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12 Common Signs of Male Depression

12 Common Signs of Male Depression

Mansfield Christian Counseling2023-12-07T14:13:43+00:00December 6th, 2023|Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling, Men’s Issues|

Male depression is very real, and most men try to ignore the issue. Depression in men does look a little different than it does in women. The most common difference is that depression may look like anger, and this can lead to difficulty in recognizing the problem. Women need to learn how to identify the signs and what to do to help the men in their lives. Signs of Male Depression Irrational anger or inappropriate frustration. Most men who experience depression will commonly display episodes of anger. Becoming frustrated quickly can also indicate there is a struggle with male depression. Low energy/poor concentration. When people experience depression, they will often lack energy due to improper resting habits. Poor concentration is sometimes a result of a lack of quality sleep. Feeling hopeless and empty. Depression is the leading cause of feeling hopeless and having a pessimistic outlook. This isn’t just a form of sadness; it is a chronic feeling of despair. Escapist behavior. When men find ways to block out how they feel is it referred to as escaping. They try to block out what is going on by not facing the reality of the situation. Physical symptoms. It is typically harder for men to share their emotions and concerns about those emotions. They find it easier to explain the physical symptoms they are experiencing. These symptoms can include: Headaches. Body aches. Digestive problems. Heart palpitations/heart racing. Tightness in the chest. Lack of sleep. When a person exhibits depression, they may have trouble falling and staying asleep. This is a major indication of male depression. Lack of sleep is also a factor in the risk of having suicidal tendencies. Self-medication or risky behavior. Some men who suffer from male depression will engage in behaviors that are not normal for their [...]

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How You Can Help Support Typical Teenage Problems

How You Can Help Support Typical Teenage Problems

Jennifer Kooshian2025-10-11T08:54:56+00:00November 16th, 2023|Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling|

This article is meant to communicate two things. Firstly, how to establish open communication with your teen. Secondly, how to maintain it. Both points may feel difficult or impossible, especially when we reflect on our relationship with our parents during our teenage years. But as parents, we must recognize that exploring boundaries is something our children have done since being toddlers and is perfectly normal, regardless of the teenage problems that arise. Now that our teens are older and faced with greater and more toxic pressures than we were exposed to at the same age and stage, we must learn new ways to balance the risks to health and well-being they may be exposed to. As parents one of our main jobs is to launch our children out of the nest and have them fly. As we give them more and more freedom in their teen years, and the curfews get later and allowances give them more disposable spending, we should make sure that we can check in with them in a manner that builds trust and honest communication. Teens need a platform to reveal their concerns, and a loving parent and family member is a good and safe space for this to happen. Here are some ways we can support our children as they face typical teenage problems. Make sure your communication is healthy to overcome teenage problems. Communication is a two-way street. Not only will you speak with your teen, but you also have to listen to them as well. If they are taught that their job is to shut up and listen, then why would they share what is on their heart? If we keep interrupting them with solutions and instructions on how to run their lives it shows that not only do we not trust [...]

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Why Respecting Boundaries in Relationships Matters

Why Respecting Boundaries in Relationships Matters

Jennifer Kooshian2025-10-11T08:55:10+00:00November 13th, 2023|Couples Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

There may be many similarities across various relationships, but boundaries in relationships will look different in different relationships if they are to flourish. The kind of love that exists between a parent and child doesn’t look the same or work in the same way as that between a husband and wife. At the root of both is love, but that love acts differently in meeting the needs of that relationship. In the same way, each relationship requires boundaries, but what those boundaries are and how they are applied may differ depending on the relationship. However, the key thing is that boundaries are necessary for relationships and the people in them to flourish. What is a boundary? Surely, having boundaries in relationships means that you’re not close with the person? Often, people mistake boundaries for formality or even emotional remoteness. As such, it feels like boundaries are what you have with the people you either don’t like or with whom you’re trying to keep things professional, like your banker or real estate agent. However, boundaries are essential in any relationship, and they help it flourish. Let me explain. In the dictionary of the American Psychological Association (APA), a boundary is defined as a “psychological demarcation that protects the integrity of an individual or group or that helps the person or group set realistic limits on participation in a relationship or activity.” This boundary marks the line between individuals, telling them apart for the purpose of conducting a meaningful relationship. Without boundaries, you can’t tell who each party in the relationship is, and that’s a big deal, especially because of how our needs and capacities differ. What’s so important about boundaries in relationships? If you take an everyday example, say you have two cars in your household - it matters which [...]

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Helpful Bible Verses about Love and Marriage

Helpful Bible Verses about Love and Marriage

Kate Motaung2025-01-08T07:04:26+00:00August 25th, 2023|Couples Counseling, Featured, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Love and marriage are many things – complicated, beautiful, hard, and joyful. Each marriage is a world unto itself, and the couple in that relationship are shaped profoundly by it for the rest of their lives. There is no doubt that when God gave marriage to humanity as a gift, it was a good gift intended for our good. However, we would be naïve if we didn’t recognize that our lives beyond Eden makemarriage a complicated gift that takes deft hands to handle. In a sense, a healthy and successful marriage can be boiled down to a few things. Mignon McLaughlin once stated, “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” Falling in love must often be deliberate because many things conspire against enjoying one’s spouse and continuing to delight in them. We can find many pointers in the Bible about marriage and how best to handle this gift. Bible Verses about Love and Marriage How do you feel about yourself? We often have complicated relationships with our bodies, but a healthy relationship with ourselves will often entail taking care of our bodies, appreciating what our bodies can do, and avoiding unhealthy comparisons between our bodies and those of others. That idea can help couples consider an important aspect of what the Bible says about married life. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one [...]

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Important Signs of Early Onset Dementia to Look Out For

Important Signs of Early Onset Dementia to Look Out For

Kate Motaung2025-01-08T07:04:59+00:00August 3rd, 2023|Aging and Geriatric Issues, Family Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling|

One unfortunate but inevitable fact of our existence is that our bodies deteriorate over time. Getting older reflects in our bodies, and wear and tear occur at every stage of our lives. People don’t all age the same way, whether physically or mentally, and it’s important to keep a close handle on your health so that any interventions for early onset dementia are made early and at their most effective. What is dementia? Dementia is not a specific disease, but it names a cluster of symptoms that affect a person’s memory, thinking, speaking, and social abilities severely enough to interfere with them enjoying and living out their daily life. Damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain is the typical root cause of dementia. Several diseases can cause dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of progressive dementia in older adults. While Alzheimer’s typically affects older adults, it can also affect people in their thirties or forties. Dementia affects people differently and causes different symptoms depending on the region of the brain that’s affected. Some dementias are progressive, meaning that they are not reversible. Alzheimer’s disease is one of these, along with Lewy body dementia and vascular dementia. Other types of dementia, such as that caused by nutritional deficiencies, or as a side effect of medications, can be reversed with treatment. You must see a medical professional as soon as possible for an assessment and proper diagnosis if you encounter the symptoms of dementia. Signs of early onset dementia The early signs of dementia may vary between individuals as well as depending on the cause and type of dementia one is suffering, but there are some common early symptoms, and these include the following: Having difficulty with your visual and spatial abilities, [...]

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Blessing of Belonging: Navigating Chemical Dependency and Connection with God

Blessing of Belonging: Navigating Chemical Dependency and Connection with God

Kate Motaung2025-01-08T07:05:36+00:00July 5th, 2023|Chemical Dependency, Featured, Individual Counseling, Men’s Issues|

Every human has been created with the innate desire to be seen and known, but invisibility often seems easier in light of our unique challenges with the sin and weights that have burdened us. We retreat, hiding parts of ourselves, our history, and the testimony that the Lord is building within. Being a maverick or a loner doesn’t demand the engagement and intimacy that comes through a raw relationship, but rather intensifies isolation and separates us from the help and strength that multiplies in healthy relationships. While we might want to shield ourselves from vulnerability, God created us for community with Him and each other. Regardless of our struggle, whether dependence on a chemical substance or another form of addiction, the benefit of being known also comes with risk. In the space where we want to connect, transparency makes us vulnerable. That doesn’t mean that we run from community, however. We have to allow for authenticity that invites meaningful connection and forges a foundation for life-giving relationships. Jesus is the head of one Church, one Body; we are the many parts who receive grace to grow, as we learn and live together (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27). It’s through the working of the Spirit that our lives teach and testify to one another, and ultimately, the world, of the Father’s goodness. Prodigals and pigpens and chemical dependency We may have wandered as prodigals into the pigpens where chemical dependency produced behaviors we never thought we’d see in ourselves. Yet, we don’t have to rehearse these stories. We can trade the shame for the enduring testimony and the robe of righteousness, ring of authority, and shoes of peace that our Father wants to give us. No drug or high can deeply satisfy our innate needs of being seen, known, and loved. Instead, [...]

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What Is the Difference Between Trauma and PTSD?

What Is the Difference Between Trauma and PTSD?

Mansfield Christian Counseling2023-10-19T17:13:47+00:00July 3rd, 2023|Featured, Individual Counseling, Trauma|

If you or a loved one has experienced a stressful event, you might be wondering what the difference is between trauma and PTSD. In this article, we will break down what trauma and PTSD are, including why they are different. What is trauma? The diagnostic manual used by psychotherapists to diagnose and treat conditions is called the DSM-5 for short. In it, trauma is delineated from a stressful event in that it must include “actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.” With this definition, it is easy to see that trauma itself can be a one-time event. Individuals who experience a traumatic event certainly can have PTSD but not always. What is PTSD? One of the most recent changes to the definition of post-traumatic stress disorder is that it no longer is grouped with anxiety disorders. The person with PTSD experiences a range of emotions, not limited to anxiety, so PTSD is now considered a trauma disorder. PTSD is when a person has experienced trauma and then struggles to recover from it. There is a wide range of symptoms that a person with PTSD experiences. What qualifies as PTSD? To be diagnosed with PTSD rather than simply trauma, an individual must experience An inability to function in everyday life, such as work, parent responsibly, and/or take part in simple functions such as self-care. Symptoms that impact a person’s livelihood and occur for more than a month after the traumatic event occurs. If you have undergone trauma, but your everyday life and ability to function aren’t impacted negatively for at least one month after, it is wise to seek a trauma-informed counselor. You likely don’t have PTSD. However, it is important not to self-diagnose or assume that your trauma isn’t serious enough for treatment. All trauma benefits from psychological [...]

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Bettering Your Character with Spiritual Self-Improvement

Bettering Your Character with Spiritual Self-Improvement

Kate Motaung2025-01-08T07:06:05+00:00June 30th, 2023|Coaching, Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development, Spiritual Development|

You are typically known by your character and reputation. When people speak of you or your reputation, what do they say? Are you someone they can trust? Are you reliable? Do you stand up for those who have no voice when you see injustice? These character traits influence not only how the world sees us but how we see ourselves. When you align your character with Christ, you will see a natural boost in your confidence and self-esteem. Following God leads to self-improvement. Character matters in self-improvement. Being righteous and honest extends into every area of your life. When you are honest, upstanding, loyal, compassionate, kind, and loving behind closed doors in your personal life, you are more likely to exhibit these traits to the public. Although some people lead a different life in private, God knows the heart and sees everything. God wants you to display His traits all the time. To accomplish this, you must grow into a godly character. Tips for building your character. Have you ever known someone who could not be trusted? Maybe this person believed they were outside of the rules. They may have cheated on their spouse, demanded too much from their employees, or broken the law. They acted impulsively and, sometimes, violently. You could not believe anything this person said, and there seemed to be a motive behind every one of their actions. If they did something good for someone, they wanted something in return. This example shows that we are not born with good character. Childhood experiences and perceptions can take us down another path. However, we have the power through Christ to reorient ourselves. This is where spiritual self-improvement becomes a conscious choice. Face your trials and challenges. Trials and challenges, as unwelcome as they may appear, can build [...]

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The Benefits Of Journal Writing

The Benefits Of Journal Writing

Mansfield Christian Counseling2023-05-29T18:30:19+00:00May 27th, 2023|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development|

In a world that is busy, fast-paced, and constantly in need of our attention it is hard to find time to catch up with ourselves. It is easy to see one day turn into weeks, into months, and even years before we take time to catch up with who we are, whom we are becoming, and what direction we hope to take. This is where journal writing comes in. It may start to feel like our lives are on autopilot, one day rolling into the next without much thought. A way to stop all that and refocus is journaling. Journaling is the intentional process of putting thoughts, feelings, and experiences onto paper. Why do people journal? Journaling has many benefits since it awards us the opportunity to examine how we are living and take note of areas that need improvement or areas to celebrate. In the therapeutic world, journaling has been seen to promote healthy living in that it helps reduce stress and anxiety thereby boosting well-being. Below are some benefits of Journal writing: Mindfulness. Journal writing creates order and seeks clarity in a world that often feels chaotic. By setting aside time, and looking for a quiet and secluded space, one gets to be mindful and calm for the duration of the exercise. This is beneficial in that you allow yourself to stop, stop the busyness and all the fuss, and just focus. Emotional catharsis. When we are overwhelmed by emotions, journaling can provide the space for us to vent, examine and understand our emotions. It can be a purging of sorts where there is no judgment or expectations. This processing of hard emotions gives room for emotional processing and regulation. Self-discovery. There is no personal growth that ever happened without first examining who we are in our present [...]

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Peace in the Storm: Encouragement and Strategies to Overcome Anxiety

Peace in the Storm: Encouragement and Strategies to Overcome Anxiety

Mansfield Christian Counseling2023-10-19T17:24:04+00:00May 2nd, 2023|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling|

When we look at our external and internal worlds, our lives sometimes resemble raging storms. Torrents of health issues, family matters, economic woes, and political dissension can catapult our lives into tumult. Wind howls and waves surge, tossing our lives every which way within a massive ocean. It can unsettle us, rousing questions within. We find ourselves, like Christ’s disciples, wondering if God sees us or if He cares. There is a distinct difference between our experience of reading the account and living through a storm surge. As Bible readers, we can bypass the messy middle and skip to the happier ending in just a few moments when Jesus spoke and settled the storm in His followers and the one on the sea. That is encouraging, but when we are facing significant threats, we need these stories to advise us on how to navigate and hold on, despite tempestuous situations. Jesus’ followers lived through a real storm, with a real Savior, in real-time. Their example went ahead of us to provide takeaway truth when we find ourselves tossed on life’s seas. In His interaction with followers, Jesus modeled that we first address our faith, submit our distress to Him, and speak peace to still our storms. When we surrender anxiety and worries to the Spirit whose Breath fills us, we recognize that the wind and waves do not hold sway over us. They, too, have to bow to the God that created them. The God of mercy, who created us has given us the power to call and command storms into stillness in our faith-filled words. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children [...]

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