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
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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Name: Phone Number:
Address:
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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
[email protected] or by calling the office.
Join us as we share our vision of
Restoring Hope and Rebuilding Futures.
Cornerstone Connections