Feeling a little more tired this holiday season, right after nearly two years of the pandemic?
If you’re suffering from COVID fatigue, there are services that can help in San Antonio.
Mary Beth Fisk, CEO and executive director of the Ecumenical Center, explains what types of counseling the group offers.
1) What types of counseling services are offered by The Ecumenical Center?
“We offer counseling services, evidence-based services that are led by licensed professional counselors, social workers and our psychologist as well,” Fisk said. “We do specialize in some areas, particularly incorporating technology into the counseling session, which includes technology for trauma EMDR. It includes a new technology Alpha STEM for anxiety and depression. We also work with the youngest among us with play therapy with our children. We also have art therapy, music therapy, neurologic music therapy and also neurofeedback, which measures the brain waves.”
Takeaway: Services include counseling for children, adults and families, training for clergy, religious workers and health care professionals and community-based educational programs. There is also art therapy, music therapy and neurologic music therapy.
2) What is the comfort kit and what is it used for?
“Our comfort kit is a collective amount of supplies that allow for teachers who are in the classroom to know how to best support their students,” Fisk said. “It’s reminding them that they are a reflection to the students who may be sad, who, who may be anxious after the loss of a loved one or after the loss of something, or even just going through COVID, which has been a trauma. So it’s a toolkit that they can keep and remind themselves of what they can do to support the little ones.”
Takeaway: The group offers a “comfort kit” that allows teachers in the classroom to know how to best support their students.
3) How is The Ecumenical Center helping the community recover from COVID fatigue and get back to normal?
“We have a series of informational videos and fact sheets that we’ve put together to help people know what they can do at home to support their children, to support their families at large. We work with seniors in our community, our parents, we’re taking care of them and our caregivers. We’re also working very closely with hospitals and our health care workers, providing debriefing sessions and music within the hospital setting. And very importantly, we will provide the community via our website a new resilience toolkit, which will be a collection of things we can do at home to serve our families.”
Takeaway: The center offers community informational videos and virtual sessions on how to cope with loved ones going through a difficult time.
To learn about volunteer opportunities with The Ecumenical Center and how to get involved, click or tap here.
The Center said it is “an ecumenical force for hope, dedicated to alleviating suffering and facilitating spiritual, ethical, physical, emotional and intellectual healing and growth for the community and God’s world.”