Kate Motaung

Trauma responses that are a little outside of the “norm” often get made fun of or dismissed. What might feel silly to someone else might be your body remembering how it had to survive in a tense or dangerous situation. People might brush off your unusual actions with a roll of their eyes or even a chuckle, but those quirky little things you do might be more than just unique personality traits. They might be signs that you have unresolved [...]

Our minds tend to wander and be full of thoughts that aren’t necessarily related to what is happening at the moment. Mindfulness is the practice of quieting your mind by gently bringing your awareness back to the present and using your senses to turn your attention away from stressful, anxious, negative thoughts to what is real right now, accepting it without judging it as being good or bad. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from [...]

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 [...]

Death is a part of life. Yet, some people become so obsessed with death that they forget to live their lives. People become obsessed with how they’re going to die, how painful it’s going to be, etc. Death appears to be final, and people recognize that because death is brutal and causes people such pain and sorrow, they can’t help but fear it. 5 Reasons Not to Fear Death But for the Christian, there’s no reason to fear death. [...]

When you encounter verses such as Psalm 127:3, you might feel a mixture of emotions. The verse reads, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him” (Psalm 127:3, NIV). One thing a parent might feel is a deep sense of responsibility for their children, perhaps accompanied by gratitude to the Lord for the gift of a child. These emotions can be empowering, but they can also make parents feel overwhelmed due to their gravity. If [...]

Grief is a unique, nonlinear, unpredictable, off-putting emotion that can knock your seemingly steady world right off its axis. Not only is the process of dealing with grief different for each person, but each situation is unique as well, which means that your grief journey will be distinct to you. The idea that what you are going through is uncharted territory can add anxiety to an already tumultuous period of your life. Not having a map or a forecast [...]

Trauma is not a new concept; it's simply a recent buzzword for what we experience. History tells us that almost every, if not every, generation has its share of collective trauma to experience. Besides the chaos happening in the world around us, many of us are facing deeply personal issues that affect every aspect of our lives. What do we do about our trauma, and how do we cope when it feels like life is coming at us from [...]

As adults, most people can agree that the teen years were tumultuous. This is when teens seek independence, yet they still rely on their parents (and desperately need them). Part child, part adult, these older children are planning their future, looking for part-time after-school jobs, and have few bills to pay, if any. Although they may not have a mortgage or a car payment, teens face challenges. Some of these teen issues are the same ones young people have experienced [...]

As of 2025, an estimated 66% of the American workforce is experiencing burnout in their careers. According to recent information, women are more likely to experience burnout than men, and the average person experiences some kind of burnout before the age of twenty-five.Due to its recent popularity, even the term “burnout” has become a buzzword word which might have caused it to lose meaning. So, what is burnout? How do you know if you are experiencing it, and what can [...]

Is there something you’ve always wanted to be and do? Most of us have long-cherished dreams and hopes about ourselves, but not many of us get to live them out. At the heart of our various pursuits, hopes, and dreams is one thing – the pursuit of happiness. We chase after things because we believe we will be happy if we obtain them. We all want to be happy, and that is what drives us and our day-to-day activities. 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 [...]

As you look at your various relationships – with friends, colleagues, romantic partners, neighbors, or family members – do you see any patterns that exist there? As you make your way through life, one of the biggest favors you can do for yourself is to understand how you connect with other people. How you connect with and relate to other people has a profound impact on the health of your relationships, and that, in turn, affects your ability to [...]