A Student's Perspective

Recently, I had the privilege of shadowing Ms. Renée Rizzo, President and CEO of Hope Clinic for Women, for my high school’s Career Shadow Day. Before I had even heard of Hope Clinic, I had this image in my mind about the stereotypical crisis pregnancy clinics. I had pictured a group of prolife activists waiting outside the doors of the clinic with their judgmental glares and picket signs. I pictured the average waiting room with the metal chairs and the walls lined with magazine racks with the end tables littered with pamphlets. I also pictured the clinics that offered help to women, but never thought about how or even if they helped men and the families of the young women.

However, after my dad recommended shadowing Ms. Rizzo at Hope Clinic and I took a look at their website, the image in my mind began to change. By the time I set foot inside the building the stereotypical crisis pregnancy clinic I imagined had completely evaporated. The first thing I noticed was the smell: autumn-scented candles. To my right was what looked like could be someone’s living room but was in fact the waiting room. I immediately felt right at home. The Hope Clinic created a welcoming environment that could easily calm the nerves of anyone who walked right through the front doors and met Desirée, the receptionist. As the first face young women, men, and families see when they first arrive, Desirée knows how to give the patients the reassurance they needed that they made the right decision by coming o Hope Clinic. I then met Renée, the woman who leads this group of people who reaches out to these families and offers them help. She gave me a tour of the building and I saw what set Hope Clinic apart from any other crisis pregnancy clinic.

Hope Clinic offers counseling for not only those in an unplanned pregnancy who are stilling consideration an abortion, parenting or adoption, but also for post-partum depression, those dealing with miscarriages and other forms of pregnancy loss, and family counseling. They have nurse practitioners onsite, counselors for young men and parents who are seeking help, and those who give guidance regarding prevention plans. I realized by the end of the day, that while I may not have needed the services Hope Clinic for Women has to offer, there are too many 18-year-old high school students out there like me who don’t know about the option that is Hope Clinic. I used to think that if I ever got pregnant in high school, my options would be abortion, adoption, or drop out and raise my son or daughter, and I used to think that I w

Woould only have my family to rely on. I always thought about the consequences too, never the possible solutions there were beyond my family and friends. Until now, I never realized the existence of a clinic that could provide support and guidance for not only me, but for the father and my family. I never realized there was hope.

We need to continue getting the word out about this beacon of hope Renée Rizzo and her team provides because while they may not need it now, there may come a time in the future when a friend, family member, or they may need to meet Renée. I’m not saying that when the time comes you won’t have anything to worry about anymore, but if that day comes, you won’t be alone. There really is hope at Hope Clinic for Women.

                                                                        Jesse Pyle, student at Brentwood High School

Friday Devotional

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”

(Proverbs 18:10 / ESV)

There is power and promise in the very name of the Lord.

I love the Proverbs. They are full of practical wisdom, such as the last verse in Chapter 17

which says, “Even a fool  who keeps silent is considered wise. . .” That’s practical wisdom

and we all need it! Then, framed in the middle of Chapter 18 is another verse that uplifts,

sustains and directs us to the Source and Power of all wisdom. That is our greatest need!

Sometimes all of us feel weak and inadequate, especially if we are treading in deep waters.

In those times we come to realize that the best antidote is to pray and seek God’s wisdom

through His word. Remarkably, a verse will stand out to us such as this one, encouraging us

that we have a strong tower beckoning us to safety—all we have to do is call on the NAME

of the Lord.  Too simple? Not if you understand the power in that name.

Remember the shepherd-boy, David, who went up against the giant, Goliath, with a mere

sling and stone? But before he delivered that stone, which fatally wounded the Philistine

he delivered these words: “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin

but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts. . .” (I Samuel 17:45 / ESV)

We know David was a strong lad (probably with good aim) who had struck down both lions

and bears (vs. 36).  But, would a mere stone have the power to take down the giant? Read

of that giant’s mighty dimensions! Not many of us would trust in that, nor did David. He had

learned Who had given him the strength and power to protect his herd before. He also knew

that to call on His name was a summons for the “present help” and power he needed.

If the water you are treading seems deep, or if you have a few giants to slay, call out His

NAME; lift it on high. Yes, exalt it. I know it helps because I’ve tried it. When I find myself

slipping into a mood of self-pity, loneliness or depression I have found that the practice of

simply lifting His name on high lifts me out of despair onto a higher plane. I simply start by

saying, “Lord, I lift your name on high.” Then, the Holy Spirit reminds me of WHAT He is to

me and I call out these names: “My Savior, Holy Comforter, Great Physician, Shepherd,

Almighty God, and my Strong Tower.” Amazingly, through this reminder of His wonder-

ful attributes and the benefits of knowing Him, I find myself in Holy Communion with Him. 

Yes, there is power and promise in His name. ”They will call upon my name and I will answer

them.” (Zechariah 13:8 / ESV)

Written by Joy Wright. Joy, mom to Hope Clinic staff member Robbin Holland, has raised three daughters, two sons, has 17 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren (number 6, Robbin’s first grandchild is due any day). This is Joy’s third year of writing for the “Journey”,  an online devotional for Calvary Church, Charlotte, NC.

A Time for Everything

It has been an interesting morning. Two calls have I made. One to a 30+ year friend to wish her a happy 65^th birthday and to take a few minutes to remember. The other to a dear friend who is at that dreadfully anticipated one year mark of the sudden and unexpected death of her 23 year old daughter. Two calls – for very different reasons – both very remarkable (if that is the word) in their time.

Charles Dickens wrote in his novel, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”.  An appropriate statement for my morning. It is interesting to me that these are some of the first words of a book that tells of sacrifice and resurrection and redemption during a period of tremendous chaos, the time of the French Revolution.

Time – by definition it is a system of intervals, a sequential measure of activities, very linear, very distinct in its reference to periods of time. The irony is that its definition includes continuous and indefinite. We have taken something beyond our comprehension and tried to apply limited measure to it – centuries, years, days, minutes, instances, seasons.

The well-known passage in Ecclesiastes 3 speaks to time - a time to be born, to die, to weep, to laugh, to search, to give up, to tear, to mend, to love, to hate, for war, for peace (just to list a few). But a couple of verses later Solomon speaks to God’s time. In verse 11 – 12 he writes, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” God, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, transcends the time we know – that time of seasons, of best and worst, of periods (isn’t it interesting that a period is a stopping place in a statement?).

How wonderful to know that God makes everything beautiful in its time. God has eternity to work with. He is not restrained by our understanding, or lack thereof, of temporal, sequential, linear time. He “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev. 1:8) His time is not measured by periods, but by the impact of His sacrifice, His resurrection, His redeeming grace. It is He who will make beautiful our past poor choices, our current missteps, our future wanderings. It is He who will bring beauty to everything – even the searching, the tearing, the weeping, the dying - even the years, the days, the evenings and mornings, the seasons – all in His perfect time.

Robbin Holland

Hope Clinic for Women staff

Love > Hate

I have been so upset lately by the amount of hate I've seen in my news feed lately. I wrote a very long blog about it the other day on my personal blog. I'm not going to share that here because it is my personal opinion and doesn't represent Hope Clinic as a whole...

What does represent Hope Clinic though, that I talk about in my blog, is LOVE! And they will know we are Christians by our love! Isn't that how it's supposed to be? Didn't Jesus teach us to love our neighbors and even love our enemies? I don't know when that got so twisted into loving those that agree with us and hating anyone else. I just don't get it and I'm tired of seeing it.

In election years, in heated arguments about abortion or gay rights... Anger and hate is what I see most of the time. I understand being passionate about an issue and I support that completely... It's when that passion turns to hate for anyone who opposes you that's my problem.

I went to lunch with our CEO, Renee Rizzo, yesterday and we started talking about this. She brought Hope Clinic into the discussion as well. I left that lunch feeling so proud of where I work. I may not make millions and I may not love my job every single day, but I can hold my head up high when I say I work at Hope Clinic for Women because I truly believe that our mission is a great mission.

We sometimes don't get the support from some very very pro life people and we don't always get support from the very very pro choice people because we don't engage in the politics of it all. Our concern is the woman, the baby, and her family. We leave the politics to others...

Politicians can make promises. Laws can even be changed. But no matter what the law... There is still a woman in crisis who needs a place to turn. Hope Clinic will always be needed and women will keep referring their friends here because they felt so comfortable here when they were in crisis. They never felt judged... they just feel loved.

Because Hope Clinic believes that Love>Hate and even that Love>Politics, I am proud to come to work every single day... On the good days and the bad.

1 John 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.


Quotes from 2012 Hope Clinic for Women Clients

“Thank you for just listening, being caring & nonjudgmental. It was nice to have someone to be there for support.”

 

“I felt very accepted and not judged. It’s a very supportive atmosphere and I feel like things might be ok after all.”

“It was very peaceful and very well informed. They are all about being there and helping the woman who comes through their doors.”

Alison Cooke has been on staff at Hope Clinic for Women since April 2011. She is responsible for events, marketing, PR, websites and social media.

Bundle Of Joy?

There is no denying childbirth is an emotional time in any woman’s life, but in the past few years more attention has been brought to the clinical disorder of Postpartum Depression  (PPD) which occurs in an estimated 10-15 % of mothers (Glavin, 2012). According to Burling, Luchay, Luchay, Thornton, and Shenk (2012) as many as 721,260 women and their families in the US dealt with postpartum depression in 2010.  While many women experience tearfulness, emotional lability, and difficulty concentrating after giving birth, mothers who experience PPD not only have longer lasting symptoms, but the symptoms are also more severe.  According to the Harvard Mental Health Letter (2011) these symptoms include: depressed mood, sadness, crying spells, loss of interest in daily activities, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, fatigue, reduced energy (beyond what typically occurs when caring for a newborn), sleeping problems, change in appetite, inability to concentrate, and thoughts of suicide. 

Though literature and awareness is growing in the area of PPD and other perinatal mood disorders, the disorder is often overlooked by health care and mental health providers, family members, and even the mother herself.  According to Glavin (2012) there are several barriers to mothers receiving treatment for PPD. These barriers include: lack knowledge about PPD, denial or minimizing symptoms, assuming the problems are common after giving birth, and lack of awareness of treatment options (Glavin, 2012).  It is imperative for mental health providers, support partners (such as churches, family members, and friends), and health providers take means to education themselves as well as the expectant mothers about the risks and preventative measures related to PPD as well as the available treatment options for this disorder.

PPD is highly treatable and is preventable in some cases.  Effective treatments include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); medication, alone or with CBT; group therapy with CBT, educational, and transactional analysis components; and interpersonal psychotherapy (Bledsoe & Grote, 2006).  Early intervention may aid some women in avoiding the onset of PPD after giving birth (Glavin, 2012).

There are a growing number of available resources for education and support for PPD including Postpartum Support International (PSI), and numerous national support groups and networks for women who have dealt with PPD.  In the Nashville area, Hope Clinic for Women*  provides education through the prenatal program at Baptist Hospital, training to medical and mental health providers, and offers specialized counseling and groups for women experiencing PPD symptoms.

* Hope Clinic for Women; established in 1983 equips people to deal with unplanned pregnancies, prevention, pregnancy loss and postpartum depression. More information at www.hopeclinicforwomen.org or 615-321-0005. Services offered on a sliding scale.

References

Beyond the "baby blues": Postpartum depression is common and treatable. (2011). Harvard Mental Health Letter, 28(3), 1-3.

Bledsoe, S. E., & Grote, N. K. (2006). Treating depression during pregnancy and the postpartum: A preliminary meta-analysis. Research on Social Work Practice, 16(2), 109-120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049731505282202

Burling, A., Luchay, D., Luchay, C., Thornton, D., & Shenk, K. (2012). Postpartum depression. Working Strategies, 15(1), 15-15,21.

Glavin, K. (2012). Preventing and treating postpartum depression in women – a municipality model. Journal of Research in Nursing, 17 (2), 142-156.

doi: 10.1177/1744987111433447

Amy is the Client Programs Manager at Hope Clinic for Women. She has worked in the field of Mental Health Advocacy and Counseling since 2008. In addition to her work at Hope Clinic for Women, Amy has experience working with victims of sexual assault, special needs foster care, and individuals dealing with issues related to trauma as well as over 10 years of experience in full-time Christian Ministry.

Enough with Reality TV

 I say this while I also admit to watching a few train wreck shows myself.  And I am not talking about the FoodNetwork, HGTV, Dancing, Amazing Race, Survivor, Amercial Idol type shows that are about a ‘challenge or a talent’. I am talking the ones you don’t admit you watch. The Kardashians. The ‘Real’ Housewives, every actor/actress/singer/dancer trying to rebuild their career who are exposing themselves and their family to us….the list is so long I can’t even name them all. And a new one pops up every day.

The ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ is especially tough to watch. It is like watching a family reunion gone wrong. Yes Italians can be that emotional, that loud, that passionate, that forgiving and eat that much food. But really, I don’t think it shows the best we have to offer most of the time. (I won’t even comment about the other Jersey show). 

The one that causes me the most sadness is Teen Mom. While I like the idea of putting the topic front and center I don’t like what it is doing to the young women. And frankly I am tired of them and The Secret Life of the American Teenager telling everyone that a condom makes stds and pregnancy 100% preventable. Really? I have clients who would beg to differ. 

I have watched Teen Mom since the beginning so I really only follow the first group of girls: Maci, Amber, Caithlynn and Farrah. I find it interesting that the healthiest duo seems to be Caitlynn and her boyfriend who chose adoption. It DOES show youth what a wonderful and healthy choice this can be in an unplanned pregnancy and it is not about being selfish or ‘giving your baby away’. It is about realizing what is best for your child sometimes even if it is not you. So kudos for that. 

But then there is the tragedy of watching Amber fall apart right before our eyes. It is hard watching this young woman in a rehab facility knowing that many of her sessions are being taped. I cannot even imagine going through that painful private process with cameras. I feel like we are doing something very, very wrong by watching. I am heartbroken that MTV has taped this whole thing. At the very least, they should be paying for her rehab as the filming really did not help her state of mind. It is even worse knowing that she is already in jail so you just watch the show waiting to see when she gets to that horrible desperate decision. I started watching it because so many teens were so I wanted to see what they were being exposed to. Now it is like an accident I cannot look away from. But I really want to. It isn’t edifying for the young girls and it isn’t for me. 

I am sad this is what our youth has as options on TV. Of course when I started typing this today I didn’t even know we lost a dear man who knew what a good TV show was about. Andy Griffith, they broke the mold and you will be missed. I am glad that you were teaching Opie when I was growing up vs what I see for ‘parenting skills’ on TV today. 

Reality TV is barely even real with some of the fabricated scenes; but the impact on those young minds and those watching is real. Too real.

Renee Rizzo is President and CEO of Hope Clinic for Women. She feels passionate about helping all people; especially women who have been hurt or broken, realize there IS hope, and that God has a purpose for each one of us.