Articles
Key Symptoms of Codependency to Be Aware of
How would you respond if a friend were to ask you, “How are your relationships going these days?”? Your relationships may be going amazingly well, meeting your needs and expectations, while also providing you with opportunities to serve others effectively. Healthy and fulfilling relationships such as these are enriching, and they can contribute to an overall sense of well-being. On the other hand, you might be feeling stuck, struggling to make sense of the state of your relationships, or the conflicts and other challenges you are facing. Relationships that are not in a good space inevitably affect whether you feel okay [...]
Pursuing Healing and Recovery from Codependent Behavior
The health of your relationships plays a large role in your well-being. We are relational and social beings, created to love God and others. We are most human when we are in nurturing relationships with others who help bring out our God-given potential, and when we do the same for them. Healthy relationships give us accountability, stability, and support during troubled times, as well as an environment to flourish in. If relationships are that influential, it makes sense that when they go awry, the negative impact needs to be felt deeply and in a variety of ways. Broken or unhealthy relationships [...]
Death Anxiety: What is Thanatophobia?
It is no secret that death is inevitable. We will all face death. But for some people, there is a fear of death that can cause anxiety. For these people, the thought of death is distressing and consuming. This death anxiety is also known as thanatophobia. This type of anxiety can also lead to issues with mental health and daily functioning. Some people may fear the dying process as well as dying. It is important to note that thanatophobia is not the same as necrophobia, which is the fear of dead or dying people or things. “Do not let your hearts [...]
Anxiety as a Teenager: Signs, Impact, and Treatment Options
My counseling journey began by working with teenagers, a population that often finds itself at the intersection of rapid growth, identity formation, and complex challenges. Supporting teens required me to cultivate patience, flexibility, and the ability to hold space for strong emotions while also encouraging hope and resilience. Although at times it stretched me outside of my comfort zone, these early experiences shaped my foundation as a counselor and deepened my understanding of the importance of empathy, clear boundaries, and developmental awareness. Life challenges come to us all, regardless of our background, faith, commitments, family situation, age, gender, or walk of [...]
From Burnout to Balance: Rethinking the Costs of Stress in the Workplace
Stress is a factor of life that we experience for different reasons, at various stages of life, to differing degrees, but always with negative long-term results. Stress is the state of our body on high alert, caused by a release of hormones in the nervous system, readying us with a fight, flight, or freeze response. The purpose of stress is to prepare us to survive a life-threatening situation, and this stress response could save our lives. But living in an extended survival mode has the opposite effect and can cause far more damage than good. Frequent headaches, body aches, insomnia, restlessness, [...]
Christian Family Counseling During a Crisis
There is never a “good time” for a family crisis. Whether things seem good or not, family crises rock people to their core. Whether it is a turn in the financial markets, the economy, the sudden discovery of infidelity, or the sudden death of a loved one, a family crisis has the potential to destroy family cohesion and end marriages. For Christian families, these situations become more complex. There are certain things they must weigh when walking out their faith throughout the crisis that honor Christ while still allowing room for them to recognize they are human. This is when it can [...]
Understanding and Managing Teen Anger
There may be nothing so heartbreaking as to see your child trapped and unable to escape a difficult situation. It could be issues with substance abuse, feelings of isolation, and low self-esteem from being bullied. Struggles with depression may lead them to despair, or they may be struggling with anger, caught up in a hot whirlwind of unbridled emotion. The challenges of the teenage years can be disruptive and detrimental to the teen’s well-being. When someone is hurting, the people around them hurt, too. That means if a teen is struggling with anger, the people around them will get hurt, not [...]
Holistic Self-Care for Your Mental Health: Taking Care of Yourself Body, Soul, and Spirit
Self-care is often perceived as selfish. But it is essential for maintaining balance in life. The metaphor “put the oxygen mask on yourself first” is an example of prioritizing personal health to ensure you have enough energy to assist others, whether at home or work. Managing stress holistically and proactively is essential for people to avoid depression and anxiety, and also helps to take an offensive stance against the devil’s schemes. The Bible states that each of us is made up of three parts: a spirit, a soul, and a body. “Now may the God of peace make you holy in [...]
Why Does God Allow Suffering? A Christian Counselor’s Perspective
It’s been a hard month for many people, for many Christians. Our hearts have been heavy with senseless acts of violence. It makes you think about why people do the things they do. It also might make many question God. When you really look at it, you can break it down to not only mental health, but also good versus evil. A former pastor of the C.S. Lewis Institute wrote, “The Bible declares that evil is far worse than we realize. Evil is an invader, a parasite, a rot. It’s a malignant cancer that has spread, a rupture in the cosmic order. [...]