CEO’s Message # 6
Staying strong in difficult times
We live in very challenging times. The pace of change is unparalleled in human history. In the past 40 years, we have gained more knowledge about our world and ourselves than in all previous human history combined. Research shows us that stimulation has a direct impact on our emotional selves. Such terms as “emotional intelligence” have emerged as we realize that it is not just intellectual intelligence that accounts for success. Humans are emotional beings that think, rather than thinking beings with emotions; therefore, we have come to appreciate that our emotional health is essential if we are to be successful as individuals and as a civil society.
The Kent Center for Human and Organizational Development (The Kent Center) knows this fact and is there to help. From birth to old age, The Kent Center offers education and therapeutic services to support positive mental health. From the trauma of The Station fire, through the breakup of a marriage, to the struggles of substance abuse, the Kent Center is there, helping people recover. From major mental illness to stress management, the Kent Center is there teaching skills, building relationships and improving the quality of life for all. From strategic planning to conflict resolution, mediation and team building, The Kent Center is there to help your organization or business overcome challenges and prosper both for you and your employees.
The Kent Center is an organization that was established not to make a profit, but to profit the community by building on human and community strengths. All of us feel so fortunate to work in Rhode Island, a state that still has that sense of community that people all over this country long for. The job of keeping ourselves, our businesses and our communities strong in these rapidly changing and challenging times cannot be taken for granted. We are currently engaged in a war with terrorists. This is psychological warfare. If the enemy can make us afraid, he has won. But how can we help but feel afraid when we hear of the constant alerts, when we see footage of the world trade towers crumbling and angry mobs burning the American flag? To fight a psychological war, we must arm ourselves with the psychological armament necessary to protect our emotional well-being. After the attacks on the World Trade Towers, alcohol consumption skyrocketed in New York. This kind of response to stress and trauma surely does not help us remain strong.
The Kent Center is here to help. Through our expertise in trauma, its aftermath, and recovery, the Kent Center offers Critical Incident Stress Management whenever a traumatic event happens, such as The Station Fire or a bank robbery. Through teaching people about how their bodies emotionally responds to stress so that they can identify for themselves how they are triggered, what to expect and how to mitigate any long term negative outcomes, the Kent Center is helping us all to fight this war of terror. Knowledge is power. The Kent Center can help us all get the knowledge about ourselves so that in times like these, when stress is an epidemic and we are all told to be on alert, we can maintain our balance and remain emotionally strong and resilient under pressure. There are skills that one can learn to help maintain ones emotional health for the long term. Stressed out? Call The Kent Center and let us equip you with the tools you need to stay strong in difficult times.