Carol Green Earns Board-Certified Master Mental Health Coach Credential

 

Pennsylvania, USA ---- Carol Green officially became a Board-Certified Master Mental Health Coach (BCMMHC) upon completion of the mental health specialization program: Marriage and Family, administered by the American Association of Christian Counselors through Light University. She joins her husband (Chris) who earned his master certification in Februray of 2024.

“Many of our religious and civic leaders have been misinformed and still approach mental health issues from ignorance, stigma, fear, and very bad theology,” Carol and Chris explain.

Many still believe that all people need to do is just quote a scripture, say a prayer, and God will take care of the marital and family conflicts and challenges by miraculously injecting solutions and resolution into their relationships. But God says through Biblical text, that His people perish because of the lack of knowledge. In this aspect of our human experience, we suffer from debilitating ignorance.

In response to this errant mindset and theology, we just wanted to get educated, trained and empowered to address this crisis by learning from other, more knowledgeable and experienced Christian organizations and institutions who bring a balanced and holistic approach to helping individuals and families who are struggling with mental health challenges. We wanted to immerse ourselves in proper education, so that we could better understand the mental health crisis in our own families and communities."

This specialization program from the Dr. James Dobson Center for Marriage and Family Studies involved 42 hours of training and exams that prepares leaders to preserve and promote the institution of the family and the biblical principles on which it is based. It is focused on the training of a generation of leaders to stand in the gap and help strengthen today’s marriages and families.

Before taking on this Master course, Carol had already completed a 42-hour rigorous mental health training program that included:

 1.) First, the completion of a 14-hour course called Foundations of Mental Health Coaching - This introductory course was designed to provide students with an orientation to the field of mental health coaching. Topics covered included the role and scope of mental health coaching within the local church, ethical guidelines and professional standards in coaching, crisis intervention techniques, and the integration of faith and biblical wisdom in coaching.

 2.) Next, the completion of a 14-hour course called Mental Health Coaching Skills -The purpose of this course was to provide students with the fundamental theories and skills of Christ-centered mental health coaching. Key elements of the coaching process, included methods of change, listening, effective communication, giving hope, operating small groups, and counseling theory.

 3.) And finally, the completion of a 14-hour course called Mental and Behavioral Health Disorders - This course introduced students to the fundamentals of mental and behavioral health disorders. Particular emphasis was placed on factors that cause mental disorders, as well as conventional treatments. Conditions discussed included addiction, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Yes, that's a total of 84 hours of training and prepration. As a Board Certified Master Mental Health Coach, credentialed by the International Board of Christian Care   (IBCC), Carol has earned a voluntary global credential that trains and charges its recipients to maintain the highest clinical, ethical and biblical standards of practice.

“I'm very pleased to have earned this credential," Carol concluded. “Now my husband (Chris) and I are better prepared to assist people through our coaching business and ministry. We're also able to become a more successful connection and liaison between those who need help, and the very capable mental health professionals in our community. We are part of an army of mental health coaches that are being trained and deployed across the United States. It's a new day for those who have been suffering in silence in our families, neighborhoods, church pews, classrooms and corporate offices."

Chris and Carol Green are the creators of the CARE-Ready Life Coaching® model: Care-Readiness/ Training/ Certification, and the founders of the STEP Forward Life Institute™, an online community service preparatory platform. Through their business and school, they empower people to become the change they want to see, and to become the kind and caring light this world so desperately needs.

Present The CARE-Readiness Model to County's Human Service Agencies and Organizations

Pennsylvania, USA --- Community Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green, were ‘spotlight’ presenters at the Dauphin County Systems of Care Community Partners monthly meeting.

Carol opened the presentation by reading an email from a young woman they had coached and mentored over 20 years ago. The woman had written to thank the Greens for the role they had played in her life. 

“Many of you have similar testimonials,” she told the meeting participants , “It’s because you have that passion for helping people.”

Chris explained the concept of CARE-Readiness with the analogy that some parcels and packages are labeled ‘Handle with Care.’ He then explained how they use the acronym CARE which means  Compassion/ Civility; Awareness/ Accountability; Respect; and Empathy.

He challenged the gathering with three questions:

1. Are you CARE-ready in your professional and personal life?
2. Would you like to be even more effective in your people connections?
3. Who handles you with CARE…. When you’re on the edge of burnout or compassion fatigue?

He explained the differences of coaching vs. mentoring, and coaching vs. counseling in order to clarify what it really means to provide life coaching or, at least, a coaching approach within case management and people-helping.

They also spoke on how CARE-readiness is instrumental for addressing burnout and compassion fatigue.

Chris and Carol Green’s Services and Training include:

Inspiration – Get Your Passion Back

Motivational and Encouraging Presentations

Books:

• Responding with CARE
• Processed for Success (Aftermath of Burnout & Compassion Fatigue)
• Rest, Retreats, Revival & Other Comedies (You are Success in Process)

Tools and Practical Application:

• Listen, Lift, Launch (Level 1) – CARE-Readiness
• Listen, Lift, Launch (Level 2) – CARE-Ready Coach Certification

Group Coaching (Building CARE Capacity):

• You are Success in Process
• What NOW (Navigating the Maze of Transition, Trials and Change)
• The Honor Role (For Men)
• Beyond the Resume
• Making It Work from the Inside Out (Emotional Intelligence: Christ Awareness)

Learn more about the Green's coaching and consulting business, as well as their Care-Ready Model and Training, on their website at   https://www.candcconnections.com/what-is-care-readiness

Mental Health Awareness Month: Self Care Presentations

Self-Care Essentials: 

(RISE) Recognize, Implement, Serve, Empower (Part 1)

Self-Care Essentials: 

(RISE) Recognize, Implement, Serve, Empower (Part 2)

Contact Amethyst Roberson for resources and courses at

https://www.coachingcareconnections.com/ 

As many of you already know, the month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

Tonight we held the second of two sessions with Licensed Professional Counselor and Master Life Coach/ Trainer, Amethyst Roberson.

God gave my wife and I a ministry of presence. What that means is that we have a ministry where we just come along side of people and we just try to be present with them; to sit with them, or walk with them through their trouble and pain. We don’t try to preach or give a lot of advice, or force feed them the answers and solutions for their life while they are in that mental or emotional state. 

It’s already a scientifically, medically, and psychologically proven reality that when people are in crisis, they don’t even have the full cognitive ability to receive a lot of teaching, preaching or well-intentioned advice, which is what most people try to do. 

In the aftermath of a critical incident or a traumatic event, what they need most is a comforting and consoling presence and a gentle word until they can get themselves together enough to begin figuring things out, like: what just happened to me?, and what do I need to do now?, and how do I face an unknown and unexpected future? And that process is a journey, and that journey doesn’t have a certain speed, or destination date. We have to be willing to take the journey with people, walking at their pace, and just be a ministry of presence. 

In no way are we dismissing the Word of God and the Power of God by bringing mental health support in on that process. We are seeking to operate in the wisdom of God. The Bible declares that He that wins souls is wise.

Please allow us to further explain why we do it this particular way.

Jesus Christ gave a parable about the different types of soil into which the seed of God’s word gets planted . We learn from that parable that the seed can go into stony soil, never even reach the soil, be plucked up before it can take root, or even be choked out after it starts to grow. So we’re not questioning the power and effectiveness of God’s word. That’s not the issue. The real issue is the condition of people's soil before the word comes to them.

So we employ a more holistic approach to helping people. We try to cooperate with God's wisdom to prepare soil; so that when the seed of God’s word comes into their life, there is a better chance that they can actually hear it and receive it.

So that’s why we invited Amethyst Roberson to step in and help us in the preparation of soil.

We’ve known Amethyst and her husband Hosea for many years; in fact, we were part of their wedding ceremony 14 years ago. We’ve known Amethyst over 30 years. We’ve watched her journey to earning her degrees in counseling, and we have often recruited her to help us in our efforts to provide some mental health awareness to our church and our leaders, long before "mental health" became a front and center topic in our world.

We also brought her onboard to talk to us about mental health awareness during the covid19 crisis, and since then we have collaborated and partnered together in the field of life coaching and life coach training.

Amethyst is more than qualified to address us on the challenges of maintaining good mental health. The past few months have been very traumatic for a lot of us in the Fruitful Life Community's Spiritual Wellness Support Group. We’ve experienced the loss of loved ones, mental and emotional crisis, spiritual crisis, and all kinds of traumatic events and occurrences that have had us reeling in the aftermath of a lot of serious incidents.

We realize there are a lot of people of faith who struggle to face and walk through the aftermath of critical incidents because they find themselves conflicted between their Faith confession and their disappointment, confusion, and the reality of what has happened and what is still happening. 

However, the Bible and our Faith doesn't minimize or ignore the reality of this conflict. The apostle Paul once wrote the following In 2 Cor. 1:8. He said, “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our [tribulation] trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 

This is the same man who wrote: We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 

So we brought in Amethyst for these past two weeks to provide us the tools for navigating life in the aftermath of critical incidents.

She’s talked to us about: Self-Care Essentials: RISE 

RISE is her acronym for Recognize, Implement, Serve, Empower.

Her presentations taught us how to recognize our needs, implement practical strategies, serve our well-being, and we were empowered to face life's challenges with confidence and strength.

We invite you to join us in this journey to health and wholeness in every area of our lives.

--- Chris and Carol Green

             

****

Chris and Carol Green Officiate Wedding

Ephrata, Pennsylvania, USA - Today, Chris and Carol Green officiated the Star Wars (May the 4th) themed wedding of John Thompson and Miranda Crawford. The sci-fi and fantasy adventure-loving couple was joined in holy matrimony after completing the Green’s We Made a PACT Pre-marital Coaching Course.

The course covered topics, tools and tips for Communication, Conflict and Commitment:

• Dialogue/ Communication Styles Assessment
• Ground rules for Marriage Conflict
• Communication Inhibitors, and 
• *Wellness in Marriage, which involved three subtopics:

1. Five Threats to Oneness in Marriage,
2. The Five Phases of Marriage Deterioration, and
3. Preventing Marriage Deterioration (The **Circles of Contentment) 

• The **Circles of Contentment topics:

1. Male Circle of Contentment (What does he need from me?)
2. Female Circle of Contentment (What does she need from me?) 

All of the premarital coaching was done from a Biblical perspective of marriage, as well as the 43-years of marriage life experience of the coaches.
 
“We were honored to be part of the marriage ceremony of this very special couple today,” the Greens commented. “They requested that we provide their pre-marital preparation and that we officiate their wedding as well. It was also very special because our son, Jon Green, was the best man.  They have shared a friendship and camaraderie that has continued from college until this very day.”

To learn more about the Green's Marriage Mentorship and Coaching visit

https://www.chrisandcarolgreen.com/marriage-enrichment-resiliency

*   Created by FamilyLife Today Ministry

** Created by Clarence and Ja'Ola Walker

Encouraging Grandparents Who Are Raising Their Grandchildren

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA - Chris and Carol Green were the guest speakers at this month’s Grandparents Information Forum, which was hosted by Dolorez Cobb-Jones, founder of a non-profit organization called Grandparents Involved From The Start (GIFTS), Inc, on Thursday evening, March 14, 2024. 

Presenting on the organization's Zoom Conference, the Board Certified Mental Health Coaches spoke from the topic: Mental Health and Your Living Legacy. 

The purpose of GIFTS is to assist grandparents with knowledge, support and resources so that they will become more informed, involved and empowered to overcome the challenges of raising their grandchild(ren). The Greens were invited as part of a self-care series and this month’s focus was on mental health. 

“Our thanks to Dolorez Cobb-Jones and GIFTS for inviting us to speak on their online forum,” the Greens shared. “The participants were so gracious and receptive.” 

The Greens opened by engaging the group in a relaxation exercise as a practical way to relieve stress and get focused and centered for the online session. Then they explained some of the basic terminology surrounding mental health, daily stress, and traumatic stress; and carried the presentation into a pivotal section called, ‘When Life Happens'. Ninety percent (90%) of U.S. citizens will be exposed to a traumatic event in their lifetime, so life happenings can include: 

·        Natural Disasters

·        Accidental Disasters

·        Intentional or Deliberate Disasters

·        Incidents of loss or unexpected changes in your life and lifestyle

·        Sustained or Repeated Events and Incidents 

“We really wanted to emphasize that even though traumatic stress is more powerful and serious than ordinary day-to-day stress,” the Greens explained, “Traumatic stress is a normal human response to an abnormal event or incident. The brain and body are trying to get back to normal.” 

Since most of their audience is dealing with the unexpected changes and the traumatic incidents that created the current situation in which they are now raising their grandchildren, the Greens shared some of their traumatic experiences like the loss of income, a car repossession, an eviction, and living in a hotel for about two months. 

From this perspective the Greens offered the following everyday mental health tips to help grandparents elevate their mood and become more resilient.

1. Practice self-care and make yourself a priority (Eat healthy, Exercise, Get enough sleep)

2. Disconnect (for a period of time daily) from electronics and social media

3. Engage in activities that provide meaning

4. Volunteer

5. Engage in meditation and/or prayer

6. Avoid heavy substance use

7. Get help from a licensed mental health professional when and if you need it 

Then they concluded by offering tips on how to build a living legacy of mental wellness for their grand children. 

As the Greens were speaking, so many comments were being posted in the group chat that Dolorez Cobb-Jones briefly interrupted the presentation to read a few of them. Samples of the responses were:

• This is very practical 
• You're answering the exact questions that I had in my mind
• Wow 
• Interesting session 
• I've been practicing this for the last 3 years ...Love this meeting, very informative 
• Wonderful 
• Thank you for this opportunity 
• Really informative session
• Thank you !!!
• Great 

“We just presented a few small but impactful ways to help grandparents improve their mental health every day,” the Greens concluded. “Just as it requires effort to build and maintain physical health, so it is with mental health. We pray that all will see an increase in their overall mental wellness as they press forward in raising their grandchildren in these challenging times."