Articles
How to Identify Codependent Behavior and Get the Help You Need
Codependency is a term that is often misused. People may think that someone is in a codependent relationship when the couple relies heavily on one another. Others may be concerned about codependent behavior in themselves, or someone they care about but are not fully sure what the signs of codependency are. God wired us for relationships. We all long to be connected, though sometimes those relationships don’t play out quite as God intended them. In this article, we are going to define codependency, look at common signs and behaviors, and talk about ways to help these relationships thrive. What is Codependency? [...]
Addressing Depression in Men
Depression is one of those diseases that doesn’t play favorites. It is not a respecter of persons, regardless of their age, gender, social status, or job description. Having and dealing with depression is not a sign of weak faith, nor is it because you did something wrong or didn’t spend enough time in prayer. This article will offer information about depression in men – where it comes from and how to deal with it. Permission to Be Depressed Our culture has shifted a lot in the last few years. Much of the world that our parents knew and grew up with [...]
FOMO: A Biblical Approach to the Fear of Missing Out
“I know it’s dinnertime, but I need my phone for just a sec! C’mon, Mom, everybody’s on the group chat.” Irene shakes her head, glancing down at the device pinging in her palm, upping the unread messages beyond 200. Elsewhere, a father sits with his collegiate son at a homey Asian restaurant. The waitress approaches with pad Thai, to find Dad perusing news clippings and his son playing a first-person shooter game. The men look up briefly to smile at her, then pick up their phones to eat one-handed. Are they really out to lunch together or simply “out to lunch”? [...]
How to Help Someone Having a Panic Attack
We are currently facing a pandemic that is creating a ton of uncertainty, anxiety, and panic. You may be closer than ever to family members as we are all in homes, unable to do normal self-care activities like going to the gym, getting pedicures, or engaging in social gatherings. If you or someone close to you is experiencing panic attacks, there are ways to help. If you have ever seen someone having a panic attack, it can be scary. It may feel like you are helpless and don’t know what to do. People who have experienced them know that it can [...]
COVID-19: Embracing Illusions of Control and Letting His Power Show
This is the third article in a three-part article series, reflecting on COVID-19 and what I believe the situation is revealing to us regarding human nature. A few weeks ago, I wrote an article entitled A Christian Counselor’s Contemplations on COVID-19; a reflection piece regarding the current COVID-19 situation and some of the deeper questions of life that I believe it’s forcing us to face. After doing so, I felt the Lord telling me to write on something else that this global situation is clearly teaching us -- that is, humanity’s need for power and control. In COVID-19: Revealing the Seduction [...]
COVID-19: Revealing the Seduction and Illusion of Power and Control
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article entitled A Christian Counselor's Contemplations on COVID-19; a reflection piece regarding the current COVID-19 situation and some of the deeper questions of life that I believe it’s forcing us to face. As I’ve continued to pray and seek the Lord’s face and will for my own life and practice, I’ve heard Him clearly say that there is something else that this pandemic is revealing. In my last article, I said, "I shudder to think of the impact all of this is undoubtedly having on the rates of domestic violence, child abuse, pornography use, [...]
A Christian Counselor’s Contemplations on COVID-19
I think it’s fair to say that over the course of the past several weeks especially, the Coronavirus (COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2) has turned the lives of nearly every single person on the face of the planet upside down. As I remarked to my wife the other night, I feel in so many ways like I’m literally living in a Left Behind novel right now. While I won’t go so far as to say that we’re actually living in the Tribulation Period (Matthew 24:21), it does very much feel to me as if we’ve entered a brand new era, a turning point [...]
Self-Compassion from a Christian Perspective
Along with self-care, manifesting, positive energy, and wellness, self-compassion is a millennial buzzword. But can this concept integrate with a Christian worldview, and should it? One of the key concepts in Christianity is compassion for others. Jesus exhorted us to love our neighbors and our enemies, to give to the poor, and to deny ourselves. Compassion is listed along with other New Testament virtues such as “kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12). The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) is probably one of the best examples of compassion in the Bible. In school, children learn that compassion is empathy [...]
Do We Need Couples Counseling?
If you’ve reached the point in your relationship where you’re considering couples counseling, you need to know that you’re not alone. Many marriages arrive at this point sooner or later. Life is hard, relationships are hard, and there are so many issues that can cause conflict or lack of closeness in a relationship. Whether you’ve experienced a major breach of trust, or you’ve just gradually drifted apart over the years, going to couples therapy can help you break through the barriers that seem to be preventing your marriage from moving in a healthy direction. Although hitting rock bottom in a marriage [...]