• 4 Ways to Identify Codependency in Friendships Among Teens and Young Adults

    Codependency in friendships can be a slippery slope when it comes to teens and young adults. Especially when examining relationships your teens have that are new to you, it’s important to understand what codependency in friendships looks like and how you can recognize its roots in either your child or someone else. Teens and Young Adults Are Particularly Susceptible to Codependency in Friendships While anyone can be in a codependent relationship, teens and young adults are especially susceptible. This [...]

  • 3 Bible Verses About Hope in Hard Times

    The Bible has verses that offer hope to those going through hard times, but some of the most commonly recognized Scriptures have important contexts that should not be ignored. Some verses do stand alone with timeless truth, but most are best understood in the context of the whole message they were delivered in. 3 Bible Verses About Hope in Hard Times Here are three popular Bible verses about hope in hard times, complete with their important context. “For I [...]

  • Faith-Based Advice for New Moms in the First Two Years

    When you read about advice for new moms on motherhood websites, you may encounter a ton of baby counsel: how to swaddle or use the Shhh method to help your infant sleep, whether or not to integrate formula into your breastfeeding routine, or where to find the safest baby products. However, what’s a new mom to do after those first three to nine months? What if you suddenly hit the 14-month-old stage and you don’t know what to do? [...]

  • Healing the Abandonment Wound: Dealing with a Fear of Abandonment

    If you find yourself struggling with intimacy and are constantly afraid that you will be forgotten or cast aside, you might be experiencing a fear of abandonment. Fear of abandonment often starts in our childhood with a parent or caregiver who gives inconsistent or nonexistent care. This will result in us forming an insecure attachment as children, and as adults, we will be anxious, fearful, and constantly fearing the worst. It’s hard to let people in and lower our [...]

  • The Most Common Compulsive Behavior in Relationships

    For those who deal with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, romantic relationships and meaningful friendships can be difficult to navigate without obsessions and compulsive behavior getting in the way. Among all the different types of OCD-related compulsive behavior, there are two that most frequently complicate relationships and keep people stuck. The compulsive behavior of confessing can create difficult relationship dynamics. Confessing is a compulsive behavior that comes up in many different OCD subtypes, but it is in the context of [...]

  • Worry in the Bible: Moving from Fear toward Trust 

    Have you ever found yourself thinking about what could go wrong or what is going wrong right now? Maybe you are thinking about it repeatedly. You may find yourself feeling uneasy or being overly concerned about a situation or problem you are facing, but you find that all that thinking does not help you find peace or resolution. Instead, you end up feeling anxious and apprehensive, with the problem looming larger in your mind. That is what worry does to us. Our lives are full of [...]

  • What to Do When You Are One of Those Toxic Couples

    You’ve probably seen them on TV. Those couples who fight all the time, complain about each other in their social circles, or who seem to have this weird co-dependency where they aren’t happy when they’re together, but they also can’t stay away from each other. Maybe the toxic couple that came to mind when you read the title of this article is you and your partner. Toxic couples display a recurring pattern of emotionally damaging behaviors. They disrespect each [...]

  • Understanding Enneagram Personality Types and Why You Should Know Yours

    Enneagram personality types are part of a model of human personality typing designed to help people understand their own behaviors and motivations. It also helps them understand those of others. It addresses underlying motivations and core fears that drive behaviors. This model consists of nine interconnected personality types, each represented by a number from 1-9. Each type has its own set of core traits, motivations, fears, and desires that determine and influence how a person perceives the world, interacts [...]

  • Group Counseling Activities That Help Troubled Teens Find Their Voice

    🎧 Listen to this article https://christiancounselingmckinney.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/McKinney-Christian-Counseling-Group-Counseling-Activities-That-Help-Troubled-Teens-Find-Their-Voice.mp3 Most people describe parenting a troubled teen as the feeling of standing outside a locked door. You know they’re hurting, but you don’t know how to reach them. One day, they talk nonstop, and the next day they shut down. As a parent or caregiver, that shutting out hurts. You want to help, yet every conversation turns into an argument or ends with a closed door. Teens today face pressures that are [...]

  • 5 Tips for Anxiety in Teens

    Anxiety can be a difficult battle for many teens, but it seems to plague girls a little more frequently than boys. Still, the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and social anxiety can severely impact a teenager’s life regardless of gender. Here are five tips to help the teen in your life cope. Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Teens Studies show an increased experience of GAD in girls than in boys, specifically as they reach high school age and [...]

  • How EMDR for PTSD Can Help Your Trauma Symptoms

    🎧 Listen to this article https://christiancounselingmckinney.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/McKinney-Christian-Counseling-How-EMDR-for-PTSD-Can-Help-Your-Trauma-Symptoms.mp3 PTSD can happen to anyone, not just combat veterans. EMDR for PTSD and trauma symptoms has been shown to help patients move past the painful memories by decreasing the emotions attached and reducing the vividness of the memory. What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental condition caused by a traumatic event. This event can be related to war, violence, natural disaster, accident, or abuse. Witnessing a [...]

  • Faith-Based Advice for Newlyweds: How to Guard Against Financial Stress

    🎧 Listen to this article https://christiancounselingmckinney.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/McKinney-Christian-Counseling-Faith-Based-Advice-for-Newlyweds-How-to-Guard-Against-Financial-Stress.mp3 When two people start life together, money often becomes one of the first areas where tension rises. Typically, it is not only because of bills or savings accounts, but also how each person views security, freedom, and responsibility. One spouse may feel anxious about spending while the other feels restricted, and those differences can steadily grow. Faith-based advice for newlyweds is a great way for young couples to see that financial stress [...]