If you were asked to share your spiritual autobiography what kinds of things would you include? This came up for me recently in a class I taught on Spirituality in Psychotherapy. In the area of spirituality, as in so many areas, the self-awareness of the clinician is key to our ability to handle sensitive information … Journeys in Spiritually Integrated Therapy
In Christian counseling, I have found that three elements stand out as essential components for effective resolution for both presenting and underlying issues: Confession, Conflict, and Reconciliation. During the course of my training, I quickly identified these three to be mainstays of not only what occurs during the course of a counseling session, but also … Confession, Conflict, and Reconciliation
All of us have been hurt at one time or another by someone, and an insincere or insufficient apology leaves us even more discouraged. Our world overflows with public and private examples of poor apologies in politics, sports, business, church, and personal arenas. Media critics demonstrate their own inability to distinguish a poor apology from … The Lost Art of Apology
I love the winter Olympics! Well, actually I really only love the figure skating events, although I do follow some of the other sports because NBC makes me wait while they move back and forth through the different events. I have especially fallen in love with the ice dancing and the pairs skating over the … Winning the Gold!
We live in a culture that values multitasking, packed schedules, achievement, and speed. And we get bonus points when we don’t “need” a lot of sleep to make it all happen. Most of us have probably asked someone how they are doing and the response is, “busy!” Even when we bemoan how full our schedules … Adding Peace to Our Pace
I find myself reacting today to a familiar Evangelical concept: “The idea that we can tolerate sin in our lives while we enjoy fellowship with God is a direct contradiction[1]” (p. 77). I grieve about this awful mischaracterization of the Biblical God that drives a wedge of distance between us and him. Consider this picture … True God and Our Becoming Selves
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, anger is defined as “a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism.” Within the definition of anger, it is explained that anger is a secondary emotion to a primary emotion, such as: fear, embarrassment, disrespected, confusion, sadness, scared, etc. However, in our culture, we see anger portrayed quite often … Anger: A Secondary Emotion
Christmas is a time to get together with family and friends and fun and food – at least that’s what the media is telling us in movies and TV commercials. And we all know how accurately they portray real life! The truth is, our Christmas experiences might be very far removed from what the media … Alone At Christmas
Last spring I cut my thumb on a food processor blade and had to get stitches. The cut was a rainbow shaped wound which, with the stitches in, looked like the upward looking shark of the original “Jaws” poster! I was sent home with a list of precautions to avoid infection. Infection complicates and delays … Avoiding Infection
Imagine being in the middle of a large, dry, lonesome valley. You can’t see any life, or any relief from the scorching sun by day or the pitch black of night. You’re alone, you don’t know how you got here and you don’t see any end to this painful, exhausting, life-depleting valley. As your hope … The Valley of Baca