Anger and Related Emotions
October 2, 1996
Current interest and concern about anger, and its behavioral sequelae, seems to be at an all-time high. Through the media we are regularly updated about the problems of anger and violence in our neighborhoods, homes, and workplaces. In contrast, while in training, I was instructed that the most common treatment problems in mental health clinics […]
Troubling Trends in the Mental Health Profession
November 23, 1995
As a man of Christian faith, I have always felt a bit out of step with the trends of psychology. Even during my graduate and post-doctoral training I often held different, and sometimes opposing, views from those of my colleagues, professors, and clinical supervisors. During recent months I have become increasingly concerned over three trends […]
Thoughts on Relational and Sexual Infidelity
July 18, 1995
Circumstances don’t make a man, they reveal him. Like tea bags, our real strength comes out when we get into hot water. The most important sexual organ is the mind. An affair starts in the mind long before it ends up in bed. – J.A. Peterson It is more comfortable to control your activities rather […]
Thoughts on Psychological Pain
January 29, 1995
What doesn’t destroy me makes stronger. John Perkins Christians don’t really know how to interpret pain. If you pinned them against the wall, in a dark, secret moment, many Christians would probably admit that pain was God’s one mistake. He really should have worked a little harder and invented a better way of coping with […]
The Relationship Between Happiness and Psychological Health
August 15, 1994
For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstance. Phil. 4:11 No one can be poor that has enough, or rich, that covets more than he has. Seneca As Americans we live in the wealthiest of nations, yet many of us are plagued by deep unhappiness and discontentment. Our physical needs are met, […]
Thoughts on Fears and Phobias
December 5, 1993
God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. II Timothy 1:7 PHOBOS: to panic or be frightened, fright, fear FEARS IN DAILY LIFE Fear is an emotional experience that is common to all–even the most spiritually mature. The Bible records many historic accounts of fear […]
Thoughts on Forgiveness
September 12, 1993
And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 Why a Counseling Newsletter on the Topic of Forgiveness? In my counseling practice I hear the sad stories of clients who have been deeply hurt and damaged by both people and circumstances. Some of […]
Some Thoughts on Panic Disorder
August 23, 1993
Don’t worry over anything whatever; whenever you pray tell God every detail of your needs in thankful prayer, and the peace of God, which surpasses human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:4 (Phillips) Introduction Pan, a Greek god of fertility, was depicted as […]
Thoughts On Oppositional and Antisocial Behavior of Children and Adolescents: Part One
March 23, 1993
The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track; the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch. Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed. A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense does more than a whack on the head of a fool. (Proverbs) We […]