In life and counseling, finding the starting point can be difficult. Life is fluid enough that identifying where to begin with a life-dominating or complex struggle can feel like finding the beginning of a circle. In order to help you with this very important question, a five-level triage progression is outlined below. A struggle in one of the higher categories may have many … [Read more...]

When our Christian counselee or church member says something like, “I just can’t forgive myself,” how do we respond? Perhaps it’s someone who has committed adultery or had an abortion or done something contrary to Scripture and, despite asking for and receiving God’s forgiveness, she refuses to forgive herself. We listen to her internal dialogue. She beats herself up saying … [Read more...]

Pastor, I’m depressed … doctor says it’s some sort of major depressive disorder.” We don’t take for granted the amount of trust displayed when someone discloses the diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder. And that’s why we respond gently and compassionately. But we also need to respond accurately. Here are three common myths about depression to keep you from misleading those … [Read more...]

Think about the recent personal conversations you’ve had with troubled people. Do any of them sound like these testimonies from Arlene and Greg?1 Arlene “It was really hard to get out of bed in the morning. I just wanted to hide under the covers and not talk to anyone. I didn’t feel much like eating, and I lost a lot of weight. Nothing seemed fun anymore. I was … [Read more...]