Shame Off You: Learning to Cope with Shame & Loss During the Holiday Season

Heaven is For Real; A Book Review

When I first heard of Heaven is For Real, by Todd Burpo, I was skeptical to say the least. My mother, who does not subscribe to the Christian or any faith, was the one to bring it to my attention. I assumed it was one of those vaguely "spiritual" feel good books. Still, it intrigued me, so I started to look into it. After a little research and reading book reviews like this one, I decided it was worth a read, or a listen, on audiobook. I am glad I did.

Does God Want Me To Be Happy?

I came across a quote recently that I felt summed up the answer to this question that I hear so often in therapy. The quote is from

More Than We Can Handle?

When comforting those who are struggling under the weight of life’s difficulties, it is crucial to provide sound encouragement that will not only relieve the sufferer, but do so in a way that is in line with God’s truth. It is truly surprising how often the advice

A Wall of Safety: Part 2

In the second part of this article I present to you this exercise to assist you in finding pockets of peace when you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed. See if you can find a place to be alone (i.e. parked car, office, basement, closet, wherever possible). The thing that distresses you is what causes the most anxiety or angst at any given moment. This could be your boss’s pressure (or a spouse’s) to get something done, a past traumatic event, any current fear, etc.

A Wall of Safety: Part 1 of 2

The need for safety is as old as our need for food, water and air. I want to tell you a story that illustrates this need and then give you a little exercise to alleviate anxiety or feeling overwhelmed by whatever distresses you—to bring a sense of safety in a given moment where anxiety is high.

Contentment Killers part 2

In today’s day and age, people in general are often more invested in their beliefs and agendas than they are in the truth. Because of this, defensive strategies arise that actually prevent any new messages from getting through and being heard. At this point we could spend a considerable amount of time debating on what is truth but that is not the point of this article (maybe some other day). The point of this writing is to consider how blocking these messages or any new information or perspectives can prevent us from experiencing contentment.