All Christians

Working with children and their families in counseling, one conversation that comes up over and over is concerns of the parents, teachers, and other important figures for the children that they are either misusing technology or putting themselves at risk. While you cannot prevent all problems from affecting children, there are several things that parents can do for their family in order to protect them.

Below I have links to several contracts and pledges for the family to go over and sign on how to properly use and expect to work with family members with the internet and smartphones. Further, I have several tips you need to consider as you begin dialogues with your children because a simple contract is not going to prevent harm, but constant vigilance and communication.

[Read more…] about Family Phone And Internet Contracts

What is shame? What is fear? What is anxiety? Why do we fight? Why do we abuse drugs and alcohol?

I do not think the video below answers all of the questions, but I do think this is a huge piece of the puzzle. And to us as Christians, this shame, fear, guilt, and stress disconnects us from God. It disconnects us from the gifts God has for us.

[Read more…] about The Power of Vulnerability [Video]

People are hurting every day. The story of the Gospel is literally a love letter to those who are broken, hurting, suffering, and without hope. It is in this time that we can find hope in God. It is in this time we find salvation. It is where we can begin to grow.

For the Church, we want to share who God is and develop a reliance on Him.

For counselors, we want to see people find peace and comfort.

What if these two ideas were not at odds, but instead aligned together. I propose that to truly serve a community, it isn’t just an idea to consider, but a necessary part of finding wholeness.

[Read more…] about It Takes A Community To Serve The Hurt [Devotional]

I am a huge fan of educating people when it comes to mental health and substance abuse and the Church may be one of the biggest places that could use some educating on these topics. Opioids, opiates, heroin, and other pain-relieving drugs are a problem in America. Here is some educating on the substances.

[Read more…] about What Is The Opioid Crisis? [Video]

For someone who has never struggled with mental health or been to a counseling session, the process of counseling may be a mystery or some “you go there to get help, they fix you” kind of mentality. Unfortunately, if you have been part of the process, you know this is not the case. The Huffington Post came out with a new article on the topic of mental health that I think both clients of mental health and Church officials/congregation members who have a desire to support people who struggle with mental health should read.

[Read more…] about Mental Health Diagnosis Is A Process

The short answer to this question is: Yes, faith-based addiction recovery programs work and with great success. The long answer is found when answering the question: How do they work and why do they work so well?

I have been the International Director of RU Recovery Ministries for over 16 years and I have witnessed the miracle of changed lives over and over again. It never gets old to see God transform someone’s life from being a hopelessly addicted drug user to a recovered and restored vessel for God. Recovery is possible and Hope is available through faith in Jesus Christ.

[Read more…] about Do Faith-Based Addiction Recovery Programs Work?

Depression is more than just feeling a little sadness. It’s not just genetic or environmental, but can be due to trauma, grief and loss, or chemical imbalance. Further, there is a physiological manifestation of the depressive symptoms. With winter season just about here and untreated depression is costing individuals and others billions, treatment is something we would highly encourage you look into.

[Read more…] about How Do You Know If You Have Depression? [Video]

For the individuals who struggle with addictions, the holidays can be a very difficult time of the year. Many have lost loved ones around this time which causes them to fall deeper into their addiction. Others struggle because of not having the money to purchase gifts because of what they have spent on their drug of choice. This causes a lot of guilt resulting in falling deeper once again in their addiction. It becomes a vicious cycle. Guilt, usage, more guilt, more usage. It can seem never-ending to the addict. When the holiday season is supposed to be a time of family and celebration, for the addict it is often a time of rejection and disappointment. Which again drives them deeper into their addiction.

[Read more…] about Addictions and the Holidays

Depression is something that is rampant in America and a significant source for substance dependency, divorce, and suicide. We previously talked about how the disorder costs businesses billions.

• The leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44.
• Major Depressive Disorder affects more than 16.1 million American adults, or about 6.7%of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.
• While major depressive disorder can develop at any age, the median age at onset is 32.5 years old.
• Major depressive disorder is more prevalent in women than in men.
• Only 61.7% of adults with major depressive disorder are receiving treatment.

[Statistics via Anxiety and Depression Association of America]

[Read more…] about This Is What It Feels Like To Be Depressed [Video]

Holidays are a time of joy, peace, and coming together. But for some, this is a time of being reminded of painful memories, being put into a room with people who you do not like or have disappointed, and being triggered to possibly relapsing with depression, diet, or alcohol. The holiday blues are definitely something many people with mental health and substance use disorders experience.

Below is an infographic that addresses what the holiday blues are and a few ideas to consider to fight them. (If you need more, we actually gave several ideas for people and those that love them to do to fight off the holiday blues) Maybe the most important part of the infographic below is the last bit of text that states “The holiday blues are short-term. Be patient. Take things week by week or day by day.”

[Read more…] about What Are The Holiday Blues? [Infographic]