Have you noticed that some children can be so manipulative these days?  (Not yours, of course.)   Or that kids are getting into more risky behavior and enjoying it less?  (Ahh, those rascally daredevils.) Or is it possible that you know a child who is depressed, but it looks more like anger much of the time?  Do you worry that your child may have some OCD issues or do you have concerns that your child may be doing something to self-harm, such as cutting or making suicide threats? 

 

And yet we love them.

 

There is help – with tools and principles for effective change to help kids survive the crush of pressures from peers, media, and everything in between.

 

Parenting classes will be beginning soon at the Marysville location. 

 

Remember, skills learned in these classes transfer over to any relational dynamic, so these are helpful for dealing with co-workers and CEO’s, faithful partners, (read that “your better half”), nurses, doctors, police officers, you name it!  The butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker!

 

We completed a ten-week series of the Developing Capable Young People video series and material combined with material and exercises from Positive Discipline in December. 

 

The coming seven-week series of Positive Discipline classes will be two hours long and will provide the Positive Discipline by Jane Nelsen, twenty-five year anniversary (third) edition, most up-to-date to include cell phones and social websites. 

 

Please call, text, or email if you’re interested.  We are planning to begin Sundays 2:30pm-4:30pm, and will go for 7 weeks.  Because of holidays, the end date will be determined at the first class by group consensus.  Classes are still a steal at $100, $150 for a couple.  As always, if finances are an issue, call and see if partial/whole scholarships are still available.

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We are excited to announce that interviews for the 16-week pilot program, which includes free counseling, will begin next week.  Give us a call at (425) 330-3898 or email at skosh@skosh.org.  

Ms. Mila Jones, our new intern, now completing her last year of a Masters Program at Liberty University will be counseling for free and available three days a week.  

Here is the latest announcement:

Our program begins the week of January 17th.

 

Openings are available:

 

Monday 10am-7pm

Thursday 9am-noon

Friday 10am-7pm

 

Skosh Jacobsen, Director of New Hope Counseling and Services, will conduct an initial interview with all prospective clients over the phone. Skosh Jacobsen will be supervising Ms. Jones and will be making calls on Monday, Thursday and Friday of next week.

 

Please e-mail, text or call if you are interested in this rare opportunity while spaces are still available.

 

Thanks so much for taking an interest in this fully free and limited-time offer.

 

Skosh Jacobsen and Mila Jones

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Free counseling is being offered for a 16-week pilot program at New Hope Counseling.

 

If you’re interested in free counseling for relationships or communication issues, including marriage or parenting, or work, or if you know someone who could use some help during these trying times with depression, anxiety, stress, anger, or grief and loss, see the details below for the December 19^th post, and pass on our phone number 425-330-3898 or email at skosh@skosh.org.  

 

And please, have a peaceful New Year.

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Having met a very kind man last Monday night, Pastor Brad Sebranke from Park Ridge Community Church on Maltby Road in Bothell, I learned that their Christmas tree lots are overstocked and they are offering Noble Fir Christmas trees for $20 each, with Wednesday being their final day of sales.

 I found Pastor Brad across from Lowe’s on 132nd St. SE behind “Casey Treat’s church”, (which used to be the old Silver Lake Chapel) in Mill Creek.

 

But there are several tree lots associated with this outfit and a call to Pastor Brad might pay off a savings for you in gasoline.

 

If you are experiencing hard times, Pastor Brad said he would see that anyone who couldn’t afford a tree would get one free.

If you know anyone who would like a Christmas tree, please give Pastor Brad a call at (425) 770-8507, and please let him know you are responding to this blog article (and, please, mention my name, Skosh Jacobsen). He is planning to close up after Wednesday, so if you know somewhere that he can take trees to help people in need, please call him and let him know. 

 

And thanks so much.

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Do YOU know anyone who has said they would go to counseling if it wasn’t SO EXPENSIVE???

 Could YOU use some help with dealing with difficulties, communication, relationships, parenting, problems on the job?

New Hope Counseling and Services is sponsoring a 16-week pilot program of FREE COUNSELING at the Marysville location.

 If you or someone you know would be interested in this opportunity for 16-weeks of free psychotherapy

beginning the week of January 17th, 2011, please contact:

“MJ” <mjpilotproject@gmail.com>

or “Skosh Jacobsen” <skosh@skosh.org>

Email NOW to apply for a 16-week pilot project of free counseling with no financial strings attached

beginning the week of January 17th, 2011, or call Skosh Jacobsen at (425) 330-3898.

Mila Jones, Intern, is completing her final year

of a Master’s Degree in Counseling at Liberty University.

 

HOPE for CHANGE

I will provide counseling for adults in the areas of depression, anxiety, stress management, life transition, isolation and loneliness, spiritual guidance, self-esteem and relationship counseling.  Here is an opportunity to break free from depression, improve communication skills, decrease stress, build confidence, deepen intimacy in relationships, and reduce anxiety.

An atmosphere of respect and trust will be provided from the first session.  Each person is unique and I will take the time to get to know you.  This means understanding your situation and fully addressing your questions and concerns.  A non-judgmental atmosphere will be provided in order for you to make the decisions you need to gain a more balanced sense of well being.

I would like to spend time with you discussing this information and answering your questions about the counseling sessions that will be provided.

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New Hope Counseling and Services has been offering counseling

at a new location in Bellevue for over a year now.

The new address is:

 

 Hidden Valley Office Park – South Entrance

1750 – 112th Avenue N.E., Suite E-168 

Bellevue, WA 98004 

 

A BIG 4 is on a post by the entrance of the correct building.

Suite  E-168 is up one floor by elevator or stairs.

“Therapy Services” is on the door of the suite.

 

Please note: Google will direct you to the north entrance.

The south entrance is slightly north of  NE 15th Street. 

 

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Here is the recipe I’ve promised – dedicate to all those die hard spinach lovers out there.

As they say, you either LOVE SPINACH or you HATE IT.  This recipe is great any time of year, but especially as weather becomes colder, I love the “comfort food” way this feels in my mouth and my tummy. 

Spinach Casserole is a great take-to-a-pot-luck dish.  You can make ahead, store in the fridge and cook the day of an event, or cook it ahead and, like lasagna, it just gets better and better as it sits, IF it sits around that long.  And it freezes superbly.  Simple to make, and, for the growing family, (I raised 5 kids and my step-son for 10 years) this recipe doubles, triples (good luck finding a pan big enough!) or for the family that is down-sizing, it halves very nicely.   Who could ask for anything more!  But the best part is, it has plenty of protein and is practically a meal in itself, and the spinach in it makes it very healthy.  So here it is –

SPINACH CASSEROLE   —   Serves 6-8

4 10-ounce packages frozen spinach or 40 ounces in the big bags

1 quart cottage cheese

8 Tablespoons of flour (equals 1/2 cup)

Salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder to taste (I leave all of these out — what can I say, I’m a finicky eater. That or I’m lazy…)

1 stick of butter or margarine, CUT UP (I leave this out now, because there is plenty of oil from the cheese…You decide)

Mix in 6 well-beaten eggs (I use extra large or jumbo size)

1 pound or Monterey Jack Cheese or 1/2 Jack and 1/2 Cheddar  CUT INTO LITTLE CUBES (or shredded works in a pinch)

Mix together thoroughly

Dump into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish (oil spray works fine)

Bake uncovered 1 hour at 350 degrees (or 325 degrees if the dish is glass)

Done when golden and bubbly in the center

Note: Can be prepared the day before to blend flavors better.  Can be stored partly cooked or raw.  Add cooking time if coming from fridge (maybe 10 minutes — and never put a cold glass casserole dish in a hot oven).  

Freeze and reheat w/foil cover.  Or microwave (no foil).  Doubles nicely.  Halves nicely.

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I’m sure you’ve all been holding your breath, just waiting for the news — WHAT could it BE?  A new Boeing model?  A peaceful resolution between those two dissenting nations?…(YOU know the ones!)  The unveiling of a new recipe for egg-less meringue or a creme-less brulee?  

 No, it’s even better than THAT!

 Many of you know that I am a parenting educator for two outstanding parenting programs.  The tools I found in Developing Capable Young People in 1993 enabled me to turn around “parenting from the hip” methods with five kids into parenting with connection and compassion, while maintaining authority by being firm AND kind.

 What a difference it has made for me and many others.

 I later trained in the Positive Discipline  program in 2002 and found additional ways to help learning to happen in some fun and meaningful ways.  Now you can turn challenges into opportunities to learn and grow, and get back to being a peaceful family again.

 Join us at our next presentation of classes.  Start now to complete in time for the holidays.

 Parenting classes will begin Sunday, September 26th and continue for ten weeks until November 28th, 6-8:30pm, at the Marysville location of New Hope Counseling and Services (you can find that information at the locations tab of this website.)

The cost will be $100 for one parent or a couple from the same family – plus the cost of books, about $50, advanced payment required.  I will order books as soon as I have  a clear number of committed (paid) participants.

If finances present a problem, please contact me and we can discuss possibilities.  Scholarships may be available.

There is no room for childcare at the facility and arrangement of childcare will be the parents’ responsibility.

Feel free to inquire  by email at skosh@skosh.org or text or call to (425) 330-3898.

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What a Catch!

Here is the link to a story about a boy and a dream.  Cosmo Miller broke two fishing rods before he caught the six-gill shark of his dreams.  Cosmo had seen some smaller sharks around his grandparents’ home in Normandy Park.  He learned what they look like from watching Discovery Channel.  I mean, here is some ingenuity at work!  I’m not sure where Cosmo learned that six-gill sharks like to eat dogfish (maybe he got that from Discovery Channel too,) but it must have been good because he caught himself a 150-pounder!

I read an article in my daughter’s Brio Magazine sixteen years ago that urged teens to follow their dream.  As I was reeling from a tragic and unexpected divorce of a long-term marriage, and returning to college to try to get skills to support me and my three remaining children still young, I was stunned by the magnitude of it all.  It can be pretty overwhelming.  More than once I was discouraged and wanted to give UP.  But those words in that article made a difference for me, and I never forgot the encouragement that I got to follow my dream.

This young man had a dream, and he didn’t let his small frame or his young years or a flimsy fishing pole keep him from reaching for that dream. 

And maybe that’s more of what this blog article is really about: research and tenacity and holding on when things are breaking down all around you.  Hang in there.

I don’t know where you’re at in your travels, but it will all be worth the effort you’ve spent when you have reached that dream.

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True to my word, here is our family favorite recipe for PROTEIN PANCAKES (or waffles) from the More-with-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre, given to me by a very dear friend.  Back when I was having babies, I used to blend up the ingredients, store in a Mason jar in refrigerator, and shake and pour a few pancakes as needed. 

I never get tired of them!  Easy prep so children can help.

 

High Protein Pancakes    –    serves 3

 

1 c. cottage cheese

4 eggs

 1/2 c. flour

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. oil

1/2 c. milk

1/2 t. vanilla extract

 

 Mix liquids in blender, then add dry ingredients slowly to mix well. 

Pour on hot griddle. 

Great with butter and jam or syrup.

 

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