Warwick townlively.com
JANUARY 31, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Helping people feel better BY JEFF FALK
For downtown Lititz, Emily Allen means business BY JEFF FALK
She’s bright, polite, positive and poised. Emily Allen is a people person who represents herself well. Venture Lititz is banking on Allen representing the downtown business district in the exact same manner moving forward. On Jan. 10, Allen became the next exec- Venture Lititz executive director Emily Allen utive director of Venture Lititz, at this point,” said Allen. “I an organization designed to sup- think the thing that drew me port local businesses and attract to this job is that I love Lititz. I visitors to the downtown. Allen love this community. It’s a great takes over for Rebecca Branle, town. We’re lucky to live here. who left at the end of 2023 People walk by you and say hi. to pursue an entrepreneurial I’ve lived in other places, and the dream in the very same Lititz neighbors aren’t as interested in business district she had served. knowing how you’re doing. It’s “I’m playing a lot of catch-up such a heart-warming place to See Emily Allen pg 5
Licensed clinical social worker Christine Droney, who practices in Lititz
struggles. And each individual is unique. “I’m not a medical doctor,” said Droney. “Different therapists have different skills, different training. Look at us as a team. We want to work as teams. ... We all collaborate together. We want to make sure we approach things in a holistic manner.” “Some people go to a therapist on a regular basis,” she added. “People don’t always look at therapy as if they have a problem. They look at therapy as a way to process life. You see everything. You see all different types of folks.” Droney has been thoroughly
immersed in the mental health field since 2015. “We’re trying to normalize mental health,” Droney said. “If we do that, we’ll progress as a society. The message is, ‘Take care of yourself and make sure your mental health is important.’ Is mental health care more accessible than it once was? Yes. Is it accessible to everyone? No.” “For me personally, it’s work I feel blessed to do,” Droney added. “ When you walk into my office, it’s sacred space. It’s an area of expertise; it’s always evolving, and we should always be learning.”
Youths encouraged to audition for musical soundtrack BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Calling young singers between the ages of 10 and 16. Steven Courtney is looking for you. Courtney, a renowned singer-songwriter, has written a youth musical, “When We Climb Trees,” and he’s ready to start recording the soundtrack. “We are searching for talented and passionate volunteer youth
actors to record and sing on the production soundtrack for this enchanting musical,” said Courtney, who is collaborating on the project with Kami Deppen, owner/creative director of Big Dream Creative Arts Studio in Manheim. Selected actors will record their vocal parts at Courtney’s studio in Manheim between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, and between See Audition pg 3
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e all need someone to talk to, someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to check in with. It’s that exact moment when Christine Droney enters the picture. Droney is a mental health practitioner, specifically a licensed clinical social worker. There are many reasons that Droney does what she does, and one of them is a belief that mental health is important. “ There have been a lot of advances made in the field of mental health,” said Droney. “The advances we’ve seen have come from people talking about mental health and people writing articles about mental health. We’ve seen a lot of improvement, but we still have a way to go.” A resident of Lititz, Droney operates L ancaster County Counseling Services, a small, solo counseling/therapy office at 6 S. Broad St., Lititz. Droney works with individuals, couples and families. “I see people who genuinely want to feel better,” said Droney. “They come to you because they need some assistance with what’s going in their lives. People want to process. They want to have better coping skills. My goal is that you don’t stay with me forever. If I feel I’m not the best person to help you, I’ll refer you to someone who is.” “A large part of therapy is listening,” continued Droney. “You need to listen. You’re trying to understand what the person is there for. You want to see what goals people have for therapy.” Counselors, therapists, clinical social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, even pastors. The world of mental health practitioners can be complex and confusing. But collectively those in these roles are all a response to a wide variety of
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