3/13/2020
Dear Bridgehaven Client:
Hello, I hope and pray this finds you well. For those who don’t know me, my name is Tony Higgins, and I serve as both the Executive Director and as a Staff Counselor at Bridgehaven Counseling & Associates (BCA). In light of the ongoing developments related to the COVID-19 virus, I wanted to take a moment to communicate some information that may be helpful to you.
First, on behalf of all of us who serve in and through BCA, I want to say “Thank You” for the trust you have placed in us. Please know, every time you and/or your family come in to meet with your counselor(s), we consider it an honor to have the opportunity to hear your thoughts and concerns, to get to know you more deeply and fully, and to walk with you as the Lord continues to work in your life. We know your time is valuable; please know that we do not take lightly the privilege, and the responsibility, to be a good steward of you, of your time, as well as of your story.
Second, as one step towards being a good steward of your trust in BCA, I wanted to briefly share with you a few of the steps we have taken to ensure the time you spend at BCA is safe and productive. In light of the concerns about COVID-19, please know that the BCA counselors and staff will be taking precautionary measures to regularly sanitize any surfaces or instruments you might routinely touch while at the BCA office. Additionally, during your time at BCA, you will find hand sanitizer located through the facility, including in the waiting-lobby, in the check-out area, as well as in your counselor’s office. Lastly, please know that all of the BCA counselors and staff will be practicing healthy and safe personal hygiene, including regularly sanitizing their own hands, avoiding shaking hands with others, and monitoring their own health for any adverse symptoms which may indicate an illness of some kind. Additionally, we are asking all clients who are experiencing any type of symptoms related to an illness to consider either rescheduling their appointment, or to utilize our remote-counseling option (see below). It is our hope that these measures will give you the confidence that when you come to BCA for your session, you are coming to a safe place and into a healthy environment.
Even with all these precautionary measures in place, however, we know that for some, limiting contact with others may be the best, short-term approach. With that in mind, I wanted to make you aware of the ability for your counselor to potentially meet with you virtually, via our remote counseling platform, Zoom. Admittedly, the counseling-relationship is best when both the client(s) and the counselor can be in the same room with one another; there is something about merely being in the physical presence of one another that is hard to duplicate in a virtual setting. Even still, when necessary, remote-counseling can be a very good options for most clients. If you would like to learn more about remote-counseling, or if you would like to explore if remote-counseling might be a good option for you at this time, please feel free to contact your counselor directly. Your counselor will be happy to discuss your particular situation with you, in an effort to help make a determination if remote-counseling is in your best-interest.
Lastly, I would like to close with what I pray is an encouraging word and a helpful reminder: In the midst of days and times that bring uncertainty, we can trust that nothing about our lives—or even about us, personally—goes unnoticed by the Lord (Psalm 139:1-18). Indeed, the Lord is “intimately acquainted with all of our ways” (v.3), and He is uniquely concerned with the well-fair of His children (Matt 6:25-34). The Lord knows there are times when we have anxious thoughts and unsettled hearts (1 Pet 5:6-8), and He invites us cast our cares onto Jesus (Matt 11:25-30), even as the Holy Spirit direct our minds to remember the good, the gracious, and the glorious character of The Father (John 14:26; Phil 4:4-9). Our days and our times are in the hands of the Lord (James 4:13-17). It is good to know that even when life feels unsettled, if you rest in the hands of the Lord, you really do rest in good, faithful, and safe hands (John 16:33).
I pray the Lord gives you a settled heart and confidence in Him throughout the rest of this day, as well as in the days to come.
Blessings,
Tony Higgins, MA, MA, PhD
Executive Director & Staff Counselor
Bridgehaven Counseling Associates
www.bridgehavencounseling.org
Phone: (919) 321-2275
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