Kate Motaung

Premarital or (pre-marriage) counseling is a short-term form of counseling for couples that plan to get married. Often required by pastors or priests, premarital counseling is typically done by clergy. However, it is also done by Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs), Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) who have been trained in the work. Christian premarital or couples counseling (whether done by clergy or not) is something that could benefit all Christian couples pre-marriage.

When God created us, He created us as sexual beings. This was good. Sex is good. Not only is sex good, but sexuality and sexual pleasure is a good gift from our Creator.  Unfortunately, many “religious” communities often cast sex as inherently shameful—as though God winced His way through His creation of human sexual passion. These shame narratives have made talking about sex uncomfortable and complicated for many people. We no longer live in the “before,” when all was

Relationships are a gift from God, but they are also complicated to navigate. They can be uplifting and encouraging when they go right, yet confusing and hurtful when they go wrong. If you are struggling in a relationship, Bible verses about relationships offer guidance for how to proceed. Whether you need advice for a friendship, work relationship, or romantic relationship, the Bible has solid advice for you. We will look at several different verses that apply to various types

Most often, individuals do not get married with the intent to divorce. For many, divorce is rarely a sudden decision but rather a culmination of unresolved differences over the lifetime of the marriage. Divorce represents heartache, brokenness, and the inability to regain the love that once was. In Christian environments, divorce is often condemned and stigmatized. On the one hand, we hear an oft-quoted Scripture saying that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). But what we don’t know is exactly

Resentment in relationships can have many different faces. Resentment is more than jealous feelings; it is bitter indignation that you are being treated unfairly. It is only seeing one side and feeling sincerely hurt to the point of letting it interfere with your relationship or feelings toward someone else. Resentment between friends might be intense envy when a best friend can have a child and the other is having a difficult time conceiving. It might be losing sight of

Acknowledging one’s own experience of depression (or any other mental health issue for that matter) can be difficult for many individuals. It requires one to be brutally honest and admit vulnerability. This can be particularly true for men, whom society expects to be strong, silent, and unmoved. Any admission of emotions or internal hardship is a sign of weakness to be avoided at all costs. Most men do not feel safe to come out and acknowledge their struggle with

Have you ever had a conversation with someone that left you feeling like you’ve disappeared? Become inaudible? When we get the sense that the people we care about aren’t really listening, the hurt cuts so deeply within us. We will never outgrow the need to have our feelings known. We have a yearning to be understood; to be seen, known, and accepted in a shared relationship. How do we then respond to this yearning in others as well as

It is all too human to experience seasons of life in which we find ourselves to be without, lacking some fine quality which we believe might bring us a greater caliber of life than the sub-par version we currently feel stuck in. At times, we look outward, seeking the good life in the accruement of things, wealth, and pleasures. Other times, we look into the mirror and rightly conclude that the lacking is not external, but internal. These are

It was once said that “A husband and wife may disagree on many things, but they must absolutely agree on this: to never, EVER give up.” Marriage brings many unexpected challenges where couples can feel head-over-heels in love one day and absolutely lost as to how to progress their relationship the next day. Let's examine a few marriage problems that couples face in their day-to-day lives. Common Marriage Problems Tanya and Dylan were head-over-heels in love when they received a

In the early years of my marriage, I didn’t have any experience resolving conflict. I viewed any argument as a threat to our relationship. I wanted to shut down any disagreement early on. I can only remember my parents arguing twice during my growing up years. Both times Dad retreated to his desk and Mom went outside and smoked a cigarette in the car. Then life would resume without any kind of public resolution or reconciliation. Needless to say,

Wondering how to treat anxiety? Most people are familiar with some form of anxiety as a response to a perceived danger or threat, feelings of nervousness and fear can help us to act quickly in threatening circumstances. Persistent fear and worry can be barriers to completing normal day-to-day activities and trigger an anxiety disorder, which might also include panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression. Anxiety can be paralyzing and cause extreme suffering to the person experiencing it,

The idea of personal growth and transformation as an ongoing process can seem daunting in contrast with the prevailing cultural trend toward instant gratification. Perhaps one of your first struggles toward fruition will be against this ingrained approach to life. There is plenty in our culture that seeps into our attitudes unconsciously to persuade us to expect instantaneous formation rather than steady progress for the things we want to change. We seem to forget that everyone is in a