What's New at MorningStar

On this page you will find infomation about the upcoming and current events of MorningStar Counseling Center. Some of the activities are in cojunction with local individuals or organizations that share our principles and beliefs. If you have any questions regarding any of the events listed below, please see each individual listing or click here.

If you have a counseling-related topic you would like someone from MorningStar to speak on, any of our counselors are available to speak to interested individuals or organizations such as community groups or churches. Please feel free to contact any of them with the email address or phone number provided by clicking here.

MorningStar announces the formation of a Play Therapy program

The staff at MorningStar Counseling Center became aware of the need in the Mid-Missouri community for therapists who work specifically with children. In response, one of our therapists, Jason Zoellers, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), is creating a Play Therapy program at MorningStar. He has acquired and continues to pursue specialized training in the techniques and practice of play therapy through a rigorous and exacting course of study and training. He welcomes the opportunity to work with families who feel they could benefit from the therapeutic use of play.

We have put together a detailed list of the equipment that is considered standard in the field and are asking for individuals or organizations who would be willing to donate either the equipment or money to purchase it. All contributions are tax-deductible through our non-profit MorningStar Foundation. Our current needs are:

Doll furniture Doll bed, clothes Wooden refrigerator Wooden stove Dishes and dishpan Plastic food Toy broom and dust pan Paints and paint brushes Newsprint ATV (multiwheel-type vehicle for riding) School bus (Fisher Price type) Pounding bench and hammer Xylophone Cymbals Drum Various hats

Sandbox, large spoon, funnel, pail Bobo bop bag Play money Various hand puppets Tinker toys Rubber knife [2] Handcuffs Lone Ranger mask Nerf balls "Gumby" (bendable, non-descript figure) Cotton rope Telephone Aggressive hand puppets (alligator, wolf, bear, etc.) Bendable doll family Medical kit Military, Police and Firefigther equipment

As much as we appreciate an individual or organization's willingness to donate materials, there has been a lot of thought and care put into the compiling of the above list so we would respectfully ask that all items donated be in good working order and be from the list. If you have any questions about the list itself, the appropriateness of an item to be donated, or want more information about our plans for the Play Therapy program, please contact us by clicking here.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Group (DBT Skills Group)
Janie Alexander

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Group (DBT Skills Group) is a weekly educational group about coping skills for individuals who struggle to regulate their emotions and behavior. In DBT Skills Group, you can learn healthy ways to manage strong emotions, cope without impulsive actions that can get you in trouble or hurt you, and interact skillfully with others to build strong relationships. The group is run in a classroom style, with assignments to complete each week. It is designed to complement concurrent individual therapy in which you work with your therapist to tailor these skills to your own life.

This group is ideal for those who often have mood swings, who feel depressed or anxious a lot of the time, or who tend to have impulsive behaviors when feeling upset such as anger outbursts, self-harm, eating disorders, or substance abuse. In clinical trials, DBT has been proven to be a highly effective treatment for these types of problems.

The DBT Skills group will meet beginning Thursday, September 15 from 7:30 to 9:30 pm at Memorial Baptist Church, 1634 Paris Road, Columbia, MO. For directions, please contact Memorial Baptist at 573.443.1408 or MorningStar Counseling Center at 573.499.4572. The cost is $20.00 per group session. An individual's first group session is free.

Survivors Of Sexual Abuse Group
Dr. Kim Anderson

Starting in September 2006, Kim Anderson will be leading a group for adults who experienced sexual abuse as children. The purpose of the group is to provide knowledge, support, and skills in relationship to trauma and recovery.

The group will address the following in regard to childhood sexual abuse:

• Long-term effects of abuse
• Coping skills for dealing with effects of abuse
• Solutions for Healing

The group will meet from 7-8:30 p.m. on Monday evenings on September 18, 2006 and will run for 10 weeks. Please contact Dr. Kim Anderson for a pre-group interview.

Groups will be held at Clavary Baptist Church at 606 Ridgeway, Columbia, MO. For directions, please contact Calvary Baptist at 573.449.3144 or MorningStar Counseling Center at 573.499.4572.

Kim Anderson, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical social worker and an assistant professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Missouri-Columbia. For the past fifteen years she has practiced, published, and secured grants in the area of trauma and recovery. If interested, contact Kim at 573.884.8077 or through email at andersonki@missouri.edu.