• David Hodel
    : Author

    As a counselor, I seek to be sensitive to my clients’ physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual condition during any given session, following their lead to determine which direction we’ll go with our conversation. I try not to push beyond their capacity, but rather gently guide and point things out as we travel together on the path toward healing and well-being. I provide a welcoming, judgment-free zone in which clients can share their burdens and feel heard and understood. I’d love to chat with you about how you can write a new chapter in your story.

  • : Curator

    Kate Motaung is the Senior Writer, Editor, and Content Manager for a multi-state company. She is the author of several books including Letters to Grief, 101 Prayers for Comfort in Difficult Times, and A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging. Kate is also the host of Five Minute Friday, an online writing community that equips and encourages Christian writers, and the owner of Refine Services, a company that offers editing services. She and her South African husband have three young adult children and currently live in West Michigan. Find Kate’s books at katemotaung.com/books.

  • Building Healthy Families: How to Work on Relationship Problems as a Team

    When our children are born, none of us get an operation manual. How amazing would it be, on the day of a child’s birth, to get a document telling us the best way to nurture, discipline, grow, and in all other ways develop them into the very person they were meant to be from the beginning? Of course it doesn’t work that way, but when it comes to relationship issues, there are some general rules of engagement that, with

  • 4 Ways a Child Counselor Can Turn Your Child’s Frown Upside Down

    Hello there! If you’ve found your way here, you’re probably looking for some support for your little one at home. Maybe there are some behavioral issues your child is showing, or maybe they seem to be just stuck in the blues and unable to play like some of their peers can. First of all, this can be a scary and sad thing as a parent to see your kiddo not shining the way you know they can. I want

  • Through the years it has been humbling and an honor to be associated with David Ferguson and Great Commandment Ministries. Most of what I have written about originates from Dr. Ferguson's book and healing vehicle, Intimate Encounters. Achieving Relational Intimacy in Marriage With David's mentoring and my counseling journey (as client and professional), I have realized the significance and lethality of aloneness, the significance of authentic relational care, obstacles to relational intimacy, and the foundational ingredient of compassion vs.

  • Increasing The Effectiveness Of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy

    In this article, we will discuss the effects of trauma and the benefits of trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy. The Trouble with Trauma Experiencing traumatic events can be overwhelming and disrupt a person’s ability to function. Serious cases can produce Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, including: Haunting memories with accompanying emotional upheavals as if the traumatic event was being experienced again Overwhelming frustration in the form of feeling threatened, with a heightened sense of vigilance An urge to fight

  • 15 Tips for Creating a Personal Development Plan that Works for You

    In this article we'll discuss 15 tips for creating a personal development plan that works for you. Tips for Creating a Personal Development Plan Tip #1: Set smaller goals and work on large projects a little at a time. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the task and give up. Research from the field of change human psychology suggests that preparing for a change stage leads to the creating of reciprocal actions that facilitate change. Realize that actions

  • Teen Problems Can Be Complicated: 5 Tips for Parents to Help

    Hello, parent-of-a-teenager-with-problems (a.k.a. most parents of teenagers)! If you’ve found yourself here, you’re probably going through some tough times at home. Perhaps your child has grown up faster than you could have ever imagined and suddenly they are trying to claim independence at a rate you’re not ready for. Maybe your teenager is going through struggles of their own, like depression, bullying, or anxiety, and you are not sure how you can help. You might have multiple adolescents laying

  • Why Do People Have Affairs? Are There Any GOOD Reasons?

    No one wakes up one morning and says, “Today, I’m going to destroy my marriage.” So why do people have affairs? The roots of infidelity are actually most often found in the defensive structures we build in response to childhood trauma. Let me show you what I mean. Imagine a young girl with a father who is distant, dictatorial, doesn’t come to recitals, and a mother who is only half-present, caught up in her own sorrows or preoccupations. Her

  • Overcoming Porn Addiction By Changing Your Mind

    At the emotional root of every addiction is a good desire. We want to be seen, known, and loved well, and when it doesn’t happen, the pain can be intolerable. We want to be free of our stresses and free to enjoy life. Good desires. The problem with addiction is that it masquerades as a solution, masking our symptoms while our condition slowly worsens in the background. I once heard a pastor say, “Only dead things float down stream.”

  • Relational Intimacy in Marriage: Pride vs. Compassionate Care

    Not too long ago I was working in my wood shop (actually, my garage pretending to be a wood shop). As I was cutting wood in preparation for a project, I noticed the cuts were splintered, the saw seemed louder, and the wood seemed to smell as if it were burning. Because I'm not the sharpest blade in the drawer, I finally got a clue as I realized the saw was working harder than it needed to, and of course this led to

  • Coping With Depression: Is it Really Possible?

    We all experience periods of sadness from time to time but clinical depression is not just a passing mood – it is falling into a funk that refuses to go away. In this case, is coping with depression even possible? Symptoms of Depression Depressed people report having feelings of despair, helplessness, and hopelessness, and their depression tends to worsen when they attempt to shake it off. Their self-esteem suffers and their view of themselves is extremely negative. They lose interest

  • A Christian Counselor on Overcoming Childhood Trauma as an Adult

    A couple of times over the years, I have seen scenes in movies where a mob boss slaps an underling and says something like, “Stop bleeding. It’s stupid.” As silly as this sounds, this is often the way we treat our younger emotional parts when they intrude on the present and make us feel vulnerable, usually bringing anxiety and anger along with them. When we feel weak or injured, it is easy to turn on ourselves with angry parental

  • Counseling For Couples With Blended Families: Bringing The Team Together

    So you have found someone to share your life with, congratulations! You love and complement each other so well, you have so much in common, there is no doubt in your mind this is the one. The big day is set, the invitations are sent, the gown is picked and the cake is taste tested. Multiple times. You’re ready. But then there’s the added wrinkle that your kids might not quite be on the same level of readiness as you.