Author: Imago Center
These days, everyone from Oprah to the nightly newscasters are prone to discussions about self-esteem. Everyone seems to know the value of feeling good about one’s own qualities – it can be motivating, curative, and even essential to survival. Low self-esteem can lead to hopelessness, anxiety, and depression. But there’s more to improving self-esteem than […]
READ ARTICLEThere is a new archetype of partnership evolving in our culture. Marriage is alive and well, but the form of marriage is changing, as all forms do when they no longer fulfill their originating purpose. The personal marriage, which is dominant today, focuses on meeting personal needs at the expense of the relationship. This is […]
READ ARTICLEMany clients seek out pastoral counselors for the simple assurance that their spiritual faith will not be viewed as a symptom of something that is “wrong” with them. Others appreciate the specific integration of pastoral themes in their therapeutic process. Some counselors meet this need by applying “spiritual assessment techniques” that often tap into rich, […]
READ ARTICLEJust because you love somebody doesn’t mean you will know how to make that person feel loved. Love is a state of being, a feeling in the heart, but to generate that same feeling in the heart of another human being is a process of relationship. Unlike love, which is a gift, a relationship, the […]
READ ARTICLEIs “pastoral” counseling necessary? New research from PC&CC counselor Gabriel Dy-Liacco’s offers some insight into this question, investigating the connections between spiritual struggles and psychological flourishing. Beginning with the idea that when God seems present, we often feel there are endless possibilities in life and love, Dy-Liacco and his colleagues have examined what happens in […]
READ ARTICLEReconnecting at the end of the day: How do you greet your partner when you first see him at the end of your day? The way you reconnect sets the tone for the evening ahead. A hug and a kiss are a wonderful reentry ritual. Even if you’re preoccupied or frustrated, make the effort to […]
READ ARTICLEMost of us in the caregiving field have had the experience of working with a particularly challenging client and wondering if he or she would be better served by someone with a different sort of training. Wicks & Rodgerson (1998) write that “a vital part of being a caregiver is to know when we are […]
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