Personal Touch

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

In today’s Personal Touch, Rebecca Cressman interviews Tracey Christensen, from the Now I Can Foundation. Tracey Christensen is a wife and mother of three children, including a child that was born with Cerebral Palsy. After years of doing traditional physical therapy, Tracey and her husband, Joel, took their daughter to Poland for an intensive month of physical therapy. A year later, the Christensen's brought the intensive model of therapy to Utah with the Now I Can Foundation. Now I Can is a non-profit physical therapy center in Provo, Utah dedicated to helping disabled children reach their physical goals and become more confident and independent. Listen to the interview to learn more about this great foundation.




Our contributor Russ Beck has sent this article to us. Russ Beck is a licensed, professional counselor with a Master's degree from the University of Wyoming. He also blogs at “On the Couch … by Russ Beck.” In this article “Am I Addicted to My Addictions?”, he tells us what an addiction is and how it is treated. However, as of late, something has changed. He says: “It seems there is no end to the number or types of addictions.” Are we trying to blame our behaviors on our actions, rather than recognize our own problems or are we just shirking responsibility all together? You be the judge.



Paul, from “A Latter-day Voice” talks to us about twelve step programs in “One Day at a Time.” He says: “Twelve step programs like AA use the phrase "One Day at a Time" to remind their participants that change comes in small bits. Contrast that to our gospel perspective. So much of what we do in the church has a very long time horizon. "Eternity is a long time," my old stake president used to say. And yet, I think we have something to learn from One Day at a Time.”

Our last article comes from Lia McClanahan, from the Church magazines, who wrote “Addiction Recovery.” In her words: “A year ago Mark (names have been changed) didn’t know how he would overcome his addiction to drugs and alcohol. He had already tried to quit. He had visited with his bishop, been to professional counselors, gone through rehabilitation centers, and exerted all the willpower he could, but nothing brought permanent change. Soon after that critical moment in Illinois, he found the Church’s 12-step addiction recovery program, sponsored by LDS Family Services. In the program, he found the principles and direction that would change his life.”

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday, 17 May’s, please click here.