provides holistic care from a trauma-informed, compassionate approach. Brooke draws from her own experience of chronic pain recovery to inform her practice and to foster hope in patients. She uses evidence-based modalities to help clients recognize the brain’s role in the perpetuation of pain and to help them ultimately find relief. Brooke is certified in pain reprocessing therapy, an evidence-based treatment for chronic pain.
REGISTER: Call 512-451-7337, option 8 or email frontoffice@samaritan-center.org
Veteran and Military Support Group: Connection, Wellness, & Resilience
This ongoing group provides peer support and community connection for veterans and service members, and is led by veterans. The goals of this group include:
- Building connection and community
- Receiving and providing support
- Exploring new coping strategies
- Emotional development
The group will discuss a range of topics including:
- Holistic wellness
- Healthy boundaries
- Addressing triggers
- Communication skills
- And more!
Monthly in-person group activities are also planned to be arranged in the North Central Austin area.
WHEN: Mondays, 5:30 - 7:00 pm
WHO: Veterans, Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserves from all military branches
WHERE: Virtual, link will be sent to participants
COST: FREE with proof of military service
FACILITATORS:
Lee Cavender, LCSW is an U.S. Air Force veteran and a therapist at Samaritan Center.
Blake Holbrook served in the U.S. Army Infantry and is a lead mental health peer specialist at Samaritan Center.
REGISTER: Call 512-451-7337, option 4 or email lee@samaritan-center.org
Women’s Healing Trauma Group: For Survivors of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence Trauma
Research has shown that trauma has profound effect on the lives of trauma survivors. These effects include not only damage to the survivor’s mental health, but also to her physical health. This support group will address both of these areas.
Group members will participate in group discussions guided by a workbook entitled Help End Abusive Relationship Tendencies (HEART) that focuses on issues survivor’s deal with after the occurrence of personal violence. The group will learn and experience somatic exercises using Peter Levine’s book, Healing Trauma, as a guide. Levine uses his somatic experiencing exercises to reconnect with the body and release the trauma energy stored there. The group will learn and experience a new exercise each week. The group is designed to offer survivors opportunities for personal growth as they work toward healing their trauma(s).
WHEN: Wednesdays, 5:30 - 7:00 pm
WHO: Woman survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence trauma
WHERE: Virtual, link will be sent to participants
COST: Sliding scale based on need and free for military-connected individuals (veteran, service member, or family member) with proof of eligibility, up to $50/session
FACILITATORS:
Rochelle Pearce, LPC: Rochelle is a Licensed Professional Counselor with extensive experience working with survivors of abuse and sexual assault and the associated judicial process. She strives to instill hope and understanding of the meaning in our experiences and the purpose to our lives. She is a proud wife of a US Army veteran.
Nelda Carpenter, LCSW: Nelda is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been with Samaritan Center since 1998. She has many years of experience working with diverse populations. She feels goals are best met when physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects are considered in the therapeutic process.
REGISTER: Call 512-451-7337, option 8 or email frontoffice@samaritan-center.org
Parent Support Group
Are you concerned about your child’s behavior?
Do you wonder about how to respond to your child in certain moments?
Do you feel stressed?
Just want to touch base with other parents?
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
We offer a safe and supportive environment for parents and caregivers to come together and discuss their experiences with raising children. Meet with other parents in an online parenting support group to share concerns and ideas. The group is facilitated by an experienced therapist who sees both children and adults and has raised children of her own.
WHEN: 2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
WHO: Open to anyone in a parenting role
WHERE: Virtual, link will be sent to participants
COST: $25/session per family (individual or couple) with sliding scale based on need; free for military-connected individuals with proof of eligibility
FACILITATOR: Nelda Carpenter, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been with Samaritan Center since 1998. She has many years of experience working with diverse populations of children, teens, and adults. She feels goals are best met when physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects are considered in the therapeutic process. Nelda draws from a variety of counseling theories in her practice. She works with many issues including grief and loss, trauma, abuse, marital issues, anxiety, depression, bipolar, and healing from divorce or personal hurts in families and churches. She utilizes hypnosis and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and she uses play therapy with children as young as two years of age. She recognizes the importance of laughter in healing and, when appropriate, introduces fun into therapy. Nelda has served on the state board of Texas Association of Play Therapy.
REGISTER: Call 512-451-7337, option 8 or email frontoffice@samaritan-center.org