Taos Behavioral Health

Counseling for Adults, Children and Families

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Taos Behavioral Health Gives Thanks to Community Businesses

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

It is the season of giving thanks and reaching out to those who are important in our lives.  We are grateful for our 13 years of partnering and giving to the greater Taos community!

We hope many of you saw our full-page announcement in the November 15 Taos News that pictured Nonviolence Works’ enlarged staff, our enhanced services and our new name and tag line!  We are now Taos Behavioral Health — which more accurately portrays what we do:  “Heal, Grow, Empower Yourself.”

This work would not be possible without the generous partnering of organizations in Taos who believe in our mission:  “To provide comprehensive behavioral health services to individuals, families and groups to support them in developing positive behaviors and making life-affirming choices.”

We would like to feature the organizations that in 2018 once again partnered with our Familia y Mundo Therapeutic Summer camp.

First of all, Ranchos Elementary School with the commitment of Principal Lourdes Cordova once again provided us with two temporary classrooms to house our activities — protecting space for individual and group therapy and a wide variety of social, educational and physical activities.  The janitorial staff — a critical support for any activity in the buildings — was particularly supportive and efficient.

The participants visited Taos Village Farm to learn about agriculture and nutrition, and the staff always prepared them a fresh, free lunch!  High Altitude Fitness gave the program free swimming time and, High Altitude Athletics provided free time in their gym.

Twirl invited the program to a free afternoon of creative activities and time to play in their playground.  Taos Youth and Family Center allowed free use of their facilities, and we paid a small fee for swimming and rollerblading.

Gutters provided an experience for the youth to learn about and try bowling, and Parks and Recreation encouraged our use of all the city parks.

At the Taos Library, youth were given the chance to visit the book holdings and check out books of their choice.  Defendu Academy continued their reasonable fee for providing classes in beginning martial arts.

The Storyteller Theatre cooperated with us in opening the theatre for our students and their families in a special matinee celebrating the end of the summer program. We took the youth to Vagrant Heart where they learned from a rich variety of local artists and had opportunities to create themselves.

Sadie Quintanilla, TBH Director of School Programs, stated that the amazing support of community groups enriched the summer program and allowed for unique and memorable experiences for all the students. In all of these places, our students were welcomed, and their learning was facilitated by the attitudes and support of the staffs.  One of the important objectives of the summer camp is to provide new opportunities for the attendees to learn (and teach their families) about unique Taos resources.  In addition, we discuss ways that youth can give back to the community through service activities and representing Taos youth in positive ways.

As this Holiday season starts and we celebrate a new beginning with a new name, mission and tag line — we want to recognize the gifts of the community. These businesses that have supported us need recognition and appreciation by all the community.

Thank you from us all!

 

Taos Behavioral Health (formerly Nonviolence Works) has the largest credentialed and licensed behavioral health staff in Northern New Mexico.  We can be reached at 575-758-4297 or taosbehavioralhealth.org or stop by at 105 Bertha Street in Taos. 

Mary McPhail Gray is the Board Chair of Taos Behavioral Health (TBH) and can be reached at 575-779-3126 or mcphailconsulting@gmail.com

TBH Welcomes Michael Pena

Mary Gray McPhailBy 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.

[Read more…] about TBH Welcomes Michael Pena

How We Support Changes in Our Clients

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Board Chair

Everyone in the behavioral health field is wants to support their clients through changes they have identified—whether it be relieving depression, processing grief, learning more self control and goal setting, or acquiring new relationship or parenting skills.

How do we help them change? What makes it possible for people to change in a relationship with a counselor or social worker? Is there a special “one size fits all” program or approach?

Researchers and behavioral health care providers have asked these questions in order to improve their success with clients. Recent research gives some interesting answers. Repeatedly, findings describe the “therapeutic alliance” or the partnership between the therapist and the client as a key variable. This essentially means that a trusting relationship is developed where the client feels empathy, acceptance and warmth from the therapist. They develop a shared work plan devoted to the client’s needs.

Further research also suggests that the greater and varied life experiences a therapist has is often a key factor in being able to relate to a variety of clients. At Nonviolence Works, our clinicians have a range of experiences and skills. [Read more…] about How We Support Changes in Our Clients

Letter to Donors

Dear Donor,

Happy New Year!  We want to begin 2017 by thanking you for your support of Nonviolence Works last year, and by sharing some of our accomplishments that your generosity helped make possible.

Familia y Mundo (FYM), our after-school and summer therapeutic program that provides individual and group counseling, served 120 youth during 2016.  Now in its fifth year, and housed at Ranchos Elementary School through a cooperative arrangement with the Taos Municipal Schools, it provides youth with support and the opportunity to practice social and emotional skills in a safe environment. [Read more…] about Letter to Donors

A Year to be Grateful to our Many Partners!

Mary Gray McPhailBy Mary McPhail Gray
NVW Chair

As 2016 comes to an end, I reflect on how Nonviolence Works is deeply grateful to the community partners who collaborated with us to provide the services to 700 youth and 150 adult clients during the last 12 months. Our mission “To inspire, train and empower all people to lead lives of nonviolence” compels us to work with other community agencies and leaders who share our vision to support human growth and change. [Read more…] about A Year to be Grateful to our Many Partners!