Welcome to our blog!
Every week, we publish articles written by our counselors on various mental health, spiritual formation, or overall wellness topics.
The Role of Thoughts and Beliefs in Anger
Have you ever wondered why the same situation can make one person extremely angry while another person remains completely calm? For example, why do some people experience road rage when someone cuts them off, while others simply continue driving without reacting strongly? An important explanation can be found when we explore thought patterns and how we interpret them.
Counselor Spotlight: Shelby
Shelby Baker, LAC, LCDAC shares a little about her life and her counseling journey in this month’s Counselor Spotlight.
Flexibility, Resilience, and a Young Air Jordan
The year was 1990. On June 3rd in Detroit, Michigan, a defeated and demoralized Chicago Bulls team boarded their team bus back to Chicago. A young Michael Jordan sat in the back, absolutely devastated. This had been the third consecutive year the Pistons had defeated the Bulls in the postseason. The weariness and exhaustion had set in.
Understanding Self-Esteem
While confidence can change depending on the situation, self-esteem influences the way we understand who we are. Developing healthier self-esteem is not about convincing yourself that you are perfect. It is about developing a more honest, balanced, and compassionate view of yourself.
Helping Children Grieve
Grief is not a destination to be reached or a problem to be solved; it is a journey through a valley that no one should walk alone—especially not a child. As parents, ministry leaders, and caregivers, we often feel an urgent pressure to "fix" the pain or provide a tidy timeline for healing. However, the most profound gift we can offer a grieving child is not a solution, but a steady, Christ-like presence that meets them exactly where they are.
Learning to Love
Do you ever notice that when you get into arguments, you experience overwhelming emotions and then end up taking actions you regret (i.e., blowing up, shutting down, saying words you can’t take back)? It can be confusing and painful to experience this pattern, but there is hope that it can change.
Why Seek Christian Counseling?
“I often have prospective clients ask me what Christian counseling really means. Is it using Bible verses for every issue? Is it addressing every problem only from a spiritual perspective? What if they don’t want to talk about Jesus?”
Why Seek Weekly Counseling?
From time to time, I will get asked by a client or a prospective client: can we do biweekly sessions? When asked this, I will always push for weekly therapy. And it’s not just to line my pocket. Why counseling once a week? The best answer to this question is the shortest one: Because it works.
Why Seek In-Person Counseling?
In the past decade—and even more so since the Covid-19 pandemic—counseling services have significantly expanded the ways a person can meet for therapy. But at CCCRD, we make the argument that the best counseling comes from in-person, relationally-driven treatment.
Why Seek Counseling At All?
Living in isolation increases the risk for premature mortality by nearly a third, while strong, close social relationships are one of the most reliable long-term predictors of mental and physical health. But today, when there are more resources available than ever before—friends, family, partners, and even AI chatbots—why would someone bother seeking out counseling at all?
Counselor Spotlight: Amy
Amy Karatka, LAC shares a little about her life and her counseling journey in this month’s Counselor Spotlight.
Relaxation Techniques: Manage Anger Effectively
Anger is a normal emotion that everyone experiences. However, when anger becomes intense or difficult to manage, it can affect a person's thoughts, behaviors, relationships, and overall well-being. Because anger involves both psychological and physical reactions, learning relaxation techniques is an important part of managing it effectively.
Quieting the Inner Critic
Many people experience self-doubt, even if they seem capable, accomplished, or confident to others. Though it can seem hidden, self-doubt can have a subtle effect on how people regard themselves, how they tackle obstacles, and how they seize opportunities.
How God Sees Us When We Feel the Burden of Past Wrongs
I’ve often heard, explicitly or implicitly, that we might be able to understand and know we are forgiven by God for certain things but still feel like the memory stains how we see ourselves and—we worry—how others see us. That worry then makes us come to doubt all we’ve ever learned about God’s love for us.
Counselor Spotlight: Interns
What are the biggest obstacles that you think this next generation of counselors will face and why?
Lessons on Disappointment and Hope from Tolkien
A few months ago I revisited one of my favorite short stories, The Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien. This story reminds us that it’s worth taking time to reflect on the objects of our hope and the value we ascribed to our endeavors.
Why is it So Hard to Give Yourself Grace?
Some people are incredibly generous with grace, just not toward themselves. They offer understanding when others make mistakes. They are patient when friends fall short. They remind loved ones that everyone is human and nobody is perfect. They are quick to encourage others and slow to judge. Yet when they themselves make a mistake, the rules suddenly change.
Navigating the Sacred Shift of Raising Young Adults
As our children enter young adulthood, we must recognize that they are building a different house than the one we may have imagined.
The Weight of Love, Loss, and Faith
Grief has a way of finding you when you least expect it. It doesn’t always arrive loudly. Sometimes it shows up in the middle of an ordinary moment sitting still, thinking. And then, without warning, it hits.
Counselor Spotlight: Nathan
Nathan Callahan, LPC shares a little about his life and his counseling journey in this month’s Counselor Spotlight.