For women (and sometimes men) stuck in domestic violence relationships, life feels like being a prisoner of war. The home is a prison and it feels like there is no way out. Worse, because of the nature of the abuse, many women struggle to even know they are being abused. They have been made to…

The “Will of God” is something many people think about a lot. What is God’s will for my life? Is it God’s will that I take this job, move to this city, marry this person? When something bad happens, we often find ourselves asking, “How can this be God’s will? I thought God was supposed…

“This life, therefore, is not righteousness but growth in righteousness, not health but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it; the process is not yet finished but it is going on; this is not the end but it is…

Over the years, many people have shared their experiences with anxiety, and a common theme has emerged: simply hearing the term “anxiety” often triggers more anxiety. For many, it feels as though anxiety is an unwelcome intruder that suddenly appears in their lives. The challenge is that the fear of anxiety itself often perpetuates the…

The last thing people want to hear when they’re anxious is some elaborate exercise to lower anxiety. Feeling anxious is not only uncomfortable; it is also hard to think when you’re anxious. In fact, difficulty concentrating is one of the symptoms of anxiety. Therefore, I want to tell you two of the simplest ways to…

What is adolescence? Adolescence. What comes to mind when you think of this time of life? Many people think of words like rebellious, risk-taking, experimentation and/or moody. None of these are without some justification; however, none of them are essential to adolescence. What is essential for adolescence is developing relationship skills while also developing independence.…

The saying, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” is only potentially true. The moment power “starts to go to your head” is when the corruption begins. When given power, a person is immediately tested. Whatever is there — “the stuff they are made of” — will come out. It is dangerous to have power;…

For many, coming to see a counselor — whether for the first time or not — can evoke a lot of anxiety. One reason I commonly hear for people having anxiety before this first meeting is not knowing what to expect. They sometimes wonder if the counselor will sit there silently, analyzing every word and…

Tim Keller’s, Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering, offers a rich exploration of how to understand and deal with pain and suffering. Characteristic of all Keller’s writing and sermons, he opens by helping us stand back from our own cultural assumptions and gain a broader and more objective view of suffering as understood by…

Male Depression Men not only have a hard time admitting they’re depressed, they struggle even knowing they’re depressed. Part of the reason for this is that men don’t like to admit weakness. Many will take their struggles to the grave, unseen. But another part of men’s struggle to admit and even know they’re depressed is…