Awareness Counseling Center

3 Tips for Getting Through the Holidays

12/4/2014

The dreaded holidays are upon us. The stress and discomfort of having to interact with so many people and smile when you don’t feel like smiling is a constant worry. The financial expectations and obligations that you feel compelled to fulfill are looming. If this is the gloomy view of the holidays that you entertain, you may be experiencing a form of depression that is very prevalent during this time of the year.

It is not necessarily a clinical depression that needs to be treated with medication or therapy, but it should be addressed in a healthy manner. The key here is to identify these emotions as temporary, only associated with the holidays. If they persist past the holidays then we may be looking at clinical depression.

But assuming that these feelings manifest themselves only around this time of the year, here are 3 tip to get you through.

Manage your time wisely. This season is just that, a season. Although you may feel that there is too much you have on your plate, you can approach it the way a diner approaches an overfilled plate of food. Eat what is in front of you and palatable to you, leave back the rest. Take one bite at a time and focus on what you have already committed to chewing.
Take care of yourself. Your investment in your self-care is necessary if you are going to be of benefit to those you care about and who care about you. Rather than being selfish, some down time to engage in healthy activities that nurture you (reading a book, going to a game, or just playing a video game) may help you feel more energized for that day of gift shopping that you feel you need to do. If you don’t see your own worth it is unlikely you will be able to see the worth in those around you.
Revisit those things that you feel obligated or compelled to do. Make a list of them and journal why you don’t want to do them. Who is the one “making you” spend so much money. Who is going to be angry at you if you don’t go to your in-laws house? What is the worst case scenario if you “rebel”? Will relationships be irrevocably broken, will you fail at your career and perhaps lose your job or will your spouse leave you? Sometimes when we step back from a problem we see that we have adopted a catastrophic view on things that are not in and of themselves so catastrophic. You may not be able to put aside all your perceived obligations, but there may be one or two on your list that you can let go of and free up energy to engage in the ones that are more rigid.

Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas as Christ’s birthday, use this season as a time where you can reconnect to others in a healthy way. At the end of the day, a season that is supposed to focus you on “Peace on Earth and Good Will to Men” should not leave you feeling less peaceful and more at odds with your fellow men. Forge some real relationships and work on valuing yourself enough to be able to see the value and worth of others. Christmas from a spiritual point of view is really about the fact that God thought us worth the pain of coming to earth and giving up his life for us. That is how much you are Loved. This season, bask in that love!!!

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Understand to be Understood

7/31/2014

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In life it’s not so much the answers that trip us up, it is understanding the question. For example for most people 1 + 1 = is an easy question, and the most likely answer you would receive is 2. Most would say this is a no brainer. However supposed the question looked more like this; what happens if I put a 1 next to another 1, what will I have in the end. Then, with some thought the person may answer “two 1’s placed next to each other would produce the number 11. Would the person asking the question then be correct in restating “oh so 1+1 is equal to 11! With horror, the provider of the answer would probably try to correct them immediately and explain that having two 1’s together is different than adding a 1 and another 1.

Something so simple can get so complicated if both individuals are not clear about what is really being asked? So it is with the simplest of communications between individuals. Before we are quick to provide an answer, let’s be sure we understand the question. Learning the tools of asking for clarification, restating the question, and checking for meaning can make all the difference in a communication leading to a misunderstanding or understanding. The popular quote by Steven Covey “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”, which is his 5th habit in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, applies here. Or as can be found in James 1:19 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…”

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Repair or Rebuild: Blueprint for a damaged marriage

6/13/2014

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Years ago my husband and I lived in an old home, then when we moved we built a brand new home. I remember my old home was warm and comfortable, but my husband complained that all his weekends were spent repairing things that were going wrong. In hindsight I now see that it was very labor intensive for him to maintain the safety of such an old home (84yrs old). He was delighted at the prospect of us building a new home and rejected the idea of buying an already constructed home when we moved.

I on the other hand found the building process very stressful. I didn’t have the confidence that my decisions would be right (what kind of cabinets for the kitchen, what color should the carpet be or should we have a wood floor?) There were so many decisions to make; decisions that we would have to live with for a longtime. I was much more comfortable viewing homes already constructed and deciding to modify to suit my aesthetics. We had two different thoughts and viewpoints on the whole situation but our goal was the same, to have a home where we would both be happy to raise our family.

When I see couples in counseling I recognize the same dilemmas. The couple comes to counseling identifying the common goal, to make the relationship work for both of them and perhaps their family. They however may not have the same view on the work that needs to be done to get to that goal.

Sometimes one partner is set on repairing the relationship. They are the one who state that the relationship use to be great and they want to know what to do to make it great again. They want what they liked in the old situation; they minimize the structural defects, or unappealing aspects of the past relationship. The other partner wants a whole new relationship, they want to rebuild. They feel they have been working too hard to salvage something that is no longer appealing to them. They may be the partner who has strayed outside of the relationship and had an affair, or they may be the one who is suggesting a divorce. Their attendance at counseling may be a last ditch effort to help their partner accept the loss of the relationship and they want the counselor to condemn the building and support them in their cry to abandon it and move on. Or in a more hopeful scenario, they want the counselor to help them rebuild with that same partner, but they definitely want a different structure on the same parcel of land.

Understanding the perspective of the couple as well as the individuals that make up the couple is key to helping them design the relationship that will work for both of them. Whether they choose to rebuild or repair will be determined by the degree of damage found, the investment of time, effort and finances each person is willing to put in, and the ability of the parties involved to actually do the work. If there are issues of substance abuse, domestic violence, or mental/physical limits the partner’s willingness may be hampered by their actual ability. But a competent counselor will help them to identify this.

I recommended that before a couple determine which plan is the best, they speak with an expert who can support their common goal and give them the tools and advice that will help them make the best decision for their particular relationship. After all when you are looking to purchase a home, you are thinking a lifetime (or 30+ years). Shouldn’t you be as committed to your relationship?

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Scrambled Fried Eggs and other disappointments

12/20/2013

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I like fried eggs, the look of the yellow yolk so clearly defined in the middle of the white and edged with a slightly crisp edge. I like scrambled eggs, the soft almost custardy texture of the eggs. I dislike eggs that are scrambled-fried. How do we get scrambled-fried? By not being able to maintain the integrity of the fried egg and not prepping for a scrambled egg.

As I pondered my breakfast I wondered why a scrambled-fried egg bothered me so much. Surely it was edible. It was composed of two nutritious eggs that had been cooked. So what if the original goal of seeing them fried had been abandoned as they began to stick to the pan and break up. So what if I had decided to just scramble them mid cooking, after seeing that they could not be salvaged as perfectly cooked fried eggs. Yet I still looked at them with disappointment, trying to decide whether to discard them or eat them.

Looking at them represented to me a failure. They were not what I had originally envisioned when I started this project. It had gone wrong, and my attempt to salvage had produced a product that was not palatable to my eye, as my eye was still aligned with my mind and seeing what it should have looked like. The thought of discarding the egg, a wasteful and foolish thought, still had appeal because of the depth of my disappointment, and the greatness of my desire to have what I originally envisioned.

I put my creation between two slices of warm buttered toast and took a bite. To my surprise, it tasted like fried eggs. That distinct fried flavor I had been craving; the look of it hidden between the slices of bread. So glad I didn’t discard it. I wonder how many things are discarded because we just get disappointed that it didn’t turn out exactly as we envisioned. I learned the value of recognizing that at its core there is value in many things that are disappointing, it’s all about using what you have to make what you feel is lacking more appealing and palatable.

This year, if there are some things that for you represent failure and disappointment, before giving up on them (children, marriage, career) speak to someone who can help you perhaps find a way to recognize what core value may still remain. It would be a shame to discard something that with a little work could be salvaged.

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Christian Counseling, what is it?

12/8/2013

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What is the difference between Christian, Pastoral and Spiritual Counseling?

Christian Counselors, Pastoral Counselors, and Spiritual Counselors have some things in common. These counselors desire to see individuals healed and restored, and they understand that the spiritual aspect of the person’s life is as important as the psychological, physical, social and environmental factors that are involved in the client’s distress. However there are sometimes subtle differences to their approach.

Pastoral Counselors though generally from Judeo-Christian backgrounds, can also belong to non traditional religious perspectives. They however are usually clear about their religious affiliations, and their client’s come from that same perspective. They counsel member of their congregation and are usually expert on doctrinal issues within their denomination. Using that religious perspective they approach the client’s issues and will work with them.

Spiritual Counselors is a term that can be used by both Pastoral and Christian Counselors, but doesn’t necessarily mean that the counselor adheres to any particular religious thought or belief system. Most Spiritual Counselors have a respect for the spiritual dimension of a person’s life and will address it in counseling, however the counselor’s core values may be influenced by Eastern philosophies or New Age beliefs and views of life that are not consistent with Judeo-Christian values and beliefs.

The Christian Counselor identifies himself that way because they are committed to biblical values and view them as healthy in providing direction and instruction for a person’s life. A Professional Christian Counselor in addition to the above has a degree from an accredited school in a field that works with mental illness, and perhaps a license from the state to practice in the field of counseling.

A Professional Christian Counselor in addition to completing a psychosocial assessment will pay close attention to spiritual aspects of the client’s situation at the start of their therapeutic relationship with the client. They will integrate psychological theories but hold to biblically based values as the foundation of their counseling. They encourage clients to evaluate their life, choices, and responses in light of biblical standards

What kind of clients seek out Christian Counseling?

Jane* came into counseling reporting that her husband was engaging in religious practices that were scaring her and undermining her security in the marital relationship. She believed that the religious rituals that he conducted, which he insisted she participated in were in violation of her more traditional religious beliefs. She was torn between her desires to support him as a leader of the family’s spiritual life and her fear that he was involved in a religion that was not compatible with her Christian beliefs. She had been getting very ill lately, and she felt that her illnesses were in some way related to her husband’s rituals. She reported that other than this concern she felt that her marriage was happy and that her husband was a good person. Jane sought out a Christian Counselor because she wanted someone who would be more sensitive to the degree of distress she was experiencing due to her husband’s actions.

Jane could have gone for pastoral counseling on her issue, however she like many of clients who come to Christian Counseling identify themselves as “Christians”, but may not be involved in any specific organized religion or group. There is a large group of individuals who have strongly held beliefs about God and his place in their life, and would like these beliefs incorporated in their counseling experience, but have not committed to a particular religious group or organization. For them seeking out a Christian Counselor is a good alternative.

For Jane the counseling experience allowed her to explore her spiritual history with some one who asked her good questions and challenged her to come up with answers that could be articulated to others. She was then able to communicate these beliefs to her husband and discuss her discomfort and her expectations regarding their spiritual life. Together they were able to decide on some core beliefs about God, spiritual rituals, virtues and values.

Mary* had been a victim of sexual molestation by a pastor as a teenager and as a result felt that God had abandoned her. Due to trust issues she was no longer connected to a religious organization. This lead to feelings of isolation and left her without access to sacraments and religious rituals which she had grown up with and missed. Despite her abuse she had not abandoned her belief in God. Her belief however was cocooned in much anger and feelings of betrayal. Mary wanted to speak with a Christian Counselor who would understand her strong desire for a healthy view of spiritual things and would help her work through her anger.

Like Mary, some clients have had some negative spiritual experiences. These clients however still desire to explore it and it’s meaning in their life. They desire that the Christian Counselor be knowledgeable about spiritual matters and respect the value of these spiritual experiences along with respecting their autonomy and self determination. They may not be ready to reconnect to a religious group or organization, but still feel the need to talk with someone regarding the meaning of spirituality and how it affects their life.

Mary was able to speak her deeply held anger and hurt to someone who respected and valued spiritual things. In this way she did not feel like she was blaspheming or dishonoring God, in whom she still believed.

Won’t the Christian Counselor just tell me to Pray, Believe God and my problem will be solved?

NO! A Professional Christian Counselor, though acknowledging that they believe that all answers are found in God, respects the individual. A Christian Counselor will be able to puts choices in front of their clients. These choices are biblically based, but they respect the rights of their client to reject these choices and make other choices. Some choices, though not harmful, may not be viewed as helpful as ones founded on biblical principles.

Christ didn’t force healing on anyone; he presented them with an option and told them the consequences of certain actions. He educated, He listened, He encouraged, He rebuked, and He comforted; all these things are compatible with Christian Counseling. Depending on the individual counselor, some Christian Counselors are more directive than others, but these interventions are made in an atmosphere of acceptance and love.

Will the Christian Counselor use the Bible in counseling?

A Christian Counselor will be comfortable with the Bible and may use it as a resource for the client. Many clients however may not feel comfortable with the use of the Bible, due to their own religious beliefs and core values. They however should know that biblical viewpoints are influencing the treatment process.

Will the Christian Counselor support my use of medication?

Most Christian Counselors will have no problems with a client taking prescribed medications for their mental illness. However, biblical understandings can differ on this subject. It is best for the client to check with the Christian Counselor they wish to see.

Will the Christian Counselor pray with me?

A Christian Counselors will pray for their clients, and sometimes pray with them. The core belief for a Christian Counselor is that they are not conducting a counseling session armed only with psychological theories and knowledge. The Christian Counselor believes that they are working in tandem with the “Holy Spirit”, who helps them to understand with greater insight the needs of their client. Therefore engaging in prayer is consistent with the idea that the client is not only interacting with the counselor before them, but also with the “Holy Spirit” who gives greater understanding. Praying with a client however is handled with great sensitivity and is engaged in according to client’s comfort level.

It is important to know that the Christian Counselor will seek to help the client reconcile their spiritual beliefs and their life experiences in a positive healthy way. They however are not ambiguous regarding their core values and beliefs, because they have identified themselves by the label “Christian Counselor”. Therefore the client understands and there is no myth of neutrality.

* No real names are used. Clients described are fictional reflecting issues seen in professional Christian Counseling. Any resemblance to real persons are purely coincidental.

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3 Tips for Getting Through the Holidays

Understand to be Understood

Repair or Rebuild: Blueprint for a damaged marriage

Scrambled Fried Eggs and other disappointments

Christian Counseling, what is it?

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