W i n t e r 2 0 1 3

Cornerstone

Connections

Is Your Life Someone Else’s Wildest Dream?

self-worth, are lacking in many

people’s lives. Our everyday,

ordinary state of being is, for

some people, a far off dream.

So today, I choose to be

thankful for the great things in

my life, such as God’s grace

and acceptance, and for the

small things, such as a good

parking spot. I am thankful

that I have achieved one of my

dreams of working for an

organization that exists to offer

hope and restoration. I am also

thankful that I have staff and

counsellors who share my

vision of making mental health

available to everyone. Finally, I

am truly thankful for each

person who supports our

work either through prayer,

volunteering, or donations.

As we approach the Christmas

season, we will be bombarded

with all the things we “need”

to make the holiday just right.

However, I would encourage

everyone to take note of all

the goodness in their lives and

celebrate with a thankful heart.

we are repeatedly battered with

the message that there is not

enough and we need more.

Ann Voskamp, author of One

Thousand Gifts, writes that

“Thanksgiving creates abun-

dance; and the miracle of

multiplying happens when I give

thanks—take the just one loaf,

say it is enough, and give thanks

–and He miraculously makes it

enough.” She goes on to

encourage her readers to see

their lives through the lens of

thankfulness and to be thankful

for the small, the mundane, and

even for that which is not quite

the way they would like it to be.

Recently, in my women’s group,

we were asked to discuss our

wildest dreams. The ideas

flowed as women shared dreams

of promotions, vacation homes,

and more time to pursue

creative projects. Then one

woman thoughtfully said, “More

time and money would be

nice…but really, I am living my

wildest dreams. I have an

education, a job, and I own my

home. A few years ago, I was in

such a bad situation that I would

have never dreamed that I

would have these things.”

As I reflected on her statement,

I saw in it the miraculous

creation of abundance by

viewing life through a heart of

thanksgiving. I was also

reminded that the things most

of us take for granted, a safe

home, supportive personal

relationships, and even basic

Is Your Life Someone

Else’s Wildest Dream? 1

A Different Kind of

Identity Theft 2

Food for Thought 2

Holidays and In-Laws 3

New Faces 3

Upcoming Courses 3

How Can You Help? 4

Inside this issue:

Need Someone to Talk To? If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the

Crisis Support Centre Distress Line at (780) 482-HELP (4357) to talk or to receive support.

For urgent help, call the Crisis Response Team at (780) 342-7777

There is help, call 24 hours a day - 7 days a week

By: Sheila Stauffer,

Executive Director

I love the old Petra song that

begins “I have a thankful heart

that You have given me, and it

c a n o n l y c o m e f r o m

You” (Hartman and Elefunte). I

have sung this song a hundred

times and I believe in the

benefits of an attitude of

gratitude, yet sometimes it

seems that there are a lot of

things to be disappointed about.

The marketing machines that

drive our economy constantly

pump out messages that tell us

that we are lacking some

“thing” that will finally provide

happiness. We are also told

that we are not enough…not

thin enough, fit enough, tanned

enough, or smart enough. Even

in the not-for-profit world these

messages thrive. The agency

could be better if only we were

more efficient, had more

volunteers or helped more

people. In every area of our life

Our Mission:

To demonstrate the

love of Christ by

providing professional

counselling services to

help people become

renewed and whole.

Page 2

Sometimes we think that only

those who have suffered a

tremendous crisis or mental

illness can get counselling help.

Although this is often the case,

sometimes therapy can be a

brief intervention that shifts

negative thinking and results in

rapid improvement. One of our

counsellors shares this example

of how challenging negative

thoughts can produce positive

change.

This story is about a lovely

and caring young lady who

came to Cornerstone feeling

stuck and anxious. Her work

was creating daily stress which

was limiting her productivity

and positive relationships with

co-workers. Family and friends

failed to give her consistent

support which only caused

Your body requires food to

survive and your brain needs

food to thrive. Every day your

mind uses 20-30% of your

energy intake to power

thinking processes. Without

nutritious fuel, your mind may

begin to suffer. Choosing to

consume a higher quality diet

can have a positive impact on

your mental health. Some

specific nutrients to highlight

are omega-3 fatty acids,

Vitamin D, B vitamins, and

magnesium.

Omega-3 fatty acids are

essential for brain health and

are associated with lower

levels of anxiety, stress, and

depression. Because humans

do not make these fats, we

must consume them in our

diet.

Vitamin D is not produced by

our skin in the winter months

so in North America we need

to consume foods rich in

v i t a m in D . A de qu a t e

consumption of Vitamin D

rich foods is associated with

reduced risk of depression

and Alzheimer’s Disease.

B vitamins are responsible for

keeping your thinking clear

and your memory sharp. A

low intake of foods with B

vitamins increases your risk

for learning difficulties and

Alzheimer’s Disease.

Magnesium is a mineral that

produces and regulates brain

chemicals. A diet low in

magnesium rich foods can

contribute to imbalances in

cognitive function.

Food For Thought By: Leanne Johnson, Registered Dietician

Eating foods rich in these brain

boosting nutrients is important

for your health and wellbeing.

Foods such as fatty fish are

recommended twice a week

along with servings of nuts,

seeds, and vegetable oils. Here is

a recipe to get you started on

your way to a better brain:

Broiled Cilantro Ginger

Salmon

(sourced from “Dietitians of

Canada - Simply Great Food” by

Chuey et al.)

Prep time: 10 mins

Marinating time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 7-10 mins

Ingredients:

3 cloves chopped garlic

2 tbsp grated gingerroot

½ tsp salt

½ cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp ground black pepper

grated zest of 2 limes

6x3oz Salmon filets

Instructions:

1. Grease a rimmed baking

sheet

2. Use a food processor to

crush garlic, ginger, and salt

to form a paste. Stir in

cilantro, olive oil, pepper,

and lime zest

3. Place salmon on a plate

and coat with paste. Cover

and refrigerate for 30 mins.

Preheat broiler, with rack set

4 inches from the top.

4. Transfer salmon to baking

sheet and broil for 7-10

mins until salmon flakes easily

with a fork.

5. Enjoy!

A Different Kind of Identity Theft

By: Amy Antony M.A., M.C. (Candidate), Student Counsellor

During her third and fourth

sessions, she continued to share

how her motivation to push her

darkness aside has allowed her to

recognize her strengths, improve

self-control, and become an

independent person. Recently she

mentioned that "My happiness is

more important than love by

itself", "I am finally accepting the

person I am on the outside", and

most important, she found that

being happy and satisfied with

herself is the key to developing

her identity. This process of

growth and renewal has allowed

her to fight against all of her

negative thoughts and rescue her

true identity.

Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, B vitamins, and magnesium are

brain boosters.

more hurt, and issues with her

boyfriend were igniting feelings

of powerlessness, uselessness,

and disrespect. All of these

problems in her life were

creating a tornado of negative

thinking which caused her to

doubt her physical beauty,

self-worth, and who she truly

was as a person.

As a team, we began to battle

her self-doubts by practicing

positive self-talk. We practiced

over and over and over until the

needle on the vinyl got stuck in

her record's groove, repeating

the statement - "I got this." She

entered her second session with

a smile and shared that she felt

successful using positive self-talk

when she was tested with a

stressful encounter with a

co-worker. This initial success

gave her a new sense of

happiness because she finally

had the power to believe in

herself.

53% of our clients

receive subsidized rates

and 37% of those

clients pay our lowest

fee of $50.

Student counsellors help us

make counselling even more

affordable by seeing clients for

only $20 per session.

Page 3 Cornerstone Connections

Holidays and In-laws…. Do

they go together like a horse

and carriage???? Probably

NOT you’re thinking.

In-law relationships can

conjure up all sorts of “less

than jolly” thoughts and

emotions, so dealing with

fairness and obligations during

the holidays can be difficult.

If you are dreading the

discussions and decisions that

must come about around this

time of year, try to change

your thinking and tell yourself

that this year could be the

year that things change for the

better.

Here are six tips that may

help:

1) Find ways to build bridges

instead of walls. Avoid guilt

traps, manipulations, and

victimhood by not receiving

these or giving these. Stay

aware of your own inner

workings.

2) In-laws are NOT outlaws!

They may only want to be a

part of their grown child’s life

and are looking for ways to

“get in” and participate. If

there are grandchildren

involved, then there can be

even more incentive for the

grandparents to want to be

involved. In-laws often want

to be helpful and may offer

information or advice

(however unwanted). Try to

look for areas where they

use their skills in a way that is

truly helpful to your family.

3) Setting boundaries and

expectations in advance of

the holidays can ease

everyone’s concern and

alleviate disappointment.

Good communication in

advance gives everyone time

to adjust. By staying

consistent with your plans,

you communicate that your

family life is important and

that you want to make

certain that everyone is up to

date.

4) Kindness goes a long way

when you need to share

something that may very well

be disappointing to your

in-laws. Do your best to let

them know you want them in

your life and that you look

forward to time with them.

5) Remember, this is your

“extended family” and there

really is no IN LAW or OUT

LAW. We are all human and

as humans, we want to

belong, be needed, and

participate.

6) Consistency, precedence,

kind boundaries, inclusion,

creative alternative plans,

f ami ly mee t ing s , and

compassion can bridge the

gaps that will occur.

I trust that these tips will

guide you to having

wonderful holidays and

keeping love in the center.

Amy Antony M.A., M.C.

(Candidate) - Amy is studying

at City University

of Seattle where

she is completing

a Masters in

C o u n s e l l i n g

Psychology. She

is an experienced teacher and

school counsellor who enjoys

w o r k i n g w i t h a d u l t s ,

adolescents, children, families,

coup les , and prov id ing

behaviour consultation and

support.

Amanda Waters B.A.,

M.C. (Candidate) - Amanda

is currently in

her last year of

the Masters of

Counselling at

the University of

Calgary. She has

experience working as an

addictions counsellor, and her

interests include working with

children, adolescents, and

adults who are struggling with

anxiety, depression, life

adjustment, self-esteem, and

family of origin issues.

New Faces at Cornerstone Cornerstone is pleased to welcome two student counsellors and two volunteers to our team!

Melissa Kloosterman -

Melissa joined us in September

as a practicum

student from

C o n c o r d i a ’ s

Applied Psycholo-

gy program. After

finishing her Arts

degree, she hopes to continue

on to a Masters degree in

counselling psychology. Melissa

enjoys doing her practicum here

because of the posit ive

environment, and she loves

helping clients who are seeking

help.

Danielle Smith - Danielle also

joined the front office staff as a

v o l u n t e e r i n

October. She is

enrolled in the

Honors Psychology

program at the

U of A and hopes

to attend graduate school for

clinical psychology in the future.

Danielle likes volunteering at

Cornerstone because she thinks it

provides a really important

service and is very excited to be

getting experience in the field of

c o u n se l l i n g a n d c l i n i c a l

psychology.

Holidays and In-Laws…

By: Rita Martino M.Sc., Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Canadian

Counsellor, Certified Pastoral Counsellor

Upcoming Courses

Anger Management:

January 18 & 25, 2014

February 15 & 22, 2014

March 15 & 22, 2014

April 5 & 12, 2014

May 10 & 17, 2014

Marriage Preparation:

Februray 28 & March 1, 2014

April 4 & 5, 2014

May 9 & 10, 2014

Christian Marriage Preparation:

February 28, March 7, &

March 8, 2014

To register, or if you would like more

information about Cornerstone’s

courses and events, call Shelby at

(780) 482-6215 ext. 239, or email

events@cornerstonecounselling.com.

You can also visit our website at

www.cornerstonecounselling.com

Cornerstone has

helped over

1500 people so

far this year!

To Our Anonymous Donors From time to time, we receive gifts anonymously. These usually arrive as cash given at an event or as a gift that is given through a third party such as the United Way or our online giving partner, Canada Helps. These organizations will allow donors to designate a gift to a specific organization but provide an option to give anonymously. The third party then issues the tax receipt and forwards the donation without forwarding any information about the donor. We have received several gifts this way over the past year. Anonymous givers have their own reasons for giving this way, and we respect their decisions; however, one of the biggest draw backs for us is that we do not get the opportunity to say thank you. To all of our kind supporters who chose to give anonymously this year, we would like to say thank you for believing in our work. Thanks to your generosity, our clients have been able to heal and make their lives better.

Cornerstone Counselling Centre 302, 10140 – 117 Street, Edmonton, AB T5K 1X3 Extending the hand of compassion since 1977

Help us provide affordable counselling!

We offer fees on a sliding fee scale, which means that the fees are set according to the client’s income. Any “profits” Cornerstone receives from full-fee clients are put back into our Compassion Fund to help others. We in turn are dependent upon the generosity of individual donors, sponsors, and grants to run our programs.

I would like to make a donation of:

$25 $50 $75 $100 $250 $500 Other: $

One-time gift Become a monthly donor and join our Champions of Compassion

I wish to donate by: Cheque

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Signature:

Registered Charity Number 106974702RR0001 Cornerstone Counselling Society of Edmonton, known as Cornerstone Counselling Centre, plans to raise an estimated

$150,000 in our 2013 fund-raising campaigns. It will cost Cornerstone an estimated $30,000 to conduct these campaigns. For more information, please contact Sheila Stauffer, Executive Director, at 780-482-6215 ext:225

Did You Know…

When you donate to Cornerstone, you will receive a 50% non-refundable tax credit for every dollar donated over the $200 threshold? You can take advantage of this benefit by claiming your charitable donations to Cornerstone on your next income tax return.

First Time Donor?

To encourage those who have not previously donated to a charity to help others, the 2013 Federal Budget introduced the First-Time Donor’s Super Credit. New donors will receive an additional 25% credit on donations, to a maximum donation amount of $1000.

For more information visit: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/bdgt/2013/qu01-eng.html

Visit us online at

www.cornerstonecounselling.com

Thank You To All Of Our Donors Hearts of Compassion March 13, 2014 7:15 – 8:30 am

Cornerstone Counselling is hosting our third annual Hearts of Compassion

Fundraising Breakfast. This event allows us to share stories and connect with our generous supporters. You can RSVP or

volunteer as a Table Captain by e-mailing

events@cornerstonecounselling.com or by calling the office.

Join us as we share our vision of

Restoring Hope and Rebuilding Futures.

Cornerstone Connections