We are all familiar with the term compassion. We are easily able to look at other and feel care and concern for their suffering. Self-compassion on the other hand, sounds foreign and may even seem wrong. To understand self-compassion, it may be helpful to first...
September is Suicide Awareness Month. Death is a horrible topic. It shouldn’t exist to begin with. Even grieving death hurts deeply. But what happens when you want it, death? When the beauty within yourself turns ugly and all you know is the ashes of broken...
We all experience things differently and they can progress at different rates depending on several variables; our resiliency, our support system, ways we cope and a few more. But they can usually progress this way, stress, anxiety, depression (each with 3 levels) and unfortunately these...
The Stages of Change Do you remember what it was like when you were learning to ride a bike? How to play an instrument, or drive a car? The first few weeks and months may have been a struggle, but the results were so sweet!...
It is easy to identify a physical boundary. Just take a look at the fence around your yard. You know the line of demarcation that designates where your property ends, and your neighbors yard begins. The area in your responsibility is clear. You have to...
Well it is almost here. That time of year where we have waited all winter long for. To get out and enjoy this beautiful area we call West Michigan. Schools are out and the kids are just itching to get outside (not itching from the...
One of my favorite shows growing up was the show Mythbusters. Every week Adam and Jamie would explore different myths to see if they actually hold up. One of my favorite episodes tested whether a water heater could turn into a rocket . They set...
People have various expectations for counseling. Sometimes they expect that after a couple of sessions their problems will be solved. Other times, they refuse to start counseling because they have been told to “suck it up” and “deal with it” when thinking about their struggles...
Relationships can be difficult, especially if we invest a lot of our time and effort into them. When we do this, we create a vested interest and we want to see a return. We were built for relationships (Genesis 2:18). God formed us in a...