We all have a cocoon around us that may keep us safe, too safe, but there is a time for leaving the old and entering the new. Sometimes we have to walk through the crowd to get there. Something new was happening in them. They were changing, leaving. There was […]
Mental health
209 posts
We all want immediate results. A change to our situation, but Mental Health recovery takes time, so let’s be patient with ourselves and others. ‘I wish this would go away’ were the unsaid words messaged in the face of despair, looking at me. I had seen that gaze many times, […]
Life has challenges and can’t be faced alone, but with the help of faithful and loyal friends, we can make it through. We all need a Batman. They were right there beside me. Where I went, they went. I couldn’t shake them off, and neither would I want to. They […]
The heart of a man dries up without words of encouragement. But the gift of respect can flood his life with hope. Let’s listen well. All he wanted was some whispers of thankfulness. Some acknowledgment that what he did mattered. He had worked hard all day, fought his battles, and […]
If you knew me, would you still love me? We all need others who will be strong enough to handle what comes from the inner world of each other. When they had opened up, they looked at me and wondered if I would reject them. So many others had. I […]
‘Shoulds’ can pile up on the shoulders and shape our thinking. But we have efficacy. We have the power to make a change and stop ‘shoulding.’ We don’t have to live under the slavery of a ‘should.’ It was always the same message. ‘You should be doing better.’ ‘You’re not […]
Some trauma memories keep us locked into our past. But there is a cleansing that can happen. We need to bring ourselves to the presence of one who will wash us pure. I didn’t know what to do when they were sharing some of the stories of their past. I […]
One failure in life seems to collect another failure, but love can cut through any collection of failures. We need to listen for the shame that has been collected then meet it with heartwarming arms. If you can talk about failure, you can talk about anything. As he opened up […]
Men aren’t talking, but they need to. We need to enter the cave of man’s mind and encourage him to talk. Words flow when we listen well. It was early in the morning, and I was driving to the first job of the day. The day was starting dark, cold, […]
The heart can be full of anxiety from a young age. But there is hope when we are feeling helpless and vulnerable. Kandace Rather tells us how God’s love healed her heart. I remember the first time I felt panic. I was in third grade, and my mom had just […]
How did I get here? Well, it was probably down a well-worn track in your brain that said ‘when you feel this feeling you do this.’ But we can choose new ways of behaving out of our emotions. When you are feeling anxious you can choose a new motion out […]
Men are in crisis and need help for their mental health. But one of the obstacles they face is finding counseling and support that is suited to them—seven tips on how to counsel and support men. Nine counselors. Six men and three women. That is how many counselors I have […]
Men need help for their Mental Health but have reasons they avoid counselling and therapy. We need to understand men and the obstacles they face so they can get the help they need. When I suggested he go to see a counselor to get some help with his anger, I […]
The verbal abuse kept raining down until the thought ‘I am a problem’ got nailed into the brain. But then they discovered that a problem is a problem, not a person, and they began to separate their identity from the issues. It was abuse. Verbal abuse. Dished out every day […]
A feeling of being sad is something that everyone experiences. Sadness needs to be validated as being real and OK. Life hurts at times, and if we don’t embrace the pain, then we can miss a grace offered. Permission to be sad ‘I give you permission to feel sad.’ It […]
If you want abundant life then you need to be brave and explore the inner world. The secrets you keep maybe keeping you sick. The chief thief is the belief beneath. I remember the first time I went to see a counselor. I was so afraid as I thought that […]
Comparisonitis kills joy. Comparing yourself to others robs you. Instead, explore who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. I’m just recovering from a severe case of comparisonitis. I think I caught the most recent dose from the Internet, but this disease has […]
When we are loyal to our lies, we are like an emperor in undies. Delusions believed as truth will destroy. We need to be open to others gently telling us when we have been conned. One of my favorite stories from Hans Christian Andersen is “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Here […]
We can listen to the obvious – noise, distractions, voices, but it takes a focus to notice the whispers. Mental health comes from a spirituality that is listening for the quiet and unspoken. It was the busyness of their life that concerned me the most. Jumping from one thing to the […]
As you read this post, someone somewhere will be typing in to the Google search ‘I want to die.’ But what are they truly searching for? I believe it is a connection and a simple plan to get out of the hole. A year ago, in February 2018, I wrote […]