Mary’s Columns – Taos News

TBH Welcomes Michael Pena

June 21, 2018

Mary Gray McPhail By Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

“The most inspiring event in my counseling with individuals or couples is when they start figuring things out for themselves—taking responsibility for their own actions” said Michael Pena, the newest clinician at Nonviolence Works.

Pena works with adults only and is available now for new clients presenting many different issues.

While Pena’s early years were spent in Texas, he moved to New Mexico 35 years ago. Pena was ninth in a family of ten children—an experience that may have helped him as a single dad raising three children of his own. He started a commercial cleaning business in Ruidoso and put them all through college. When Pena began to feel that he wanted to be involved in actually helping others achieve their life goals, he went to Highlands University to become a licensed social worker. His youngest son took over the cleaning business and has expanded it dramatically.

Michael Pena

“I am proud of my kids—they are all doing well,” said Pena. He also enjoys his seven grandchildren.

Pena became a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADAC) in 2003 and in 2006 completed his master’s. He has worked in a variety of mental health settings and reports that one of the gifts he received has been supervision from outstanding clinicians. Prior to coming to NVW, Pena worked for a year at TriCounty Mental Health Center.

Nonviolence Works Welcomes Linda Sanders

May 24, 2018

Mary Gray McPhail By Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

When Linda Sanders walked into her therapy room at Nonviolence Works, she felt as if she was coming home—again and again! Sanders was raised in Texas, and for her entire childhood her family spent most of their vacations in New Mexico—and Taos was the favorite place. She loved the environment and the rich cultural traditions, and at a critical point she and her husband were determined to live here.

Sanders has had an outstanding career as a licensed clinical social worker in Texas—including ten years working with veterans and fifteen years working with adults in other critical decision-making processes. She served for five years as a mitigation specialist completing comprehensive biopsychosocial investigations of clients referred in capital murder cases. For ten years she was the clinical director of a 100-year-old private adoption agency and for eight years was the clinical director in a family social service agency.

Linda Sanders

Sanders has often been an administrator. The VA Medical Center in Dallas is the second largest in the country and as the Assistant Associate Chief Social Worker Sanders supervised a staff of 170. In her first VA position she was the Suicide Prevention Coordinator at a time when Veteran’s Affairs was just beginning to recognize the need for identification, assessment and treatment of veterans at high risk for suicide. She developed community partnerships to coordinate services and was part of a national team that developed an award-winning process to manage suicidal calls coming into all VA call centers. [Read more…] about Nonviolence Works Welcomes Linda Sanders

The Loud Voices of our Youth!

April 26, 2018

Mary Gray McPhail By Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

“School should not be a place where we are discussing where we should duck and cover!” stated a youth speaker at the “Never Again” youth-led demonstration on the Plaza on Friday April 20^th.

Another speaker declared, “We need to reconnect in our community and look hard at the narrative we are repeating. Nineteen years ago the Columbine murders occurred, and we are still just talking about it!”

During the two months of the Art of Nonviolence Exhibit at the TCA, visitors were asked to respond in writing to the question “What is the path to nonviolence?” Out of the 173 responses, the most passionate involved gun regulations and bullying. On both of these topics, they asked for adult partnerships to change some things. [Read more…] about The Loud Voices of our Youth!

Listening to the Village Voices

April 12, 2018

Mary Gray McPhail By Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

The people of Taos spoke to all of us during the two months—from February 5 through April 2– that TCA’s Encore Gallery and Nonviolence Works presented the exhibit “The Art of Nonviolence.” They responded to the question: “What is the path to Nonviolence? Share your Hopes and Insights… ”

We gathered 173 comments left by viewers of all ages—from 8 to 87. While there was one comment from Indiana and another from Amsterdam, Holland, we can assume that these messages were from our own residents who welcomed the opportunity to respond. We will review these messages over the next two weeks and share them with you as a reflection of our voices.

The majority of responses urged a personal expression of positive values that supported self-esteem and close trusting relationships—leading to the ability to avoid violent acts. Often these beliefs and actions are nurtured in families and religious communities. Examples were: [Read more…] about Listening to the Village Voices

Listen and Learn

March 29, 2018

By Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

“Instead of working on our homework, we were sitting in our math class planning where we would duck and hide if the warning suddenly came.”
— a Taos High School student at the March 14th rally on the plaza.

“I am frightened to leave the classroom and go to the bathroom.”
— a student in the discussion at St. James after the march from the plaza.

“The high school is not safe.”
“We do not feel safe.”
“Anyone can walk in and out all day”
— comments heard at the St. James gathering.

“I became a teacher to develop, mentor and grow young people. To ask us to hold guns is not in our nature.”
— Pasqual Maestes

The iron in our bodies becomes stars when we are killed.
Respect the stardust in our blood instead of killing it.
— The poet Micalle Lewis, a 2017 graduate of Taos High

Ted Wiard, director of Golden Willow Retreat, stated that this community and the nation need to act through FEAR—Face Everything and Recover.

Can we face the obvious observation that the youth have taken over the narrative the adults should be creating? Most adults over 40 did not experience the challenges our young people do today. Can we do what Wiard said was needed—honor their anger by agreeing that something must change? And protect them by holding space for action? [Read more…] about Listen and Learn

The World Has Changed for our Youth

March 15, 2018

Mary Gray McPhail By Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

“We don’t get that regular teenage life anymore. It just doesn’t exist,” declared a Florida Parkland student.

“When I think about getting ready for school,” said a student in a church meeting for youth, “I choose the shoes I put on — the better to run in.”

Is this the world of school we want our youth to have?

In a nation whose national leaders are not able to seriously debate and come to consensus about how to reduce the dangers posed by the proliferation of assault-type weapons, our youth are watching us. And they are applauding the legislature and the governor of Florida who made some brave starts.

The national polls of gun owners show a preponderance of support for responsible background checks, raising the age at which one can purchase a firearm, and reducing access in the market to assault weapons. Gun owners who hunt responsibly, enjoy controlled target practice, and believe that their livestock and homes may be safer if there is a rifle in the home — are not apt to agree with the NRA manifesto that any gun control regulation essentially limits our individual freedoms. In fact, most observers believe that this position insults the intelligence of our citizens and the strengths of our democratic processes. [Read more…] about The World Has Changed for our Youth

Youth Speak to Us about Violence!

February 1, 2018

Mary Gray McPhail By Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

“Art is a language that allows youth to clearly express themselves in ways that are different than writing or speaking,” so states Michael “Smokey” Martinez, Nonviolence Works board member and chair of the Art of Nonviolence Exhibit, which opens Monday, February 5. in the Encore Gallery at the TCA.

The exhibit features works by 30 young artists from Questa Junior/Senior High School, Taos Middle School, and Taos Charter School. They all responded to the challenge from their teachers to express how violence has impacted them. The exhibit is beautiful and tough. These stories are clearly moving, with certain themes that emerge—the juxtaposition of love and violence, the power of bullying, bruises on the heart, feelings of being victimized, pretending to be okay, suicidal thoughts.

From the 2018 ART OF NONVIOLENCE EXHIBIT

Martinez comments that the courage of these artists to express their feelings is a strong message of support for other youth who may not feel they can speak up about what has happened to them. These shyer students can be empowered by their classmates. And the teachers—Katie Woodall at Taos Charter School, Christine Autumn at the Taos Middle School, and Jennifer Vialpando from Questa Junior/Senior High school—talked to their students about how to dig down deep in their own lives. What has happened to them? What have they experienced? What have they observed? What have their friends shared with them? The teachers created safe, accepting environments for the students to speak their truth through art. And it will all be at the TCA for us to share. [Read more…] about Youth Speak to Us about Violence!

A Year of Success!

January 18, 2018

Mary Gray McPhail By Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

Nonviolence Works faced challenges, opportunities and success in 2017. We want to reach out to Taosenos and celebrate our success! This year our CEO Simon Torrez and our Lead Clinician Sadie Quintanilla have led the staff through successful changes with enhanced clinical expertise, larger staff, stronger programs, and exciting new plans for additional services.

We welcomed three new clinicians, and all our clinicians enhanced and focused their therapeutic skills. You may not know that we have an expert in infant mental health, several clinicians who respond with skill in crisis situations, a clinician who is skilled in vocational rehabilitation, and several who regularly intervene to prevent suicides. Our clinicians all have master’s degrees and are able to deal with grief and loss, trauma, anger management, and custody and foster child issues. [Read more…] about A Year of Success!

We’re Here for You!

December 21, 2017

Mary Gray McPhail By Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

Have you been to the Storyteller theater this week? It is the holiday season when the audiences become larger and new movies are pushed out by the industry to capture your attention. We hope you all notice the new ad for Nonviolence Works while you are waiting for the previews!

We want you to know that we are here for you! We often hear that many people do not know we have competent clinicians that service individuals, families and couples, in addition to our ongoing work with youth. We especially want you to know that we have clinicians skilled in service to our veterans, and we want you to help us spread that word.

Our website gives you an excellent overview of our programs and the deep strength of our staff. There is also an online referral form for yourself or others for whom you wish to seek services. [Read more…] about We’re Here for You!