Parenting with reslience

Parenting with Resilience

New offerings for challenging times

Twenty-first century families faced unique challenges even before a worldwide pandemic began. Now parents are experiencing an added and wholly new level of stress. St. Stephen’s Church remains committed to providing ministry not only for children and youth, but for parents at every stage of child rearing. Our church has invested significant attention and resources in this area of our life and works to be a place where caregivers of children from birth to early adulthood can find support, not only from staff and experts, but from one another. We do not promise quick fixes nor easy answers, but faithful companionship, expertise and tools in the most important ministry of parenting.

One particular need is a space shaped and facilitated by professional, clinical support within small groups of parents. These groups are designed to provide a safe place for sharing concerns common to many parents in our parish, and developing a series of conversations and presentations to address those concerns. In these groups, Meredith Southwell, LCSW (pictured) with the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care—VIPCare—brings both psychological and spiritual insights to bear on such topics as tending well to marriages, adults dealing with their own stress and trauma in healthy ways, and so on—facilitating constructive conversation in a safe environment, and offering professional reminders about healthy parental care and reflection. Our vicar, the Rev. Will Stanley, is Meredith’s co-leader.

While these are not therapy groups, participants will benefit from the insights and experiences of a trained clinician as they voice concerns in an intimate, safe, and confidential setting.

Themes emerging from the various groups will inform topics for future offerings for parents (not limited to small groups).

By the time you read this, the first round of groups will already be underway. However, we intend to offer subsequent groups. Visit our Web site at ststephensRVA.org/resilience to see what dates are available, and to register for an upcoming group. Once you’ve visited the Web site, if you have questions, please be in touch with Will Stanley, wstanley@ststephensRVA.org. ✤

REGISTRATION TIPS

• If you have children in multiple age brackets, sign up for the group that feels most helpful/where you currently desire the most support • If both par ents are participating, only one parent/guardian needs to complete registration • When you register, you will be asked to sign an informed consent form in order to receive clinical support in your

Zoom group.