Kate Motaung

As we seek to understand our own grief process, this article will draw from the resource, Understanding Your Grief, by Alan Wolfelt to outline ten essential touchstones. Touchstone One: Open to the Presence of Your Loss “You have probably been taught that pain is an indication that something is wrong and that you should find ways to alleviate the pain. In our culture, pain and feelings of loss are experiences most people try to avoid. Why? Because the role of

You may have heard that only a small percentage of what you communicate is actually in your words. The look in your eyes, the expression on your face, the shape of your mouth, the tone and timbre of your voice, your body language – all join together in a little symphony of communication when you try to speak to someone else. All this information is coming your direction when someone is trying to communicate with you. To make matters

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the more well-known disorders, made popular, among many other portrayals, by Jack Nicholson in the movie “As Good as it Gets” as Melvin Udall, a misanthropic author with OCD. If you’ve seen the movie, you may recall Melvin turning the lock repeatedly after closing his front door. As with all mental disorders, it is important not to self-diagnose based on information we have gathered from pop culture or the internet. OCD can

In my experience, some of the most common things that bring people into my office are symptoms of depression. However, often people are not quite able to articulate them as such. Colloquially, we use “depressed” to mean sad. While sadness is a symptom of depression – often the biggest and most salient – it is not the only one. Further, there are many different types of depression that can manifest in different ways. My goal here is to walk

One of the great tragedies in any life is the dissolution of what was supposed to be a lifelong journey. Divorce usually marks the death of shared hopes and dreams and is deeply disruptive to everyone involved. There is a scale of life stressors by someone named Rahe; on this list, divorce is rated second, just after the death of a spouse or child. The pain and stress of the transition are significant, sometimes enormous, even if the people

If you’re reading this, you are likely wondering if either you or someone you know is struggling with sex addiction symptoms. In fact, you may still be a skeptic concerning the idea that sexual addiction is even a real thing; if so, I understand that. After all, God created us to be sexual beings with the purpose of us procreating – so how can we possibly do too much of that? I’m glad you (hypothetically) asked. Perhaps if I

For many, many people across the globe, chemical dependency is an incredibly challenging obstacle standing in the way of leading a fulfilling life. Here in the Seattle area, we are seeing the increased devastation and pervasive effect that the opiate crisis is having on tens of thousands of our neighbors. But how has this problem become so large, especially amongst young adults? These are the generations that grew up with programs like D.A.R.E. and education about drugs and alcohol

Have you ever heard the statement, “Anger is a second emotion”? This statement intrigues me. Thinking back into past experiences this statement rings true. Has there ever been a time in your life when you were first angry? Think about it. Most often sadness or hurt arises, then as a second emotion, anger follows. Anger is defined as a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure or hostility. In sessions, I often use the example that anger is a ticking time

In the Bible, forgiveness is a Greek word that means, “to let go.” It is the act of granting mercy upon the person who has done something wrong against you. Forgiveness means you are going to let go of what happened. This does not mean that you agree or condone whatever transpired, but that you are willing to move forward in your life and not carry the negative feelings over what happened. Forgiveness Bible Verses Scripture is filled with

“Your Mental Health is more important than the test, the interview, the lunch date, the meeting, the family dinner, the soccer game, the recital, and the grocery-run. Take care of yourself.” The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states, “Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric illnesses affecting children and adults. An estimated 44 million American adults suffer from anxiety disorders. Yet only about one-third of those suffering from an anxiety disorder receive treatment even though the disorders are highly treatable.”

Like any injury or illness, depression may range in severity and presentation. Symptoms of depression also vary from person to person with regard to physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and relational impact. Sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, and confusion are individual experiences that we can relate to and often find a “quick fix” for. But what about the times when all of those things seem to settle in at the same time? According to the World Health Organization, 300 million people around

For most couples, there will be ups and downs in their relationships. While we would love to live in the bliss and infatuation that often accompanies the honeymoon period, we will all at some point have a rough patch. Relationship satisfaction can look like a roller coaster. Ideally, this would be the most boring roller coaster that is all height without the fall, but usually, there are dips. First of all, this is normal and not a sign that