• Divorce and Children: Supporting Your Children’s Faith Through Divorce

    Divorce can be a confusing and painful time for everyone involved, but especially for children. Their social life, routine, and relationships can all be upended, but what can be even more derailing is the negative impact it can have on their spiritual life. As their world shifts, the foundations that they once thought were unshakable are suddenly uncertain. They may question whether God is still present amid all the chaos and whether He still loves them. Divorce and Children: [...]

  • Depression in Young People: Factors that Increase Vulnerability

    You’re probably familiar with the stereotypical moody teen. Black hoodie pulled up to conceal their identity and unwashed hair. They slump from bed to kitchen, mumbling something about being tired and hating life as they rummage for last night’s leftovers. This stereotypical depiction of adolescent moodiness gets played out on television and movies all the time. And it may be playing out in your house, too. “Brooding” teens and “moody” young adults are often written off as just going through [...]

  • Social Anxiety Causes and Ways to Gain Control

    Social anxiety can keep you stuck. There are numerous opportunities available, yet you have a physical and emotional reaction to taking that first step. Whether it is crowded stores, events, or public speaking, social anxiety can lead to physical and mental issues. Being aware of the causes of social anxiety and strategies for how to gain control will help you experience life and fulfill your purpose and calling. 8 Social Anxiety Causes Social anxiety causes can vary, and not [...]

  • A Shallow Dive into OCD Identification and Treatment

    Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a chronic condition affecting approximately two percent of the global population. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). OCD is often a long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions) that he/she feels the urge to perform repeatedly. The Prevalence of OCD The prevalence of OCD worldwide is known through international studies providing intrinsic information-gathering through extensive research. In the United States of [...]

  • The Enneagram and Bipolar Personality Disorder

    When an individual deals with personality and mental health struggles, it can feel overwhelming. Those who experience the extreme mood changes of bipolar personality disorder often find it helpful to understand basic personality patterns to see how bipolar personality disorder may express itself in different personality types. One tool that helps us understand personality types is the Enneagram. It is a system that helps explain nine personality types and shows what motivates the individuals of those types. Knowing your [...]

  • Recognizing Codependent Behavior in Any Relationship

    Codependency not only occurs in romantic relationships. It is a dynamic that affects many different types of relationships, including professional, parental, and platonic ones. There are many layers to codependent behavior. To recover from codependency, you must expose each one and address their underlying beliefs. This can sound overwhelming. While it is not a simple journey, you are worth the time and effort it takes. You might feel trapped or stuck in an unhappy relationship, but you have what [...]

  • Bullying Prevention in Today’s Hi-Tech Schools

    Bullying can take many forms, especially in today’s schools with access to in-person and online classes, social media, and AI apps. Bullying prevention is necessary to protect the younger generation’s mental, emotional, and physical health. The long-term effects of bullying can be damaging, sabotaging relationships, opportunities, and jobs. Once you are knowledgeable of those effects, you can push for bullying prevention and school reform to address the impact bullying has on students. Although many school districts state they have a [...]

  • Finding Rest in God’s Presence When Job Burnout Threatens Your Peace

    Job burnout does not come with a big announcement of its arrival. It simply creeps in and shows up in the morning when you cannot find a reason to care about the work that once excited you. It lives in the tension between what you know you should feel and the emptiness that has taken its place. When you realize you cannot keep going at your current pace, heaviness could start to settle within you, and you find yourself experiencing job burnout. Societal pressure surrounding work often creates an [...]

  • Why Therapy for Alcoholism Is Harder to Do Alone Than Other Addictions

    Doing therapy for alcoholism on your own is something you and a lot of other people usually assume is easily doable. Maybe you’ve told yourself this a few times. You’ve read the books, tried the 30-day challenges, and made deals with yourself or someone close to you. You might even go a few weeks without alcohol, then something sets you off, and you’re right back where you started. Sound familiar? One of the reasons alcoholism is tough to manage [...]

  • Bible Verses for Mourning: Support for a Scripture-Led Grieving Process

    There are far too many voices out there clamoring for our attention, likes, clicks, shares, and reposts. Not every voice you hear is the voice of wisdom or discernment. It’s important that you carefully consider what you hear and believe. Scripture is God’s own voice, and it is a tried and trusted guide as we walk through different seasons in life. There are many Bible verses for mourning that you can turn to when you’re dealing with loss. The [...]

  • Hidden Messages in Everyday Compliments That Can Hurt Positive Body Image

    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 [...]

  • Leaning on Scripture Throughout the Grief Process

    As much as one might want to rush past grief after loss, it’s important to go through the process of grieving. The grief process is as complex and hard to pin down as our emotions often are. Various people have tried to break it down into numbered steps, as if the ordering of the process will bring structure to our chaotic and overwhelming grief experiences. Different Understandings of the Grief Process One model breaks down grief into five stages a grieving person may experience: denial, [...]