CCB therapist Abby Frasier has been seeing seven-year-old Stephen* for approximately 18 months. Before beginning therapy, Stephen struggled with an unstable family life as he moved between his grandparents' households with little support or involvement from his parents. These challenges made it difficult for Stephen to regulate his anger and frustration, and his trauma would often manifest as harmful and disruptive behaviors at school, including yelling in class, fighting with classmates, and damaging school property. Stephen struggled with school attendance and had faced suspensions due to his behavior.

With Abby, Stephen participated in play therapy, which allowed him to demonstrate and work through his aggression and transitions between family systems in a safe and age-appropriate context. Abby also employed strategies drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy and attachment therapy, which have helped reduce Stephen's negative self-talk and improved his ability to form bonds with people who care about him. This year, Stephen has demonstrated tremendous progress with his attendance and behavior at school. He has improved his ability to regulate his emotions and manage frustration and has begun expressing his feelings towards his mom and dad through letter-writing. Through therapy, Stephen has been able to improve his emotional wellbeing, relationships, and school performance, gaining tools that will help him forge a brighter future.

*Client's name has been changed to protect his privacy and to honor his favorite basketball player, Stephen Curry.

CCB Staff Complete Intensive EMDR Training

In January and February, CCB therapists Abby Fraiser and Kirsten Chandler participated in a six-day training series on integrating EMDR into clinical practice. EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a client-centered approach to processing trauma. This evidence-based approach has been implemented successfully with both youth and adults and in telehealth settings, and many CCB clients have benefitted from this therapeutic approach as they've worked to lessen the negative impact of trauma on their daily lives.

Kirsten and Abby look forward to incorporating EMDR into their practice, and CCB is continuing to support their growth (and that of other therapists trained in the approach) through regular consultations with an experienced practitioner. Along with play therapy, EMDR can be an important tool for helping children who might struggle with traditional talk therapy process trauma, and CCB is grateful to the Smithville Charitable Foundation for supporting this training for staff working with children enrolled in our Fairview Elementary program.

CCB Welcomes New Staff

Visitors to CCB's offices in recent months might have seen two new friendly faces behind the front desk. We are excited to welcome our new administrative assistants Abby Rochford and Angel Gabbard to the CCB team, and we are grateful for all the work they do to create a welcoming environment for our clients and to keep our operations running smoothly. 

A qualified charitable distribution from an IRA is a well-established and popular way to give. If you are 70½ or older, this option allows you to make a charitable gift and satisfy your annual required minimum distribution (if one is due) without paying taxes. Whether you want to make a gift of $100, $1,000 or $100,000 (the maximum annual aggregate amount allowed), this is a simple, effective way to make a difference, meet your annual distribution requirements, and enjoy tax benefits. To make a gift from your IRA to any Archdiocesan parish, school or ministry, please complete this form to let us know of your intentions.

Making a Beneficiary Designation

One of the easiest ways to blend gift planning with retirement planning is to name a parish, school or ministry as the beneficiary of your retirement plan.

As the primary, contingent or partial beneficiary, your favorite Catholic cause receives the retirement funds upon your death. Simply consult your retirement plan custodian to update your beneficiary using their easy online form. For more information, please contact CCF at 317-236-1482 or CCF@archindy.org.

To inquire about donating to Catholic Charities Bloomington, contact Cheri Bush at cbush@archindy.org or (317) 236-1411



To inquire about Catholic Charities Bloomington, contact Dennis Craig at dcraig@ccbin.org or (812) 332-1262

Catholic Charities Bloomington partners with CarEasy.Org to make your donation easy and convenient. Click the image to learn more.

Help Catholic Charities by shopping for groceries

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1. Register your Kroger Plus Card at Kroger.com/communityrewards (if you do not have one, they are available at the Customer Service desk at any Kroger).

2. Click on "Sign In" or "Create an Account".

3. Search for "Catholic Charities Bloomington" or enter CL196.

4. Click "enroll".

www.ccbin.org