This is a weekly post that highlights resources from other counselors that I have found helpful. The counselors may be from the biblical counseling, Christian psychology, integration, or secular counseling traditions. By linking to a post, I am not giving it my full endorsement, I am merely indicating that I believe it made a unique contribution or raised an important subject for consideration.
Counseling Ministries: A Legal Checkup by Richard Hammar
Counseling ministries can provide an excellent and needed service and represent a point of contact with the community. However, there are a number of important legal concerns that should be considered by any church that offers such services, or that is considering doing so in the future. The more important concerns are summarized in this article.
- If you enjoyed this article, you might also like What Changes for a Church when Counseling Becomes Formal?
When Violence Touches a Child’s Life by Julie Lowe
The threat of danger impacts our children on a regular basis. Tragic school shootings, violent crimes and the like all incite an array of heartache and anxiety. Even when the threat is not at our front door, it is booming from media outlets into our homes. The likelihood that your child is impacted is high. Regardless of where you live or how stable your family life is, the lives of kids and teens are being touched by violence to some degree and we must help them make sense of it.
- If you benefited from this article, you might also like 5 Ways to Establish an Environment of Safety in Which to Address PTSD.
Love God, Love People: An Athletic Primer by Joe Keller
If we are simply looking to guild biblical principles over our worldly commitments to competitive athletics, the integrity of the athlete will never withstand the crucible of competition. However, if we reframe the context of competition through our reordered love, not only can Christians compete at the highest level, but competition can become a distinctly biblical expression of our worship in a context that can easily extend worship to something other than God. Here are a few considerations for reflection.
- In my own attempts at using athletics as part of discipling and maturing my two sons, here is reflection 7 Lessons from Running a Half Marathon with my Youngest Son.
What Are the Differences Between Psychology Specialties? by Mylea Charvat
It is time to end the confusion. I have found that in both casual and business settings, it is common for questions to arise about the differences between neuroscientists, neurologists, neuropsychologists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. For those not intimately familiar with the psychology and medical fields, these terms may seem interchangeable. In reality, they each have their own distinct purpose.
- For further clarification on mental health roles, consider this article 5 Types of Mental Health Professionals: Title, Education, and Purpose.
What I’m Reading
Addiction and Virtue: Beyond the Models of Disease and Choice by Kent Dunnington. What is the nature of addiction? Neither of the two dominant models (disease or choice) adequately accounts for the experience of those who are addicted or of those who are seeking to help them.
In this interdisciplinary work, Kent Dunnington brings the neglected resources of philosophical and theological analysis to bear on the problem of addiction. Drawing on the insights of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, he formulates an alternative to the usual reductionistic models. Going further, Dunnington maintains that addiction is not just a problem facing individuals. Its pervasiveness sheds prophetic light on our cultural moment. Moving beyond issues of individual treatment, this groundbreaking study also outlines significant implications for ministry within the local church context.
Tweets of the Week
My kids don’t owe me in the morning if they keep me up half the night. They’re not emotionally indebted to me for the inconvenience of meeting their needs.
Shout out to all the parents out there struggling to keep this front of mind & daily crucifying their own selfishness.
— Tyler Wigg-Stevenson (@TylerWS) October 24, 2018
The struggles you face are not the truest thing about you.
The trauma you’ve lived is not the truest thing about you.
The work still to be done in your life is not the truest thing about you.
Your identity as deeply, and fully loved, is the truest thing about you. #beloved
— Aundi Kolber, Therapist+Writer ? (@aundikolber) October 25, 2018
Dating couples usully focus on the evidences of grace in each other & overlook the evidences of the Fall. Married couples usually do the reverse
— Jedidiah Coppenger (@jedcoppenger) October 25, 2018
Meaningful Meme
On the Lighter Side
Because, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones,” Proverbs 17:22.
Not how I expected him to come back but okay. pic.twitter.com/dW0IdMZnNF
— Daniel Powell (@danieljpowell) October 26, 2018