Articles
Understanding Boundaries in Marriage
Boundaries in marriage may seem like an oxymoron. They should not exist together when two people get married and become “one flesh.” Individuality is not a term one usually hears when there is a discussion on marriage. The reality though is that before someone gets married, they are an entity of their own, with feelings, values, thoughts, opinions, and lifestyle choices that do not disappear because they are now in a committed union. They might be re-evaluated, but they still exist. For this reason, there is a need to understand the role and need for boundaries in marriage. In their best-selling [...]
How to Become a More Present Listener for Your Spouse
If you’ve ever heard, “You don’t listen,” when you are engaged in a conflict with your spouse, remember that listening is a learned skill – and it’s not one that many of us do well. However, becoming a more engaged, present listener is something we can improve on over time, and it can bring much-needed healing and growth to our relationships. To become a better listener, active listening is key. Active listening can be defined as listening with all your senses and letting the other person know that he/she has your full attention. It also shows that you respect the other [...]
Five Stress Management Techniques: A Christian Perspective
Stress. It may be the word that best explains where the average person is operating on a daily basis. Our modern world has placed a heavy emphasis on doing, often at the expense of being. This pressure to do – perform, achieve, create, output – contributes to the high-stress frequency at which so many of us operate. It is easy to feel that this anxious and exhausted headspace is inevitable. When we experience a stress response, our body is reacting to perceived danger. This danger can include a threat to physical safety, emotional well-being, relational belonging, financial security, or any other [...]
How to Take Every Thought Captive to Deal with Anxiety and Worry
Every day, we have thousands of thoughts that enter our minds. Many of them deal with anxiety and worry. Some of these relate to the tasks we need to perform that day. “I need to check if I have enough gas.” “I hope traffic is light today, because I have that meeting with my supervisor!” “Maybe I can go to the gym after work today?” These and many other thoughts pass through our minds. Sometimes we are conscious of them, and at other times we aren’t. We have many negative thoughts every day. Such as when you are assigned a task at [...]
4 Bible Verses that Offer Help for Depression
According to recent statistics from Mental Health America, close to 20% of American adults experience a mental illness in one year, the equivalent of nearly 50 million people. A growing percentage of young people live with major depression – 15% of youth experience a depressive episode in a year. Of particular concern is the fact that over half of adults, and 60% of youth, do not receive any mental health treatment help for depression. There is little wonder that suicidal ideation continues to increase, along with rates of substance abuse. Symptoms of Depression Depression is a complex illness and can affect [...]
5 Grief Therapy Exercises to Help the Grieving Process
Before providing practices such as grief therapy to help a person through the grieving process, it is first necessary to define grief and loss. This will help people to transition through the grieving process once they have gained an understanding of their feelings, emotions, sleep, appetite, and other areas of their lives. Grief and Loss Defined “Grief and loss” are natural responses to losing someone or something important to you such as a loved one dying, a relationship ending, or you lost a job. Grief and loss can also take place after someone has received a diagnosis of a serious illness [...]
Behavioral Treatment for Children
Have you recently noticed a change in your child’s behavior? Perhaps your child is engaging in behaviors that you have not previously observed, or certain behaviors may occur more often and with greater intensity than before. The purpose of behavioral treatment for children is to assess why your child is engaging in certain behaviors and to assist them in developing more adaptive skills to replace their current challenging behaviors. Children often present differently in therapy than adults. Specifically, children are prone to somatic symptoms and behavioral dysregulation. Children may not have yet developed the skills to express their emotional experience effectively, [...]
5 Ways to Manage Stress
Are you feeling stressed out? You’re not alone – stress affects millions of us each day. Whether you face stress at work, school, or in your relationships, stress costs you a lot. It takes a toll on your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. However, you can learn how to manage stress so it doesn’t control you anymore. You can learn the difference between good and bad stress, and how to manage both kinds so you have greater peace of mind. Good Stress vs. Bad Stress You may not have realized that some stress is good. You need deadlines to keep [...]
Helpful Bible Verses for Depression
If you feel depressed, you are not alone. About one out of every twelve people in America have symptoms of depression. However, God is with you in your depression, even when you feel isolated and misunderstood. Bible verses for depression can give you hope when your depression feels like dark clouds blocking the sun out of your view. Bible Verses for Depression: What the Bible Says Like all hard emotions, depression shows up in the Bible. When we consider Bible verses for depression, we find examples from both the Old and New Testaments. The prophet Jeremiah dealt with depression the entire [...]