 By Theresa Mabry Encompass Director of Operations Ahh, September … do you remember? Many of you probably started humming the upbeat tune by Earth, Wind & Fire. The song is light, joyful, and unforgettable—much like the good memories we carry with loved ones.
But there’s another “September Song” written back in 1938 for a Broadway musical. Its words carry a deeper message about the fleeting nature of time and the importance of treasuring every stage of life: “For the days dwindle down to a precious few—September, November. And these few precious days I’ll spend with you; These golden days I’ll spend with you.” This simple chorus invites us to reflect: How are we spending our days, our months, our years? Are we cultivating the kinds of relationships that will sustain us when we reach those “golden days”?
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 By Kermit Rowe ECC Relationship Coach Katana Wolfcomer and Brendan Myers were an engaged couple like all other engaged couples… in love and planning for a lifetime of happiness together. But they also knew they still had challenging issues of spotty communication and wavering trust, complicated by unresolved grief and childhood dysfunction, and it drove them to seek a better way before committing their lives to each other.
They found Encompass Connection Center’s foundational RINGS program, which is focused on strengthening relationship skills through practicing the truths of good communication. I, along with dozens of Clark County pastors, signed an Encompass-inspired pledge about two decades ago that I wouldn’t marry a couple unless they had some premarital counseling. AI-generated statistics support this claim with proven data that explain why: Studies show that completing premarital counseling reduces divorce rates by 31%, with couples reporting a 30% higher marital success rate. That translates into improved communication, stronger conflict resolution skills, and greater emotional well-being and satisfaction within their relationship. Katana and Brendan have even more practical and experiential reasons why:  By Dr. David Marine Mabry Encompass Executive Director September is an important month for Encompass Connection Center. For us, it’s not only the start of a new season of programming but also the close of our fiscal year. This makes it a natural time to reflect, celebrate, and look forward. It is also when we invite our friends and partners—people like you—to join us in ensuring that stories of transformation continue to unfold in the months ahead.
Throughout this month, we will be sharing Stories of Impact. These are not abstract statistics or program overviews, but the real-life journeys of couples, parents, and individuals whose lives have been touched by Encompass. Each story is a reminder of why we exist and how your support makes life-changing moments possible. Let me share one story that continues to inspire me.  Bob Suver and Lavern Nissley share a moment at the Encompass Connection Center 20th Anniversary event in the Fall of 2024 By Dr. David Marine Mabry Executive Director, Encompass Connection Center When we talk about partnerships that make a lasting difference, we often look downstream—at the outcomes, the stories, the families restored. But to understand the impact of Encompass Connection Center and the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS), we have to go upstream.
That’s where Bob Suver started. As the former Executive Director of DJFS, Bob saw firsthand the heartbreak and complexity of families in crisis. Too often, the interventions available were reactive—addressing symptoms but not causes. “I found the tools the community had to deal with family disintegration were insufficient,” he shared. “We had to do something different.”  By Abby Glaser Encompass Community Advocate At our core, the mission of Encompass has always been about helping people build and sustain healthy relationships. But often the folks that come through our office need a wider range of support than we can provide on our own. We know we can’t do this work alone! For over a decade, our partnership with Citilookout has been one of the strongest examples of what happens when organizations come together with a shared commitment to helping people heal, grow, and connect.
Citilookout, a counseling center, has served countless individuals, couples, and families in our community. Their counselors bring expertise across marriage and family therapy, trauma recovery, grief work, and more. As Janna Carrier, Citilookout’s Assistant Agency Director, shared, their goal has always been to serve people regardless of their ability to pay, particularly those on the margins who might otherwise slip through the cracks. Their focus on helping people navigate trauma and build healthier futures directly aligns with our own mission of fostering stronger relationships and a healthier community.  By Lavern Nissley Encompass Executive Director If you wanted to improve your golf swing or baking skills, you would likely seek quite a different avenue of professional expertise than if you had just suffered a compound fracture.
Relationships and marriages have these same two dimensions of expertise: one is more focused upon healing and therapy, the other upon learning and implementing skills. Let’s dive in and see how these fit together. |
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HostsDr. David Marine and Theresa Mabry are Co-Directors of Encompass since June 1, 2024. TOPICS
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Funding is provided by Clark County Job and Family Services, Charles L. Shor Foundation, Nehemiah Foundation, Springfield Foundation, Turner Foundation, and private donations and fees.
Program content is the sole responsibility of Encompass Connection Center and does not necessarily represent the views of the funders.
Encompass Connection Center services are provided to all eligible persons on a non-discriminatory basis. Encompass Connection Center complies with all applicable laws and regulations concerning discrimination does not discriminate on the basis of the potential participant's race, gender, gender orientation, age, disability or religion.
Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 37-1485217
Program content is the sole responsibility of Encompass Connection Center and does not necessarily represent the views of the funders.
Encompass Connection Center services are provided to all eligible persons on a non-discriminatory basis. Encompass Connection Center complies with all applicable laws and regulations concerning discrimination does not discriminate on the basis of the potential participant's race, gender, gender orientation, age, disability or religion.
Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 37-1485217