The Mindfulness Bridge
My last blog post was about the notion of mindful living, and I realized that it is such an important topic that I wanted to continue to elaborate on it. I believe it is such a vital state of being, but one that we are not always successful at implementing in a tangible way. I […]
Here: Now and Present
A dear person in my life shared this poem with me that she wrote recently: Help me to stay here, in this 24 hours.Not looking ahead in fear or fantasy,Or looking back in regret or regression, but here – present, aware, and me. Poem entitled “here” This poem reminded me what a gift it is […]
The Narrative: What does the counseling process look like?
This is the final blog of the counseling process series. Here I would like to focus on clients’ narratives. Tip #5: Rescript the Narrative Once the self-narrative has been identified through the previous exercises, we then begin to look at the God-narrative as the truth to replace the lie (CIB). I believe that it is […]
Core Beliefs: What does the counseling process look like?
When negative self-talk, “brain grooves”, and thought charts have been processed, I help the counselee see how these messages have invaded the very core of who they are. I ask them to think of their core as a steel/titanium bean that cannot be moved or shaken. Yes, life certainly shakes our thoughts, our feelings, our […]
Thought Patterns: What does the counseling process look like?
One way to help identity what the negative self-talk or “brain groove” is would be to find the theme or pattern that speaks most loudly, and most often in a person’s thought process. What is the message that the tape recorder plays over and over and over again in their head? Tip #3: Recognize the […]
Self-Talk: What does the counseling process look like?
This next blog post in the series for counselors focuses on the need to identify the self-talk that counselees say to themselves about themselves. This enables the counseling process to explore the cracks in the foundation of the “house” (the self), and begin to recognize the ingrained Core Irrational Beliefs (CIB) coined by Albert Ellis […]
A House Analogy: What does the counseling process look like?
The next several blogs will be comprised of short series and topics for the counselor/helper. The first series will be taking a look at the nature of the counseling process, and tips in working through the initial stages of the process. The second short series will look at what growth in the process looks like, […]
Is Self-Care Selfish?
As a Christian therapist, I have clients who struggle with this question. Because as a Christian, isn’t it wrong to do self care, doesn’t that mean I am putting myself first, shouldn’t I be laying down my wants and desires and putting others before myself? Let me just start right here with the answer (but […]
“So, you are like a feeling helper”
When my then 5 year old daughter was asking me what it was that I did when I go to work, I tried to explain that I help people. Just having bunion surgery and being non-weight bearing on my foot for 8 weeks, she replied “but you can’t help people, your foot is hurt.” I […]
Counseling: A Walking With Experience
I think that counseling is more of a “walking with” experience rather than a “telling” experience. What exactly do I mean by that? Well, one of the often held misconceptions of counseling is that people come in and we, as counselors, have all the answers to all of life’s problems, and when we tell them what to […]