Kate Motaung

Watching a child grow up can be beautiful, nerve-wracking, frustrating, and wonderful all at the same time. As they progress along their developmental journeys, kids will often go through phases of behavior that make parents ask, “When will they outgrow this?” But what should parents do when a particularly difficult behavioral or emotional stage doesn’t go away? At what point should parents be concerned about their kids’ psychological health? While most concerning behaviors don’t call for a major intervention,

Each of us has different things that make us anxious, and we deal with those anxieties in various ways. Some anxieties are significant enough to impact how we live on a daily basis, and they may require the intervention of a trained Christian therapist and medications to help manage the anxiety. One tool that is afforded to believers is the Bible, and you can rely on what God says to assist you in overcoming struggles through Scriptures for anxiety.

Supporting Your Child Through Teen Counseling The ages between thirteen and nineteen are well known as being years that can be extremely difficult for both the teen and their parents to navigate. Charged with emotional, physical, and social changes, it is confusing and tumultuous. This is only exacerbated by the fact that today’s teenagers are growing up in disturbing times and confronted by a number of difficult realities. Teen counseling can provide a useful platform for families to equip

If you have a teenager diagnosed with bipolar disorder, you have most likely come to understand the many symptoms that can occur – mood swings, irritability, inability to concentrate, etc. However, a teacher who is new to teaching or is not familiar with bipolar in teens may need your help. Setting up a meeting with teachers every time the class schedule changes may seem like too much work but strengthening the parent-teacher relationship can help prevent the worsening of

If you are someone who struggles with anger, you may wake up each day with the best intentions to remain calm and kind. But soon the stressors start, and you find your resolve crumbling as the familiar signs of irritability set in. Anger manifests itself uniquely for everyone, but some common signs of a rising temper may include an elevated heart rate, tunnel vision, feeling overheated or trapped in your clothes or environment, and the desire to express your

Dating has myriad benefits. When you’re single, you date to get to know someone else. In the process, you also get to know yourself better, including your likes, dislikes, and priorities in a spouse and life. You learn how to communicate with another person, how to ask for what you want and need, how to say no and set boundaries, and how to express affection both publicly and in private. Dating continues to be important even after marriage as

Sometimes life knocks you down like a ton of bricks and you are left feeling like you are in a desert, unaware of where to go and how to find your way back home. Maybe you feel tired, angry, and alone right now. Or maybe you feel lost and uncertain of what the future holds for you. Perhaps people have laughed in the face of your hopes and dreams. Maybe you grew up in a home where you were

If there is one thing that is constant about life, it’s that there are always changes and challenges for us to meet. While many of these can be exciting to overcome, others may prove too much of an obstacle. Perhaps this is because we cannot adapt to the situation, or simply because they threaten our sense of well-being. Stress is how the body and mind respond to pressure or any kind of demand on them. Many different situations, challenges,

Dealing with grief can be difficult, and it presents challenges specific to adolescents. While teens may experience the same stages of grief as adults, they experience unique difficulties related to their age at the time of their beloved one’s death. Other important factors will likely have implications on how teens deal with grief as well. For instance, during the process of a chronic illness that results in a loss, family members may have already begun grieving while the beloved

Do you feel like you are a house with a picket fence around the whole yard that people keep stepping over or knocking down? Then you may need help setting healthy boundaries, so your personal property is better protected. With better boundaries, you’ll feel stronger in your self-esteem, relationship with God, and in your relationships with others. What is a Boundary? Let’s return to the picture of a house with a surrounding picket fence. This fence line defines the

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 If you’ve ever had to do a chore or errand you didn’t find particularly pleasant, you probably know that the experience feels interminable. When you go into something expecting it to be bad, it can feel like it’s going on forever. Trips to the DMV, the grocery store, or an unpleasant conversation with an unpleasant character

Our society is marked by busyness. Bursting schedules and activity-packed days squeeze out essential time for rest and rejuvenation. What suffers? Our sleep, peace, and healthy connections with God, self, and others ultimately pay. The high cost of loss mounts in our attempts to keep pace with the bustling world around us and can result in anxiety. We sometimes succumb to the lure of multi-tasking, trying to recoup losses. Doing too much in too little time yields the opposite