• When two people are in a relationship with each other, they have the opportunity to open themselves up to each other and build up a history of fruitful and positive interactions. If you accumulate enough of these positive and fruitful interactions with a person, that usually allows you to continue being open to them, and avoid trust issues. Trusting other people with pieces of ourselves isn’t an easy thing. For one thing, not everyone is trustworthy, and it isn’t [...]

  • When we’re feeling nostalgic, it’s tempting to say that things were simpler, better, or easier in the past. Often, parents of adolescents find themselves saying this as they consider the brave new world their children are navigating and trying to make sense of. It can be scary, and nostalgia can be a form of retreat. There’s nothing wrong with nostalgia; however, it can paralyze you in the present or blind you from seeing the beauty and opportunities that exist [...]

  • 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 [...]

  • Your work life can be all-consuming if you let it. There’s no shortage nor end of things to do, and you can always squeeze in some more work if you need the extra hours or overtime. Work can easily take over the vast majority of your time, and that’s one reason why it’s important to have work boundaries. Setting clear guidelines for where work starts and begins can have many benefits for your well-being. Work Boundaries Explained There are [...]

  • You may have heard about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the past regarding children, but were you aware that adults can also live with this mental condition? Many children with ADHD eventually outgrow it, but about 60% of individuals still have adult ADHD. Symptoms of adult ADHD Do you often question why you struggle with a short attention span, listening to others, or impatience? These are some common symptoms of adult ADHD: Fidgeting and an inability to sit [...]

  • The excitement of retirement is supposed to be filled with expectations of exciting adventures. It is meant to be a time of enjoying the life that has been built. But for some couples, it becomes a time of heartache. Divorce in older couples (so-called, "gray divorce") is becoming more prevalent. Older couples are finding it hard to maintain a marriage that has had changes in the family dynamics, such as retirement and becoming an empty nest. Getting reacquainted as [...]

  • At its heart, grief is the often-prolonged sadness we feel after a loss of some kind. Sometimes the loss is concrete, such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a relationship due to divorce or moving away, or the loss of a pregnancy, job, health, or possessions. At other times the loss may be more abstract, such as the loss of an opportunity or the death of hopes and dreams In the Bible, God invites us [...]

  • Stress. We hear about it all the time. We talk about it as if it’s a badge of honor for a full, normal life. But really, stress wears on us. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually, we feel the effects of stress in every area of our lives. Not only do we suffer, but the people in our lives can suffer from our stress as well. Our spouses, kids, parents, friends, coworkers, and even the cashier at the grocery store can [...]

  • Before a couple gets married, they have dreams and visions for their marriage. Couples rarely imagine going to counseling. During the first few years of marriage, it’s easy to believe the other party will change their bad behaviors and habits simply because they love the other party. However, each of them eventually recognizes the other is not going to change. This can cause fights and quarrels, resulting in a marriage that can be difficult to restore. Every [...]

  • Most couples believe that part of what keeps a relationship fresh and fulfilling is spending quality time together. Therapists agree. Many counselors advise couples to prioritize date nights and shared activities as part of effective marriage help to strengthen bonds. While this is ideal, it’s not possible for every couple. If you and your mate’s schedules simply don’t align, don’t worry. With a bit of creativity, you can still find ways to bond and strengthen your relationship, even when [...]

  • Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by a distorted body image and intense fear of gaining weight, that causes you to limit your calorie intake, and the types of foods you eat, and to engage in additional weight-loss behaviors such as compulsive exercise, purging through self-induced vomiting, or the misuse of laxatives. However, several anorexia treatment options are available. Because of the nature of the disorder, anorexia treatment needs to address physical problems as well as psychological ones and [...]

  • The bond that allows for a relationship to flourish is trust. Trust takes time to develop, as two people experience each other in different settings and gradually come to see that they are reliable in ways that matter. That trust enables the relationship to deepen because it allows people to be vulnerable with each other and be honest at the risk of rejection. Over time, the relationship deepens, and the bond shared gets stronger, which is one reason why [...]