Category: Counseling

A collection of posts and writings.
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Renewing The Mind

ROMANS 12:2 “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Thoughts are powerful According to the Cleveland Clinic, experts estimate that individuals process between 60,000-80,000

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Promoting Positive Emotional Health in Our Children

Are you wanting to promote positive emotional health in your children, but are not sure where to begin? A great starting place is to read the books by Daniel Siegel, No-Drama Discipline and The Whole Brain Child. Also, check out the women’s ministry YouTube page to watch the videos I recorded with the Women’s Ministry

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Being A Positive Presence For Our Children

One of the most common heart cries of children and teens I work with is their desire to spend quality time with their parents.  We as parents do not always do this perfectly. But if we can be present with our children on their terms, even for five or 10 minutes a day, they will

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How Our Beliefs Shape Our Lives

Beliefs are powerful.  What you believe about yourself, others, and the world around you, dictates how respond and react to situations.  How you respond and react to situations says a lot about you and your character.  Innately, most of us know this by now. The problem is most people do not take a moment to pause and recognize

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The Healing Power of Gratitude

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalms 107:1 GRATITUDE TURNS WHAT WE HAVE INTO ENOUGH (UNKNOWN) The last thing anyone wants to be told when they are suffering is to “be grateful.” This comment can feel trite to those experiencing loss, financial struggles, grief, relationship distress, or many

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FENCES

Why Clear and Consistent Boundaries are Good for Children ‘The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:6  A group of landscape architects conducted a study in the early 2000s to determine what impact a fence might have on children’s behavior at a playground. In the

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The Wild West of Adolescent Parenting

In the wild west of adolescent parenting, many people face this new frontier fraught with fears and anxieties. The parents’ mature brain has a negative bias towards the environment around it. This strategy scans for danger. And whether dangers are real or imagined, we naturally work to preserve ourselves and our young. Experts like Daniel

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The Neurobiology of Trauma

The word “trauma” is often thrown around in the media and has become a common topic of discussion in our society. But what is psychological trauma? The American Psychological Association defines trauma as an emotional response to a distressing event. In the United States, rates of trauma exposure are estimated to be high. Approximately 70% of

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Benefits to Mindful Meditation

There are many benefits to mindful meditation.  Mindful meditation can be used within Dialectetical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).  DBT is a modality that counselors use to equip clients with the tools necessary to achieve their goals.  The four pillars of DBT include Distress Tolerance Skills, Emotional Regulation Skills, Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills, and Mindfulness.  Mindfulness is defined as or our ability to stay in

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How Do We Integrate Faith With Psychology?

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “Christian” counseling? We hear so many people say they want Christian counseling, but what exactly do they mean? The quick answer is that it depends on your theology. If we look at counseling on a continuum, on one end is secular psychology, which uses science and

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How Do I Respond and Not React?

There are many situations in which we react to situations and people instead of responding to them? For example, if your teenager comes to you and tells you they crashed your brand-new car and totaled it, would you react or would you be able to respond? If you get to work and you see someone

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Helping Children Heal Through Play Therapy

Children experiencing emotional distress often do not have the ability to verbally express their emotions. Play therapy is a powerful way for children to find healing. I’m sure we’ve all witnessed a preschooler throwing a temper tantrum. It may be easy to dismiss that child as spoiled. More than likely the child is experiencing several

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