Caitlin Bailey : AuthorAs a counselor, my heart is to help individuals work through challenging circumstances and see those difficulties in light of God’s heart for them. I believe that healing comes through Christ alone and that the Lord draws near to those who are brokenhearted and makes His presence known to them. My practice also benefits from the wisdom and experience of my supervisor, Julie Northam, MS, LPC-S. I believe that beginning the counseling process is one that takes immense courage and strength and I am eager to see how the Lord works in your life during this season.
It’s an old but powerful adage that you can’t pour out from an empty cup. You simply cannot give to others something that you yourself do not possess. Moms often have full days that require a lot from them: mediating disputes, making a dollar stretch as far as possible, feeding others and nurturing their bodies and souls, teaching, and more. Self-care for moms isn’t really an option. It’s necessary if they want to keep doing their job well. Why [...]
Overeating is a common occurrence for many people around the holidays. We gather at our family’s home and enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinners a little too much, eating way beyond full and leaving uncomfortably full or falling asleep in front of the television. But some people struggle with overeating regularly. They eat until they are in pain and may not know how much they have consumed. They consistently serve themselves too much, eat too fast, or graze throughout [...]
Binge-eating disorder is a serious mental health condition that typically requires professional counseling to work through, but it is possible to overcome the eating disorder. However, people often miss the signs or wait too long to seek binge-eating treatment. Know the signs of binge-eating disorder, take your treatment seriously, and lean on your faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and you will take your life back. What are the signs of binge-eating disorder? Sometimes the line between [...]
There are some compliments that everyone throws around randomly so much that we rarely pay much attention to them. You’ve probably said them before, and most likely, you’ve definitely heard them. “Wow, you look amazing; did you lose weight?” “You’ve really slimmed down.” “You look better than ever.” We’ve grown to assume these comments sound nice. After all, these are nice words that are meant to be kind. Yet, when you take a closer look, they can carry undertones [...]
It can be a struggle when your bank account feels fragile, and the news continues to highlight the economic warnings of financial instability. You keep hearing that it’s wise to be financially responsible and save and plan for these types of moments, but you also have faith that has asked you to let go of control. What do you do? The choices aren’t about being reckless with money; instead, they are about recognizing that your mental health depends on [...]
There’s a saying that familiarity breeds contempt. When you think you know something well, it can give you the confidence to not pay as close attention as you would under normal circumstances. Experience nurtures skill, but if you’re not careful, it can also nurture complacency. When it comes to a mental health challenge like depression, our familiarity with it can become a hindrance and not a help. Depression is most often considered to be a deep and unrelenting sadness. While [...]
For many stay-at-home moms, the end of May brings a mix of relief and anticipation as summer break looms. The prospect of no more early mornings, school runs, homework, and strict bedtimes can be a welcome change. Yet, summer break has its own challenges. Mothers can face burnout, especially when they are the only parents at home with their children during the day. Suddenly, it can feel like the work never stops. If you have a child with a [...]
“Just breathe, yes that’s it; slowly in and out.” If you’re someone who struggles with anxiety, chances are you’ve heard this advice more times than you can count. Well-meaning friends, family, or even strangers often suggest that breathing is the magic solution to calming down in the middle of a panic attack or stressful situation. But let’s be real, when you’re in the thick of anxiety, the idea of just breathing often seems way too simple, if not downright [...]
For some, getting married is a key life goal that marks the passage into full-on adulting. It’s a huge decision because you’re committing to do life with one person, and making extravagant promises before your friends and family about what you will and will not do in your life together. A lot of time and energy, not to mention expense, is spent preparing for the wedding day, but how much time do couples spend preparing for their marriage? Premarital [...]
EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured therapeutic technique developed in the late 1980s by American psychologist and educator, Francine Shapiro, Ph.D. It has since become a gold standard, evidence-based modality for treating the symptoms and emotional distress caused by post-traumatic stress disorder or other disturbing life events. EMDR therapy focuses directly on your traumatic memory and on changing the way it is stored in your brain. It does not require that you talk about it [...]
An eating disorder is a mental health condition that involves abnormal eating habits such as overeating, undereating, or eating nonfood items. Symptoms may vary, but the common thread underlying them all is an unhealthy preoccupation with food, body image, and/or weight that negatively impacts your physical and emotional health, makes it hard to focus on other aspects of life, and robs you of your joy. The 2022 text revision edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, [...]
If you had the option to never feel or express anger again, would you take it? Depending on your experiences with anger, you might hesitate with your response, or you might respond quickly in the affirmative. Even people who have had mostly positive and healthy experiences with anger won’t necessarily feel warm feelings at the thought of anger. Anger is just that sort of emotion that’s an unwelcome visitor when it shows up. For a Christian who wants to [...]
