Individual Counseling

Aging in America, Part 1: Planning for Late Adulthood

, 2025-09-12T06:36:52+00:00September 12th, 2025|Aging and Geriatric Issues, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Young adulthood is comprised of people 19-40 years of age, middle adulthood is 40-65 years of age, and late adulthood, or mature adults, are 65+ years of age. According to 2022 statistics, those sixty-five and older are the fastest-growing age group (17.3%) in America, comprising 57.8 million people, which is a 34% increase since 2012. The population under sixty-five increased by only 2% in the same period. This increase is attributed mainly to the baby boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1964), who began turning sixty-five in 2011. America is aging. Aging is a part of God’s plan. As stated in Scripture, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades.” 1 Peter 1:24 (NLT) As we age, changes occur physically, emotionally/socially, and cognitively, and while some aspects cannot be controlled, many may be made easier or eliminated by being proactive. Aging is a unique process, and various factors contribute to aging, including genetics, lifestyle, stress, and attitude. Many people do not give thought to aging when they are in their twenties, thirties, or even forties. Often, we wait until these changes begin before we consider developing healthy habits. Adjusting our lifestyle is an individual’s responsibility – no one can do it for us. Understanding and recognizing the changes associated with aging can help you prepare to reduce your risk of disease and disability by developing healthy habits today. Areas to develop healthy habits earlier in life include physical, emotional/social, and cognitive. First, you must understand the changes that occur in each of these areas as you age. Physical The brain shrinks Slower motor behavior which begins in middle adulthood, ages 40-60. Includes decreased muscle strength, flexibility, coordination, and balance. Poor sleeping, which contributes to falls and lower cognitive [...]

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Understanding Dementia and How to Help

, 2025-09-11T12:04:55+00:00September 11th, 2025|Aging and Geriatric Issues, Family Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

What is dementia? Dementia is an umbrella term that encompasses other cognitive declining disorders. These include Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, Frontotemporal dementia, and mixed dementia. These different cognitive declines exhibit multiple overlapping symptoms and progression, but there are some variations. According to Webster, dementia is “usually a progressive condition marked by the development of multiple cognitive deficits (as memory impairment, aphasia, and inability to plan and initiate complex behavior).” The Early Signs It is easy to dismiss it as stress or age-related. It is critical to begin addressing it when you see the signs. Your loved one may say things like “I think I am losing it.” Or “Why can’t I remember things like I used to?” You can start the conversation by discussing their concerns and what you’ve observed, and then get a professional evaluation. It could be stress, physiological causes, or purely age-related, but you won’t know until there is an official evaluation by a professional. Whether the person with signs realizes it consciously or not, a natural tendency to cover up occurs when others are around, so it can take some time for others to notice it. It requires spending more time with them and watching their behavior. Research shows that untreated hearing loss is connected to dementia and other cognitive decline. It includes cognitive overload, neural atrophy, and social isolation. As we age, hearing decreases, which in turn affects what our brain processes and how it is stimulated. When our brain is not being used in a certain way, it loses the capacity to function in that way. AARP lists fifteen warning signs of dementia. Short-term memory loss Word loss Difficulty multitasking Repetition Personality Changes New Sleep Behaviors Worsening Sense of Direction Depression Confusion about time and place Difficulty with visual perceptual tasks [...]

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Aging in America Part 2: The Sandwich Generation

, 2025-08-29T06:16:01+00:00August 29th, 2025|Aging and Geriatric Issues, Family Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

In early adulthood (ages 18-40), we are focused on finding a mate, establishing a career, starting a family, and building our social circle. In middle age (ages 40-65), we are raising teenagers, establishing and maintaining our economic standard of living, and adjusting to the changes that come with aging.In older adulthood (age 65+), we enter retirement, experience deaths of family and friends, slow down physically and cognitively, and possibly need to depend on others.One in seven, or 15%, of middle-aged adults will provide financial support for both their parents and children – the older the parent (80+), the more emotional support that is needed. Two-thirds of older adults live with family members, while one-third live alone. 80% of older adults have living children, and daughters are three times more likely to assist aging parents than sons.Our society is experiencing an increasing number of people who are caring for their parents and dependent children simultaneously, which is referred to as the sandwich generation. Many Americans find themselves juggling a job, their parents, and children, including bounce-back kids who return home after a divorce or college. Also, many parents care for or raise grandchildren.Factors contributing to the rise in the sandwich generation include longer life expectancy, having children later in life, the baby boomer generation now being 60-79 years old, and increased support for children over the age of eighteen.Dual caregiving is emotionally and physically demanding, as I found myself in this role several years ago, and I was unprepared for what this season of life would encompass. My journey began on a regular day with my mother’s fall and her broken hip, then, a week later, my dad’s diagnosis of liver cancer, coupled with homeschooling our youngest, and graduate school for me.Although I was fortunate to share the responsibility with a [...]

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Understanding Suicidal Ideation and Self-Harm and How Counseling Can Help

, 2025-08-28T08:50:49+00:00August 28th, 2025|Christian Counseling For Teens, Featured, Individual Counseling|

The topics in this article are sensitive in nature and are brought up in sessions quite often. Some clients are really hesitant to bring this up out of fear or embarrassment. This is true for Christians as well. In this article, I aim to provide you with some information so that you will better understand what you or someone you know is struggling with and will have a better understanding of how counseling can make a difference. These actions are an attempt to deal with something emotional. When we are in physical pain, we know what to do. If you have a headache, you take a pain medication, and if you have a cut, you put a Band-Aid on it. But with emotional pain, there is no Band-Aid or pain medication to fix, relieve, or cure it. We sometimes attempt to look for ways to escape. Someone begins to struggle with suicidal ideation or self-harm when that load becomes unbearable. What is suicidal ideation? According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of “suicidal ideation” is “the act of thinking about or a state of preoccupation with ending one’s own life, the act of considering or planning suicide.” What is self-harm? “The act of purposely hurting oneself as by cutting or burning the skin as an emotional coping mechanism.” I believe some ways are used for self-harm that may not initially feel like harm or be seen as a problem. How does counseling help? Counseling provides a safe place to talk about and work through personal thoughts that are difficult to share with friends or family. Increase your awareness of contributing factors Assist you in gaining healthy coping skills and stress management Support you through it. I have developed a number scale to assist me in determining where clients are in their [...]

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Easing ADHD Symptoms in Adults

2025-08-12T08:37:56+00:00August 12th, 2025|ADHD/ADD, Featured, Individual Counseling|

ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) affects roughly 15 million adults in the United States, according to the CDC. That does not count adults who have not been diagnosed. ADHD symptoms in adults are more common than we realize, yet people suffer daily at home and in the workplace because the mental condition is not often spoken about. Perhaps it is because many people consider ADHD to be a condition for “unruly” children, or that they do not understand how ADHD symptoms in adults can affect their daily life. Tips for Easing ADHD Symptoms in Adults You have work to do, family life to manage, relationships to nurture, and dreams to bring to life; you do not have time to be bogged down by ADHD symptoms as an adult. Yet, millions of Americans struggle with daily life because of the symptoms. From lack of focus to disorganization, the symptoms can disrupt your life if you don’t have a plan to minimize the effects. The following is a list of ADHD symptoms in adults and what you can do to manage them. Unfocused Probably the most well-known ADHD symptom in adults is the inability to focus and concentrate on tasks. This can affect your job if you jump from project to project and finish nothing. Relationship issues can stem from being unable to stay focused long enough to actively listen to your spouse or children. Tasks such as cooking and cleaning can seem like they take an impossible long time because you tend to bounce between other activities or get distracted easily. A structured routine can help you stay focused on tasks. You may need to set a timer for a short amount of time, like 15 or 25 minutes. For example, set the timer for 25 minutes to concentrate on a [...]

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How to Improve Your Sleep and Why it Matters for Your Mental Health: A Look at the Effects of a Lack of Sleep

, 2025-07-19T07:06:45+00:00July 15th, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, Men’s Issues, Women’s Issues|

We can often recognize when someone else has not slept well by observing their physical appearance, energy level, and mood. It is often evident to observe parents of newborns or toddlers who are sleep-deprived. A lack of sleep affects us more than just leaving us tired. When my kids were young, my husband would say, “Naps are wasted on children. They don’t want them but have to have them, and we want them and can’t have them.” Oh, how would we love to have a nap now and then. The National Institute of Health and the National Center on Sleep Disorders agree that we sleep or attempt to sleep for one-third of our lives. That is how crucial sleep is to our health, both physically and mentally. Understanding Sleep To better understand a lack of sleep, we need to understand the stages of sleep. Stage 1: Light sleep. This is a short stage, usually not more than 5% of your total sleep, which begins right after you fall asleep. Stage 2: Deeper sleep. This stage is deeper and makes up about 45% of all the time you spend sleeping (this number goes up as you get older). Research indicates this stage is key in memory storage and learning. Stage 3: Deepest sleep. This stage makes up about 25% of the time you spend sleeping (this number goes down with age). There’s evidence that this stage is the most important for how your body recovers and maintains itself because the brain prioritizes this stage in people with sleep deprivation. It’s quite hard to wake someone up from this stage, and they’ll usually feel foggy or confused for up to thirty minutes after waking up. REM sleep: REM stands for “rapid eye movement.” This stage is when you dream. When a [...]

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Why are Menopause and Anxiety Related?

2025-05-09T06:23:04+00:00May 9th, 2025|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling, Women’s Issues|

As a woman, you reach that inevitable phase of life that signals the natural end of fertility. This may trigger many complex emotions. Menopause is generally defined as when a woman has gone twelve consecutive months without menstruating. Before this, many women experience an extended perimenopause period with on-and-off symptoms popping up. This can lead to anxiety. Are there other connections between menopause and anxiety? Experts don’t believe that menopause necessarily causes anxiety, but there is a common connection between menopause and anxiety. The complex feelings surrounding menopause, end of fertility, and fluctuating hormones, can easily elicit anxiety. Many women who are well known for being unshakable stalwarts of strength, fortitude, and resilience throughout their lives are blindsided by the onset of this phase in their lives. There is a lot of awareness around the physical changes that come with menopause, such as: Irregular Menstrual Cycles As menopause approaches, periods may become irregular, shorter, or skipped altogether. Heavy Bleeding Some women experience heavy bleeding for a day or two their period or even outside their regular period. Excessive Sweating at Night Known as night sweats, these can disrupt sleep. Hot Flashes. Sudden feelings of intense heat are often accompanied by sweating and flushing. Vaginal Dryness and Pain Reduced estrogen levels can lead to discomfort during sexual intercourse. Urinary Tract Infections Some women may experience more frequent UTIs. Mood Swings And Fatigue Hormonal changes can impact mood and energy levels. Weight Gain Uneven fat distribution may lead to weight gain. Though these symptoms are commonly known, what is an often-overlooked aspect of this transition is the emotional and mental changes. Indeed, most women report wondering why they suddenly felt the same way they did when they were a hormonal teenager, with moods swings, irritability, and feeling down. The fact is [...]

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How Loss Can Lead to Fear of Abandonment

2025-04-12T04:38:48+00:00April 14th, 2025|Abandonment and Neglect, Featured, Grief Counseling, Individual Counseling|

Loss changes people. The loved ones in our lives are fixtures, part of the furniture of our everyday existence. They make up the social network that helps our lives flourish. When a loss occurs, it has many effects on a person’s well-being. One of the potential effects of loss is developing a fear of abandonment. Fear of abandonment can wreak its own kind of havoc. It’s helpful to know how to process loss well and handle the fears it could produce. How Loss Comes to Us Loss comes to our lives in various ways. Our world is broken. Through unforeseen circumstances, poor choices, a lack of certain skills, or life just being hard, we often find ourselves experiencing loss. All of us have, in one form or another, experienced loss, and it’s one thing among many that we share in common. There are various ways loss occurs in a person’s life, and there are different kinds of loss. You could lose a loved one in death, but that isn’t the only way loss happens. A beloved person might move away, and you lose the relationship gradually. Loss also happens when a married couple separates or divorces, or when friends have conflicts that they aren’t able to resolve. Another way that loss can occur is when someone, like a parent or caregiver, is physically present but emotionally absent in their child’s life. That emotional absence might look like not responding to the child’s needs, not providing the emotional support they need, or not giving them the mental and social stimulation they require. Lastly, loss can also occur when the parent or caregiver is largely or entirely absent from the child’s life. It might be due to a variety of circumstances such as loss of custody; they chose to walk away [...]

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10 Important Things To Know About the Grieving Process

2025-05-09T05:19:49+00:00April 7th, 2025|Featured, Grief Counseling, Individual Counseling|

Even when you have anticipated it for some time, grief is always a complicated experience. You will experience things while grieving that will never be repeated at any other time of your life, from awful loneliness and longing to absolute joy and love as you remember. There is no easy guide to the grieving process, but certain things are helpful to keep in mind as you navigate this difficult journey. 10 Things to Know about the Grieving Process There are no stages to grief For a long time, people were taught that there were five stages to grief, namely shock, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. While many people do go through many of these stages, grief is not a linear process. We might feel angry and depressed simultaneously for weeks, or cycle through these stages in a jumbled order for months. Grief is a complicated, messy process that is unique for everyone. It only gets more difficult when you try to apply stages to it. Grief can be exhausting Grief can be physically, emotionally, and mentally draining to go through. From practical logistics during and after the funeral, to questions about life, death, and beyond, grief touches every aspect of your life. It demands that you engage in it with your body, emotions, and mind. Grief is not for the faint of heart, and yet that is exactly the state we are in during grief. Memories are a double-edged sword Many people shy away from thinking about the loved one they lost because the memories can be painful. On the other hand, memories keep them alive, if only in your heart. It can be hard to allow yourself to reminisce, and it can be equally difficult to stop thinking about them once you’ve started. There is no easy answer [...]

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How Trauma Can Affect a Child and the Benefits of Therapy for Children

2025-01-08T07:02:42+00:00April 30th, 2024|Christian Counseling for Children, Featured, Individual Counseling, Trauma|

Whether the result of abuse, neglect, the sudden loss of a loved one, becoming homeless, a natural disaster, or witnessing or experiencing a frightening, violent, or life-threatening event, childhood trauma can have a lasting impact that lasts a lifetime. In this article, we will look at some of the many benefits of trauma therapy for children. Childhood trauma affects the child’s sense of safety and trust, and left untreated, can lead to mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as physical problems such as heart disease or diabetes. Childhood trauma therapy is a specialized form of counseling that provides children with a safe, supportive environment in which they can share what they have experienced, as well as process and come to understand their feelings and have them validated as real and important. It uses talk, play, and creative activities specifically designed to promote healing from the impact of the trauma, resilience, teach the child new, more helpful ways of thinking and feeling about the traumatic event, and equip him or her with healthy coping skills that enable them to deal with triggers and challenging situations. Common symptoms of childhood trauma Separation anxiety. Clinginess. Trouble sleeping. Nightmares. Loss of appetite. Avoiding things that are reminders of the traumatic event. Acting out. Angry outbursts. Frequent crying. Hypervigilance. Withdrawing from friends. Loss of interest in social activities. Erratic behavior. Trouble concentrating. Self-harming behaviors. Most effective types of therapy for children Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is an evidence-based form of cognitive behavioral therapy that specifically addresses trauma and the child’s ensuing emotional struggles resulting from his or her memory of the traumatic event. TF-CBT also involves the participation of trusted family members and/or caregivers, by teaching them how to actively listen [...]

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