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When you are facing a volatile situation, there are a variety of approaches you might take to deal with it. Some would rather avoid it altogether than run the risk of danger. Others may be cavalier and take on the danger, possibly hurting themselves and the people around them. Some will approach the circumstance boldly but with caution, carrying an awareness of the dangers involved but not shying away from what needs to be done. All of us face

Grief is the emotional and psychological response people have after suffering significant loss. Different societies have norms, rituals, and attitudes toward grief that are considered normal. When grief does not align itself with these norms and attitudes it is termed disenfranchised grief. The term was coined by Dr. Kenneth Doka, a respected authority on understanding grief and bereavement. According to him, disenfranchised grief is grief that is not openly acknowledged, socially validated, or publicly mourned. Though a person’s grief

Depression is more than feeling unhappy or down in the dumps for a few days. It is a real mental health condition that affects mood and ability to function. It can vary in intensity from mild to severe, be brought about by numerous reasons, and impact you in unique ways. Although the exact cause of depression is not fully known, risk factors include a family history of depression, abnormal brain chemistry, significant losses, chronic stress, and life circumstances. Typically,

A panic attack is a sudden feeling of anxiety or terror distinguished by sweating, shallow breathing, and the nervous system being on high alert. These spells can occur unprovoked and without the presence of any danger or threat. It can take anywhere between ten minutes and an hour for a panic attack to pass. Afterward, it is not uncommon to experience a sense of guilt, shame, exhaustion, and emotional drain. Although singular occurrences are common, most people who experience

Today I want to talk about a topic that is the cornerstone of the Christian faith: forgiveness. In my time as a mental health counselor, I’ve found the topic of forgiveness to often be either misunderstood, undervalued, or flat out triggering in some cases. In this article, I will share what forgiveness is and what it isn’t. I also want to discuss how forgiveness is transformative to our hearts, the wounds we carry, and our relationships. This is a complex

Anger is one of many emotions that can and will be felt and experienced throughout life. Anger is what is called a primary emotion. A primary emotion is an emotion that is typically universally recognized and is displayed in the person’s body language and facial expressions and can be a result of anger issues. The other primary emotions are: sadness, disgust, surprise, joy, and fear. Despite what many people say, or even teach to their children, anger is not

According to the Mayo Clinic, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) describes a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects how a person perceives and responds to others in social situations. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction with others, which can cause issues in forming and maintaining relationships with others. ASD is often accompanied by repetitive and limited patterns of behavior, and people with ASD will also often have different ways of moving, paying attention and learning. The term

The effects of trauma and PTSD on a person’s life are wide-reaching both in time span and relational bandwidth. If you find yourself wondering about whether or not you suffer from trauma and PTSD, this article may help! We’ll discuss the definition of both trauma and PTSD, some symptoms to watch for, and four types of treatment that can help a person who has been through trauma and/or PTSD. Here are some possible signs that you or someone you

Depending on how you were raised, you may or may not be open to counseling. The idea of it can seem foreign, odd, or perhaps, only for those who are in dire straits. If counseling for yourself – an adult – seems unnecessary, how much more, then, would it be daunting to consider counseling for teens? Or perhaps you grew up in a home that championed counseling, yet you never went for one reason or another. Counseling for teens:

Can a person have both anorexia and bulimia? That’s a complex question that we will seek to answer throughout this article. You may have a friend or family member who struggles with an unhealthy relationship with food. Maybe they nibble politely without taking in much food or they don’t often want to eat around others. These can be signs of an eating disorder. Sometimes people who struggle with control develop eating disorders and use food as a means to

How does a person define OCD? You are probably already aware that this is an acronym that stands for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Experts estimate that one in forty adults, and one out of every hundred children, have OCD in the United States. In this article, we will set out to explain OCD. To define OCD, you can look at the information that therapists use to make a diagnosis. People with OCD have recurrent and uncontrolled thoughts and behaviors in addition

A parent has the huge job of nurturing another human being and preparing them for life. Parenting is a task that never quite ends and, in some seasons, feels more thankless and draining than rewarding or encouraging. Being a parent changes over time as your children grow and enter different stages of life. In this way, parenting a newborn is different from parenting a teenager or a young adult, but you’re still a parent and occupy that unique role