Articles
When Anger Interrupts: Helping Yourself or a Loved One with Anger Issues
What is it about anger that makes it such a powerful emotion? Whether it is something we have felt is just a passing annoyance or more deeply as full-on rage, we have all gotten angry at one point or another, so it’s something people have in common. Anger issues are normal. Sometimes, an angry reaction to a situation is justified. When something is wrong, or when we are under attack, our anger can motivate us to take appropriate action to rectify the situation. In some senses, anger is necessary to our survival as it helps us to act in defense of [...]
How the Enneagram Triads Can Help in Christian Counseling
The Enneagram personality test is proving to be a helpful tool for counseling relationships, spiritual, and personal growth. While most may be familiar with the nine Enneagram personality types, there is another aspect to the Enneagram people do not always know. In this article, we are going to look at the Enneagram triads and explore what they are and how they can provide valuable insight into your life. What are the Enneagram Triads? The Enneagram Triads are also referred to as centers. Each of the nine personality types falls into one of these triads and each triad encompasses three different types. [...]
Grieving A Christian’s Suicide: When a Believer Commits Self-Murder
Grieving the death of a loved one is hard enough. If your loved one committed suicide, the question of intentionality plunges the surviving loved ones into what is known as “complicated bereavement.” If the deceased was a believer, the situation becomes even more complex, given the Judeo-Christian affirmation of life as worth living. In 2019, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in America, and the number one cause of death for 10- to 14-year-olds in Washington State. The one who commits suicide is the perpetrator and the primary victim, as the ultimate act of self-harm. Yet with a completed [...]
Anxiety Attack vs. Panic Attack Symptoms
Is it an anxiety attack? Are you having panic attack symptoms? Are they the same thing? If not, how are they different? Anxiety attacks and panic attacks are, in fact, separate occurrences. Panic attacks are recognized by the DSM-5; but anxiety attacks are not, as anxiety is associated with various anxiety disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Panic disorder is one type of anxiety disorder, yet clients and clinicians nonetheless differentiate between the two. Anxiety attacks tend to be more gradual and are associated with a specific fear or dread, whereas panic attacks are more sudden and are not necessarily associated with [...]
Anger Therapy: Does It Really Make a Difference?
We’ve all experienced anger. But if your temper is hijacking your life, making you feel like you’re at the mercy of an unpredictable, overbearing, powerful emotion, it may be appropriate to use professional counseling or psychotherapy solutions – anger therapy – to help with your anger issues. Maybe you’ve felt the full spectrum from fleeting annoyance to uncontrollable rage multiple times a week. For the most part, some anger is to be expected in life. All things considered, anger is a necessary human emotion, one that is usually healthy and normal. But there are times it can get out of control [...]
Psychological Disorders That Can Be Tested
When you feel depressed, anxious, or wonder whether you possibly have one or more psychological disorders, do you ever think, “How do I find out what is wrong? What is my diagnosis? What if it is more than just one diagnosis? How does my therapist or clinician arrive at a correct diagnosis?” When you come to counseling with your problem(s), we as clinicians assess your symptoms to form a diagnosis. Sometimes, the criteria are quite clear. For example, most clients know when they feel depressed or anxious, or when they have experienced significant trauma. Other diagnoses, however, require more testing to [...]
Overeating: Gluttony in the Bible and Compulsive Eating Treatment
Our culture adores times with food. We are surrounded by delectable delights on all occasions, from football games to celebrations. During the holidays it is easy to overeat. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter are all times when families typically gather and prepare large feasts. But what if overeating isn’t a matter of an occasional feast? Binge eating, also known as compulsive eating, is the urge to continue eating past the stomach feeling the sensation of fullness. This compulsive behavior is warned about in the Bible and is detrimental to our health. How do we stop once we start eating? How do we [...]
How to Build Trust in a Relationship: Practical Steps You Can Take
So many things cause a lack of trust in a relationship. Infidelity, abandonment issues, paranoia, lying, addiction . . . the list could go on. Learning how to build trust in a relationship differs, depending on the lens that a person is looking through. The fact is that learning how to build trust in a relationship starts with the individual. Each person’s experiences shape the way they look at trust and relationships. We learn from heartache. Look at yourself and the lens through which you view life. Do you find that you are often too trusting at the beginning, but end [...]
Group Counseling Activities Recovering Addicts Can Expect in Session
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. – Matthew 18:20 Individual Counseling Vs. Group Counseling Let’s first look at the difference between individual counseling versus group counseling. For some people, individual therapy may be something with which they are more comfortable. A lot of times the first time you are talking about something it can be easier in a private office setting with a therapist one-on-one. Individual counseling can also be beneficial for people who have a lot to talk about. In an hour-long group counseling appointment, each participant [...]