How Music Therapy Supports Healing And Growth

Many children in North St. Louis face challenges that include complex trauma, and for these young individuals, music therapy is an invaluable tool. By reducing hyper-arousal and avoidance behaviors, music therapy creates a safe environment where kids can engage socially, develop new skills, and build supportive relationships. Providing this service allows our students to relax and open up, making it possible for them to express themselves and form positive connections with peers and mentors.

Benefits of Music Therapy

Music Therapy Adds To Our Wrap-Around Approach To Care

Every note played, every rhythm felt, and every song sung is a step towards healing and self-discovery. This holiday season, we are immensely grateful to offer the gift of music therapy, knowing that its positive impact will resonate in our children’s lives long after each session.

Thanks to Midwest Music Therapy and St. Louis County Children’s Services Fund for their support in making this transformative program possible. Together, we’re building brighter, stronger futures for the children of Hilltop Child and Family Development Center!

“We continued to try to have kids, but after multiple miscarriages we found out we had infertility issues,” Sarah recalls. “We went through several medical procedures, and after five years we were able to have our oldest child, Morgan.” After experiencing the joy of parenthood, they hoped to have another child. However, doctors told them they had only a 3% chance of success if they attempted the same lengthy process. Knowing how painful and unlikely that process would be, Michael and Sarah chose adoption.

Their initial attempts to adopt, however, were marked by disappointment. They connected with another agency but found the experience frustrating and costly. “That was crushing,” Sarah shares. “We were very discouraged… we felt like we were just another number.” After similarly negative experiences with multiple other agencies, they reached out to LFCS in desperation. What they found was a team that truly cared.

Through LFCS’s panels and their own research, Michael and Sarah came to embrace the idea of openness. “I see the birth family as being an important part of Olivia and Brooklynn’s sense of identity,” says Michael. Sarah agrees, adding, “They know they are loved by their birth family, but to interact and feel that love… it made the abstract concrete.”

Lori Holden
The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption

Through their story, the Hanfs hope to highlight the transformative power of openness in adoption and encourage others to embrace it as they did. For them, it was the key to building the forever family they had always dreamed of.

* https://www.americanadoptions.com/blog/10-things-that-scientific-research-says-about-open-adoption/#:~:text=Openness%20allows%20them%20to%20better,10
** https://lavenderluz.com/ncfa-adoptee-research/#:~:text=1.,/religious%20views%20(38%25)
*** https://www.bravelove.org/stories/healthline-the-long-term-health-benefits-of-open-adoption/

We are proud to announce that LFCS will be adding Behavioral Health to our services in Kansas City, and our team is moving into a new office! We believe these moves solidifies our position as a statewide leader in delivering essential services to children and families in need. 

“Expanding our services in Kansas City is a huge occasion for our non-profit,” said Mike Duggar, LFCS’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are transforming into a truly statewide organization, ensuring more children and families have access to the critical support they need to survive and thrive.”

“We’re committed to tailoring our services to address specific needs of Kansas City children and families,” said Duggar. “In particular, we plan to focus on expanding access to our evidence-based programs for anxiety, depression, and trauma, which are significant areas of concern for both children and families in Jackson County.”

“We are dedicated to becoming a trusted partner in the Kansas City community,” Duggar said. “By listening compassionately and responding with care, our goal is to champion the well-being of underserved populations, and provide safety and stability for Missouri’s kids.”

With September being both National Suicide Prevention Month & National Self-Care Awareness Month, LFCS wants to share six different types of self-care strategies you can easily implement into your daily routine:

Physical Self-Care: Laying the Foundation

Physical self-care is the foundation of overall well-being. It involves activities like regular exercise, proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and attending to any medical needs. When we prioritize physical health, we enhance our ability to cope with stress, which can significantly reduce feelings of hopelessness and despair. Encouraging individuals to engage in physical self-care can be a powerful step in suicide prevention, as it directly influences both mental and emotional health

Mental Self-Care: Stimulating the Mind

Mental self-care focuses on stimulating and engaging the mind in positive ways. Activities like reading, solving puzzles, or engaging in creative hobbies can help keep the mind sharp and alleviate feelings of boredom or restlessness, which can sometimes contribute to depressive states. By promoting mental self-care, we encourage people to find joy and fulfillment in intellectual pursuits, which can provide a valuable buffer against suicidal thoughts.

Social Self-Care: Building and Maintaining Connections

Social connections are crucial to our mental health. Social self-care involves nurturing relationships with friends, family, and community. Isolation is a significant risk factor for suicide, so fostering a strong support network can be life-saving. Encouraging social self-care helps individuals feel connected and valued, reducing the sense of loneliness that often accompanies suicidal ideation.

Spiritual Self-Care: Finding Meaning and Purpose

Spiritual self-care involves seeking a deeper sense of meaning, whether through religion, meditation, or spending time in nature. A strong sense of purpose can provide individuals with the motivation to keep going, even in difficult times. By supporting spiritual self-care, we help individuals find peace and direction, which can be vital in preventing suicide.

Practical Self-Care: Managing Everyday Responsibilities

Finally, practical self-care focuses on managing everyday responsibilities, such as organizing finances, maintaining a clean living environment, or setting and achieving personal goals. When individuals feel in control of their daily lives, they are less likely to feel overwhelmed by stress. Practical self-care empowers people to handle life’s challenges more effectively, reducing the risk of reaching a breaking point.

The following story was submitted by an LFCS behavioral health counselor.

I met Albert when he was in 4th grade. His teacher referred him to our school counseling program for anger and social skill issues. At that time, he and his mother were living with his mother’s father, Albert’s grandfather. However, his mother was rarely home. Albert never saw his father. Albert was struggling in school.

Social interactions were hard for him, so he did not have many real friends. It did not help that he was often angry, and wasn’t able to control his temper very well. Albert had reasons to be angry – one of which was he had been physically abused by two of his mother’s boyfriends.

There are several types of grief that are commonly experienced within the adoption triad. Most often, people are aware of the intense grief that someone experiences when a loved one dies. This intense sadness is what some grief counselors refer to as “normal grief.” There are, however, other kinds of grief that are expereinced during adoption. Let’s examine these types more closely:

Customized Care Tailored to Each Family’s Needs:

At LFCS, we recognize that every family is unique, with its own set of challenges, strengths, and preferences. That’s why we take a personalized approach to care, ensuring that our services are tailored to meet the specific needs, learning styles, and locations of each family we serve. Whether it’s providing in-home consultations, virtual support sessions, or flexible scheduling options, we meet our clients where they are—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. By taking the time to understand their individual circumstances and preferences, we empower our clients to engage fully in the program and make meaningful progress towards their goals.

Building Strong, Lasting Relationships:

Central to our approach is the establishment of strong, lasting relationships with the clients we serve. We believe that trust and open communication are the cornerstones of effective support, and we work diligently to cultivate a relationship built on mutual respect and understanding. Our dedicated team of professionals invests the time and effort needed to build meaningful connections with our clients, creating a safe and supportive environment where they feel heard, valued, and empowered to make positive changes. This deep sense of trust and rapport lays the foundation for collaboration and enables our clients to embrace necessary changes with confidence and determination.

Family-Focused Approach:

At LFCS, we understand that the journey of parenthood is multifaceted, and each family’s path may look different. That’s why our parenting program is designed to be inclusive and family-focused, providing support and resources regardless of the client’s decision to parent or create an adoption plan. We believe in empowering our clients to make informed decisions that align with their values and aspirations, and we offer comprehensive resources and guidance to help them navigate this process with confidence. Whether it’s parenting education, adoption resources, or access to community resources, LFCS equips our clients with the tools and knowledge they need to build a strong foundation for their family’s future.

The parenting program at Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri is more than just a program—it’s a lifeline for our clients. To learn more, please visit lfcsmo.org/parenting-and-need-help

Customized Care Tailored to Each Family’s Needs:

At LFCS, we recognize that every family is unique, with its own set of challenges, strengths, and preferences. That’s why we take a personalized approach to care, ensuring that our services are tailored to meet the specific needs, learning styles, and locations of each family we serve. Whether it’s providing in-home consultations, virtual support sessions, or flexible scheduling options, we meet our clients where they are—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. By taking the time to understand their individual circumstances and preferences, we empower our clients to engage fully in the program and make meaningful progress towards their goals.

Building Strong, Lasting Relationships:

Central to our approach is the establishment of strong, lasting relationships with the clients we serve. We believe that trust and open communication are the cornerstones of effective support, and we work diligently to cultivate a relationship built on mutual respect and understanding. Our dedicated team of professionals invests the time and effort needed to build meaningful connections with our clients, creating a safe and supportive environment where they feel heard, valued, and empowered to make positive changes. This deep sense of trust and rapport lays the foundation for collaboration and enables our clients to embrace necessary changes with confidence and determination.

Family-Focused Approach:

At LFCS, we understand that the journey of parenthood is multifaceted, and each family’s path may look different. That’s why our parenting program is designed to be inclusive and family-focused, providing support and resources regardless of the client’s decision to parent or create an adoption plan. We believe in empowering our clients to make informed decisions that align with their values and aspirations, and we offer comprehensive resources and guidance to help them navigate this process with confidence. Whether it’s parenting education, adoption resources, or access to community resources, LFCS equips our clients with the tools and knowledge they need to build a strong foundation for their family’s future.

The parenting program at Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri is more than just a program—it’s a lifeline for our clients. To learn more, please visit lfcsmo.org/parenting-and-need-help

During Breanna’s pregnancy, her mother was diagnosed with dementia. Kaitlynn provided information about resources in the community to assist them through that difficult situation. When Breanna’s third daughter Freya was born, Kaitlynn continued providing support through home visits with Breanna and her children.

When Freya was 3 months old, Kaitlynn encouraged Breanna to pursue her high school diploma through the Goodwill Excel Center in Springfield, MO. Kaitlynn gave her the motivation that she needed to finish her diploma, and ensured that she had the resources she needed so she would be able to focus on her coursework.

“Kaitlynn is like a cheerleader, and she has supported me through so much.”

Congratulations on your graduation, Breanna, and much luck on your continued success!

Work Ethics instill a stigma in workers that prevents them from seeking help. According to the New York Times, “In a 2017 paper, nearly 40 percent of physicians reported being hesitant to seek mental health care because they worried it would harm their chances to get or renew their medical licenses.” This shows that the expectations set by the medical field paints a perspective in the physicians’ minds. It makes them think that if any higher ups in the field figure out that a physician’s mental illness is impacting their ability to work in any way, the opportunity of that physician attaining or keeping their job could plummet. But you’re probably thinking, “The fact that only 40 percent of them felt that way probably means that the other 60 percent wasn’t nervous to seek out help.” While that could be true, the fact that a large percent of people were still uncertain about seeking help is shocking. With how things are now, you would think that being able to seek mental help would be the least of people’s worries, but no. The ethics established in the medical field push physicians to limit, to the point where they’re skeptical about trying to improve their own mental health! If they don’t make sure their health is in check, how can they help with someone else’s’ health?

Sadly, the ever-expending stigma surrounding mental health issues continues to restrain people from seeking the help they need. Even though stigma persists and surges, there are ways to help reduce it. Talking about your struggles and how you handled them could help someone else find the courage to overcome theirs. When you see someone struggling, help them out. Encourage them. Cheer them up. It might make their day even just a little bit better.”