ADHD & Prayer
Imagine this: you’re taught that prayer means to talk to God by sitting still, being quiet, sharing your thoughts, feelings, and needs internally, and patiently listening to God’s response. You try this and find yourself fidgeting, squirming, unable to sit still, constantly losing your train of thought, focusing on everything but God, and being distracted…
Depression & Prayer
Depression can have a great impact on our prayer life. When we’re feeling depressed, we tend to have less energy, decreased motivation, negative moods, negative thoughts, and feelings of apathy. This can make it incredibly difficult to even show up to prayer. Here’s some guidance for how to pray when you’re feeling depressed: Show up.…
Gift Ideas for Supporting Your Mental Health
We could all use some extra support when it comes to our mental health. Here’s some gift ideas for yourself or others that can help provide mental and emotional support. Books There are so many great books available on just about any mental health topic. Seeking out reliable information to learn more about ourselves and…
Grief
Grief is an experience we encounter at many times in our life. Grief is our response to loss. We can encounter grief when faced with any loss, such as death, a breakup, the ending of a job, or moving. Grief can be a complicated and overwhelming experience and is often tricky to navigate on our…
A Counselor’s Guide to Lent
Lent is a beautiful season of the Church where we unite ourselves to Christ’s suffering and take an honest look at what we want to purge from or add to our lives. For me growing up, Lent was the season where I walked around with a smudge on my head for a day, couldn’t eat…
It’s okay to disagree with your counselor
Something I say to every client that walks in my door is that counseling is a collaborative process, and I believe that you know yourself best. Counseling presents a unique dynamic in that clients are coming to a professional seeking perspective and guidance on a particular emotional or behavioral issue. In this dynamic, there is…
Everything is not alright
With the holidays approaching, I feel a very strong desire to hang the decorations, make everything feel festive, and create some semblance of normal in this very abnormal year. I have a feeling that I’m not alone in wanting to forget about all the hardship of 2020 by covering up the pain with Christmas lights…
A Counselor’s Guide to Advent
Advent is a season of preparation and waiting for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. In what the world views as one of the busiest times of the year, Advent stands as a welcome contrast, inviting us to slow and pause. Advent is an invitation to let go of striving, to let go of the…
Why sharing your feelings isn’t optional
One of the biggest issues we face in relationships with others is difficulty with direct communication. Did you know that God did not give us the capability to accurately know the thoughts and feelings of others? He very well could have given us this ability, but He decided that the one way for us to…
Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Last weekend, I brought my son to Mass for the very first time in his entire life. Last weekend at that very same Mass, the Vicar General of the diocese announced that the priest of this parish whom I had come to admire and respect had been involved in scandal and resigned his position. As…
Identity Wounds & Moana
The human heart loves a good story. Our minds work well with stories. This is why Jesus chose to teach using parables. Movies can have this same effect, helping us understand deeper truths about ourselves and the world and opening our mind to new ideas. Maybe I’m just going a bit crazy because my toddler…
Do you believe that you are good?
Here’s a typical conversation that comes up fairly often in my office: Me: “What would it be like to believe that you are worthy and good, no matter what, regardless of your actions?” Client: Answer A: “That doesn’t sound right. Yeah, God loves me, but I’m supposed to love him back. I have to show…
When things don’t go your way
You didn’t get that great job you applied for. The person you have feelings for doesn’t feel the same. That great opportunity fell through. You didn’t get accepted into the program. The person you trusted most let you down. You know the feeling. You had the courage to let yourself hope and envision the possibility…
St. Maximilian Kolbe & Codependency
St. Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest who gave up his life for another in the Auschwitz concentration camp. With bravery, he spoke the powerful words, “I am a Catholic priest,” and laid down his life to save a man condemned to death. St. Maximilian Kolbe’s story is incredibly inspiring, but something dangerous happens when…
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is powerful, difficult, and often misunderstood. Forgiveness is much more complex than simply saying the words “I forgive you.” So what does it actually mean to forgive? And how do we do it? Forgiveness can be understood in four stages*: Stage 1: The Uncovering Stage What it is: Recognizing that we have been hurt,…
Do I need counseling?
Beginning counseling is a courageous decision. Making that decision to schedule your first appointment is not always easy. How do you know if counseling is the next right step for you? To put it simply, counseling addresses issues arising from feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. If you’re struggling in any of these areas, that’s a good…
How to Journal
One of the most common suggestions I make to clients in their first few sessions is to begin the practice of journaling. Here’s why: Life is happening all around us all day long, usually at what feels like a very fast pace. We normally don’t have space built into our life to pause and think…
Abide Counseling 