Ongoing Group for Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma

About This Group

Research has shown that trauma has profound effects on the lives of survivors. These effects include not only damage to the survivor’s mental health, but also to her/his physical health. This support group will address both of these areas. Peter Levine’s book, Healing Trauma, 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. Additionally, group members will participate in group review and discussions guided by a workbook entitled, Help End Abusive Relationship Tendencies (HEART), that focuses on issues survivors deal with after the occurrence of personal violence. The group is designed to offer survivors opportunities for personal growth as they work toward healing their trauma(s).

WHEN:  Wednesdays, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. starting 12/02/20

COST:  FREE for any military-connected individual with proof of eligibility (see list of acceptable forms HERE) including Veterans, Service Members, and Family Members

REGISTER:  Call 512-451-7337, option 8 or email frontoffice@samaritan-center.org

Co-Facilitators

Delia (Dee) Esparza, PhD, LMFT, PMHCNS-BC: Dee is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist. She has more than forty years of experience as a therapist. Twenty- three of those years were spent treating veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder due to a theatre of war trauma or military sexual trauma. She is proud of her dear husband, a Vietnam Marine veteran, and has a deep respect for all the women and men who have served in the military forces.

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 and has a passion for supporting those who have so bravely served in the line of duty to maintain the freedoms of our country.

Parent Support Group

About This Group

Monthly parenting support group for parents of the Samaritan Center.  This group provides a space and time for parents to receive support, give support and have a knowledgeable and compassionate child therapist as a resource.  Topics will vary based on what the parents bring to the group.  Group is provided virtually via Zoom at this time.

WHEN:  Every other Tuesday, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

COST:  $20 for individuals, $25 for couples

WHO:  Open to all parents who are clients of Samaritan Center

REGISTER:  Call 512-451-7337, option 8 or email frontoffice@samaritan-center.org

About the facilitator:  Nelda Carpenter, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been with Samaritan since 1998. She has many years of experience working with diverse populations of children, teens and adults in various professional settings.  Years of volunteer experience with children, teens and families related to spiritual development magnified for her the importance of addressing the totality of mind-body-spirit in her professional work and 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 to address many issues 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.  She has also spoken at retreats and presented psychoeducational workshops in the community and continues to welcome those opportunities.

Veteran PTSD Support Group

About This Group

Coping with PTSD is a lifelong effort. This support group offers a space for relaxed sharing about your PTSD symptoms in the company and support of your brother and sister veterans who share your courage to confront this challenging illness. The group will meet for 10 weeks and will focus on the disruptive symptoms that frequently accompany PTSD. The group facilitators will use the Seeking Safety Workbook and the lived experiences of group members to guide these discussions. Group members need not feel obligated to share any of their life experiences, but sharing in a supportive environment can be one of our greatest tools to release the burden of PTSD.

WHEN:  Tuesdays, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

COST:  Free

WHO: Veterans, Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserves from all Military Branches

REGISTER:  Call 512-451-7337, option 8 or email frontoffice@samaritan-center.org

CO-FACILITATORS:
Delia (Dee) Esparza, PhD, LMFT, PMHCNS-BC: Dee is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist. She has more than forty years of experience as a therapist. Twenty- three of those years were spent treating veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder related to a theatre of war trauma or military sexual trauma. She is proud of her dear husband, a Vietnam Marine veteran, and has a deep respect for all the women and men who have served in the military forces.

Manny Gonzalez, Mental Health Peer Specialist: Manny is an OIF/OEF Marine Infantry Veteran with Service-Connected PTSD and Childhood PTSD. With support from the VA, the Austin Running and Yoga community, the Samaritan Center, and through his own means, Manny applies all the positive coping skills and tools he's learned to live a fulfilling life with PTSD. Now, he pays it forward by helping other Veterans with PTSD or other service-connected disorders find ways to positively manage their lives. Manny has served our Veteran community for over five years in the Greater Austin and Houston communities.

Angela M McCree currently serves as a pre-graduate intern here at the Samaritan Center. She is a disabled Navy veteran that served as a shipboard electrician aboard the USS Dixon, a sub-tender, out of Point Loma, CA. She was onboard the night a group of sailors, afraid to deploy to the Gulf for Desert Storm, set a pile of mattresses on fire in the berthing. Therefore, PTSD is in her DNA. She is a natural born encourager who believes that we all possess the power of choice and change. She sees her role as that of one who encourages, supports, and embraces everything about you.

Clergy Support Group

About This Group

Clergy are such a support for their congregation and their community. But who do they go to for support? This has always been true, though the challenges and stresses of being clergy has been even greater since March 2020. This group is to offer support for clergy and is facilitated by a therapist with the utmost passion for helping clergy and compassion for the roles they serve. Please consider joining and/or sharing this group with others who may benefit.

WHEN: 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm, ongoing group

COST: $20 for individuals per session, Sliding scale available based on need

WHO: Clergy

REGISTER: Call 512-451-7337, option 8 or email frontoffice@samaritan-center.org

About the facilitator: Nelda Carpenter, LCSW
Nelda is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been with Samaritan since 1998. She has many years of experience working with diverse populations of children, teens and adults in various professional settings. Years of volunteer experience with children, teens and families related to spiritual development magnified for her the importance of addressing the totality of mind-body-spirit in her professional work and 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 to address many issues 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. She has also spoken at retreats and presented psychoeducational workshops in the community and continues to welcome those opportunities.