“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, NIV) It is not of question of IF your ministry will touch someone who is struggling with anxiety. It’s a question of when, how often, and what will you do to help. Anxiety is a huge problem in … Continue reading Practical Action Steps For Helping Someone With Their Anxiety
Philippians 4:8 (NIV ) - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. One of the most common things that Christian counselors help clients with is getting their thought life more in line … Continue reading How To Use Philippians 4:8 To Replace Patterns Of Negative Thinking
Even strong Christians sometimes struggle with negative thinking. We can get stuck overthinking things, blaming ourselves for problems, grumbling, or judging others in our thoughts. But there are strategies that will help! As you pray over these struggles, confess your sin, and seek the Holy Spirit’s help, these 5 strategies will give you practical action … Continue reading Dealing With Negative, Unhelpful Thought Patterns By Using The 5 R’s
Life feels different. Virtually every aspect of community life has shut down in an effort to prevent the rapid spreading of a novel coronavirus. We're stuck indoors, in small groups, for an unknown amount of time. The primary concern, of course, is people’s physical health from COVID-19. Yet, with the government and community measures attempting … Continue reading 19 Mental Health Tips for Dealing with COVID-19
As a counselor, I hear this question a lot. Even from friends or fellow church members outside the space of the counseling room. Anxiety is a very normal part of our human experience. But why? God makes it so clear in Scripture that not only should we not be anxious, but that we have no … Continue reading Why are we so anxious all the time?
This is a question that I hear often. And it is absolutely true that the gospel brings HOPE into the struggle with anxiety! The gospel is the good news that although we are all sinners, unable to make ourselves right with our God and Creator, God came to earth as a man (Jesus) in order … Continue reading How does the gospel help me with my anxiety?
I realized this morning that I’m feeling a little stressed out. How did I come to this realization? My husband started rubbing my shoulders and they were tight as rocks. That (short) massage hurt! Uh oh. I know my body well enough to know that super tight shoulders are a warning sign of stress. Frankly, it’s … Continue reading I really hate stress.
Each spring that iHope has been opened, we’ve had several high school seniors seek our Care & Counseling services to address anxiety, fear, and stress related to their transition to college. This is totally normal! The transition from high school to college is a big life change. Just like moving to a new state, getting … Continue reading Are you ready for college?
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
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”