Shalem’s counselling work continues to grow, and with this growth has come some changes.

One change is the addition of a part-time therapist to the Hamilton team. We’re thrilled Stephen Doucet Campbell will be joining us one evening per week. He comes with 10 years of experience in the field of addictions and recovery, and is drawn to themes of resilience, community and attachment. We’re looking forward to what his experience will add to the team and offer our clients. Welcome Stephen!

We have mixed feelings about the other change to our clinical team.

June Zwier announced her retirement plans this spring. June has carried Shalem’s presence in the Durham area for more than 20 years. She has been deeply involved in many community and faith-based mental health initiatives over that time, and has seen them flourish in recent years, including Faith and Hope Ministries, and the Gathering Place. Our clinical team has heard many stories of her care of clients over the years, including advocacy efforts for those she works with, seeking out services for vulnerable clients, going above and beyond for those in need.

When she shared her plan to wrap up her clinical practice this month, she was met with a range of reactions from the clinical team—celebration of the effectiveness of her work over the years with so many people and families in Durham, but also sadness for the loss of her voice of wisdom and experience on our team. We’ll miss you June – it’s been a privilege to work with you.

All of us at Shalem congratulate June on her retirement, which takes effect on September 30, 2017. Don’t hesitate to send June a congratulatory note!

In recent growth conversations as a clinic, we’ve set the goal of including students regularly in our practice, both to give back to our profession, and to maintain our learning culture at the clinic. We’ve often included students in the past, and found their presence to be a wonderful addition to our community, but hope to do so more regularly in coming years. We’ll be introducing our next team member in the fall – stay posted!

Jennifer Bowen, M.Div., RMFT, is the Clinical Director of Shalem Mental Health Network’s Counselling Services.