Synopsis of: “The Art of Now: Six Steps to Living in the Moment” by Jay Dixit (Psychology Today, December 2008).
In an age of distraction, your future depends on your ability to pay attention to the present. So, the question to ask is: How can I live more in the moment? Moments are often crowded by self-consciousness and anxiety, Read more
People who are experiencing pain often develop defense mechanisms to cover, deny or soothe their pain. Unfortunately, these defenses that they have developed often lead to more pain for either themselves or the people close to them.
For example, many different addictions begin by people attempting to soothe their pain. However, these addictions also result in altering their mood, which often leads to more difficulties. My approach to counseling is to look for the underlying, deeper issues within my clients. I do not view changing external behavior as a sufficient goal. Within most people, there are very painful realities deep within their heart that is driving their unhealthy behavior. Read more
Research done by the Center for Marriage and Families and the Institute for American Values shows that marriage on average boosts the mental health of both adults and children. Married adults experience higher levels of emotional well-being and lower levels of mental illness than do single and divorced adults. Children whose parents do not get and stay married have increased risk of mental illness that will continue long into adulthood, even after controlling for pre-divorce marital conflict. Cohabitation does not typically appear to provide the same mental health benefits as marriage. Overall, research strongly supports the idea that marriage is an important factor in fostering positive mental health for women, men, and children. Read more
The impact that one life can have on those around them is amazing. Being a parent is an incredible responsibility with the important role of influencing one’s children, but it is also a great blessing from God with the opportunity to make an impact on the next five generations. Read more
Last week (June 16, 2008) I was blessed with the opportunity to serve as a counselor at my church’s youth camp. This was my eleventh year to serve as a camp counselor, and every year is always such an amazing experience. Read more
It is no shock that most marriages in America are suffering. Therefore, many people are choosing to not enter a marriage relationship casually. Premarital counseling is a great tool for strengthening the foundation of a relationship. Read more
All couples have unique dynamics and some come to counseling with specific issues that they want to address, so I always meet clients where they are at individually. However, for clients who want basic premarital counseling or pre-engagement counseling, they can expect the following to be explored within sessions. Read more
Here are some marriage statistics, family statistics, divorce statistics, and marriage prepartation statistics. Read more
The Bible is full of so many promises from God, and God is faithful so we can trust His Word completely and find hope. Below are a few of my favorites that I cling to through difficult times. Read more
Since college I have been very passionate about helping others either develop their own personal relationship with Christ or helping them grow closer to God. The more I studied God’s Word on my own and at seminary, the more I became aware of the fact that most people are missing out on all that God has in store for them. God used the following two verses to spark within me a more specific passion and to show me His plan for my life as a counselor. Read more
