| Co-Founder Belleville Counseling Associates |
| Tribute |
Mitzi Hunter, one of the founding therapists of Belleville
Counseling Associates, lost her battle with cancer in March of
2009.
Mitzi Hunter and Linda Spriggs met at Chestnut Health Systems in
Belleville where they both worked as outpatient therapists. Both women
desired more independence and flexibility in their practice than agency
work provides. With faith and hope, they opened the doors to Belleville
Counseling Associates in August 2006. Together Linda and Mitzi began
to build a promising practice.
Counseling Associates, lost her battle with cancer in March of
2009.
Mitzi Hunter and Linda Spriggs met at Chestnut Health Systems in
Belleville where they both worked as outpatient therapists. Both women
desired more independence and flexibility in their practice than agency
work provides. With faith and hope, they opened the doors to Belleville
Counseling Associates in August 2006. Together Linda and Mitzi began
to build a promising practice.
| Mitzi Hunter Fehr |
Mitzi selected a Celtic mandala as the logo for the practice. Mandalas are found in many cultures. For
centuries, mandalas have been used to find meaning in our human experiences, and understanding of our
place in the scheme of things. Creating and coloring mandalas was a meditation and relaxation technique
Mitzi offered many of her clients, young and old.
Mitzi Hunter was a gifted counselor. Her creativity and imagination as well as her clinical expertise, fueled her
interactions with clients. Both her clients and her friends valued her great empathy and provocative insight. With a
natural grace, Mitzi put her clients at ease. With her genuine joie de vivre, Mitzi raised the spirits of and delighted her
friends and co-workers.
Mitzi spearheaded the plan for Belleville Counseling Associates to become licensed providers for “Kids in the Middle”
groups in St Clair County. Even as she recuperated from cancer treatments, Mitzi continued to assist with planning
group activities and staffing of cases. Two of her young clients offered these reflections.
Mitzi was our beloved friend as well as our co-worker and we miss her. We endeavor to keep her spirit and vision
alive as we continue to grow the practice she helped to create. This is all for you Mitzi!
centuries, mandalas have been used to find meaning in our human experiences, and understanding of our
place in the scheme of things. Creating and coloring mandalas was a meditation and relaxation technique
Mitzi offered many of her clients, young and old.
Mitzi Hunter was a gifted counselor. Her creativity and imagination as well as her clinical expertise, fueled her
interactions with clients. Both her clients and her friends valued her great empathy and provocative insight. With a
natural grace, Mitzi put her clients at ease. With her genuine joie de vivre, Mitzi raised the spirits of and delighted her
friends and co-workers.
Mitzi spearheaded the plan for Belleville Counseling Associates to become licensed providers for “Kids in the Middle”
groups in St Clair County. Even as she recuperated from cancer treatments, Mitzi continued to assist with planning
group activities and staffing of cases. Two of her young clients offered these reflections.
Mitzi was our beloved friend as well as our co-worker and we miss her. We endeavor to keep her spirit and vision
alive as we continue to grow the practice she helped to create. This is all for you Mitzi!
| "Me and Mitzi had a great time together and she was a good person." J. "We never would have solved our problem if Mitzi never started this group." A. |
Additional Reflections
"Mitzi's insightful wisdom and teachings will live on forever in me, although I miss her so
much. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her beautiful smile and warm spirit
and wish I could just see her one more time. I would tell her again, 'I carry you with me
always Mitzi; I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for you.'" N.
"What can I say about Mitzi? She had one of the loveliest and most serene spirits I have ever
encountered. Her joy and enthusiasm about life and recovery were so visible; there was a light
shining through her eyes. I first met Mitzi at Chestnut Health Systems when she came there to
complete a practicum as part of her master's degree in social work at Washington University.
Mitzi's humor and creativity positively affected others around her, both as a student and then
when we hired her as a staff member. Clients could readily tell that Mitzi had "walked the
walk", and that she was someone they could trust. They also knew they had encountered a
therapist who believed there was hope for recovery and healing, no matter how tragic their
lives had been.
I miss Mitzi so very much, and still find it difficult most days to believe she is really gone from
this earth. Her voice, laughter, and stories still run through my head. I am very grateful to
have had Mitzi as a friend and colleague in my life." D.
much. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her beautiful smile and warm spirit
and wish I could just see her one more time. I would tell her again, 'I carry you with me
always Mitzi; I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for you.'" N.
"What can I say about Mitzi? She had one of the loveliest and most serene spirits I have ever
encountered. Her joy and enthusiasm about life and recovery were so visible; there was a light
shining through her eyes. I first met Mitzi at Chestnut Health Systems when she came there to
complete a practicum as part of her master's degree in social work at Washington University.
Mitzi's humor and creativity positively affected others around her, both as a student and then
when we hired her as a staff member. Clients could readily tell that Mitzi had "walked the
walk", and that she was someone they could trust. They also knew they had encountered a
therapist who believed there was hope for recovery and healing, no matter how tragic their
lives had been.
I miss Mitzi so very much, and still find it difficult most days to believe she is really gone from
this earth. Her voice, laughter, and stories still run through my head. I am very grateful to
have had Mitzi as a friend and colleague in my life." D.
Recording Artist: Bradford Smith
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