Thursday, the Carmi Rotary club welcomed Brenda Knuckles of the Southeastern Illinois Center for
Pastoral Counseling Center. The center is located inside the First United Methodist Church at 100 South
Church Street in Carmi.
Brenda explained that the SICPC was founded in 1980 by Bud Peyton, and has been active ever since.
She became the counselor there in 1980. Brenda is a licensed therapist, and has two Master of Arts
degrees, one in Religious Education and one in Marriage and Family Counseling. She has been a member
of the American Association of Christian Counselors since 1996. She is fully licensed by the State of
Illinois as a Clinical Professional Counselor.
The SICPC is a non-profit, relying on donations to help cover costs. All local donations are used locally, so
money given is used right here to help our neighbors and friends.
Brenda started her presentation by talking about small changes. She pointed out that a ship on the
ocean that makes a tiny navigational error early in the voyage will find itself way off course in the long
run. She stated that it is the same in our personal lives. A small problem today that doesn’t get taken
care of can and usually will become a big problem somewhere down the line. She explained that her job
is to help work on those small problems before they get too big to handle.
She said that a question she hears frequently is; how does someone know they need counseling? She
explained that most people first try fixing the problem on their own, and when that doesn’t work, they
usually go to a friend or family member for help. At that point, when all else has failed, they realize it is
time to seek professional help. She went on to say that when a person has reached the point where it is
hard to sleep, or hard to get up in the morning without dwelling and focusing on the problem, it might
be time to ask for help.
She told the club that she does a quick assessment of the person’s habits before moving forward. She
finds, many times, that the person is having issues in one or more of these common areas: not eating a
well-balanced meal, not drinking enough water, not getting enough sleep, or not getting enough
exercise and sunshine. Fixing those simple issues can go a long way toward fixing the overall problem.
She also used the example of working next to someone who is constantly being negative. She stated
that the constant bombardment of negativity, especially negativity aimed at you, can have a big impact
on how you think and feel about yourself.
In closing, she gave a quick review of some important information about the service. First and foremost
it is strictly confidential. Because most people are working, the center has evening hours available, and
there are several support groups also currently meeting. The center is open for marriage counseling,
individuals, adolescents, and children.
The Rotary club voted and approved a motion to donate one hundred dollars to the center, and Rotarian
Tom Logan agreed to match that donation.
For more information, you can call: 618-382-5548.
In club business, J.R. Hubele won the 50/50 drawing but didn’t capture the day’s cash jackpot. Don
Drone was named as the day’s phantom.
The Carmi Rotary club normally meets every Thursday at noon at the First United Methodist Church on
Main Street in Carmi. However, next week the club will be holding their meeting off-site for a late Easter
lunch. Anyone wishing to learn more about this civic organization is welcome to attend a meeting or
speak with any Carmi Rotarian.
