I hope that this title makes no sense to you. Relationship drama? What is that? Let’ sum it up as: emotional excess in romantic relationships. It is very easy to get caught up in the he-said-she-said “drama” of relationships, not to mention the “they said” component of social media. No one is very logical when … Continue reading Relationship Drama is so Overrated
It sounds so… counterproductive. Schedule your worry time? How on earth would this help with excessive anxiety? It does sound counterproductive, but this is actually a common counseling intervention for folks who are struggling with obsessive thoughts, anxiety, and worry. Here’s how it works: Prep work: Schedule a specific time to worry on a regular basis. Set … Continue reading Scheduling your worry time
Apologies for the quasi-rhyme. But this is a real question that we often take for granted. Whether it’s a middle-school soccer team, a work group that is required to act like a team, or right here at iHope with our “counseling team” – what does this even mean? Here at iHope, we often refer to ourselves as a … Continue reading What does it mean to be part of a team?
This week, I was reminded by God (and my discipleship group… and a secular book that I’m reading… and the conviction of the Holy Spirit…) that words are powerful. Words shape our perspective. Today, it’s rainy here in Florence. It’s been rainy for months, frankly. Every hint of rainfall leads to a flood warning from the … Continue reading Words shape our perspective: Thoughts on a(nother) rainy Saturday.
Earlier this year, we posted a blog asking: Do you know what your child is doing on their phone? Many parents want to avoid the sad reality on how smartphones and social media are impacting our kids. It is a scary question to ask, but who promised that raising a child would be easy? (They … Continue reading What would your child’s youth pastor say they are most concerned about for your child?
How often do you genuinely and repentantly confess your sins? Confession is a huge part of the Christian life, and it is critically important to a healthy life. It impacts our emotions, our mental health, our relationships, our pride, our accurate understanding of ourselves, and our spiritual life with Christ. But confession is hard. I … Continue reading The Need for Confession in our Lives
Our thoughts are incredibly powerful. They direct how we feel. They lead what we say. They influence what we do. Unfortunately, our thoughts are not always true. As we learn to recognize, evaluate, and change our thought life, this has a big influence on problems like anxiety, fear, suicidality, anger, or depression. And it helps … Continue reading Practical strategies to “take every thought captive to Christ”
Whether you are single or married, in love or in heartbreak, celebrating “Valentine’s Day” or “Singles Awareness Day” on February 14th, we cannot miss the cultural experience of Valentine’s Day. Of course, this day does not appear in the pages of Scripture. But the experience of love and romance does. Throughout Scripture, the marital relationship … Continue reading A devotional on love
I’m a big believer that everyone could benefit from counseling at some point in their lives. Probably, at multiple points in their lives! Why do I believe this? Because I know how hard life is - and I know that at some point, we all experience hardship. We live in a broken world. Sin hurts us, … Continue reading Did you know most people feel good about counseling?
Debt is a huge problem for many of us. The average American has credit card debt in excess of $6,000, and the numbers are climbing year by year (source). Student loan debt in South Carolina alone has increased by 315% in the past ten years, reaching $23 billion today (source). And the PEW Research Center … Continue reading How Debt Impacts Your Mental Health
