The Skill of Risk Assessment

Those in the helping professions often face the question of whether or not our own skills match the needs of those who cross our paths. Determining another person’s needs is an important part of how we serve others. Perhaps our most crucial skill may be the ability to assess self-destructive threats, including suicidal behavior. According […]

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Opening to the World

The only reason that we don’t open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don’t feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else’s eyes. […]

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The Pastoral Conversation: Spirituality Key to Self-Control?

Billions of dollars are spent each year on healthcare costs to treat illnesses caused by preventable behaviors such as smoking, alcoholism, and over-eating. Meanwhile, billions more are spent on diet foods, fitness programs, surgeries, and smoking cessation products. These hefty expenditures can be boiled down to one aim – combating issues of poor self-control. As […]

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Counseling Techniques May Boost Self-Esteem

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 […]

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A New Vision for Partnering

There 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 […]

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Fear and Loathing … and Couples Therapy?

Why are couples afraid of therapy? This question circulated on an Imago listserv a few weeks ago. Therapists across the country noted the difficulty in convincing couples that therapy can be a gift to their relationships, not something to fear. The comments resonated with what I hear from clients, colleagues, and my own circle of […]

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The Pastoral Conversation: Why Pastoral Counseling?

Many 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, […]

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Love Is Not Enough

Just 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 […]

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Spiritual Struggles Have Emotional Impact

Is “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 […]

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Reconnecting at the end of the day

Reconnecting 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 […]

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