One of the ways I enjoy getting to know my Christian counseling colleagues is to hear from them how they received their call to serve Christ as a counselor. I equally enjoy answering that question when asked by others. We may refer to any work or vocation as a...
Bridgehaven Team
Trusting God in the Decision to Care for a Loved One
Approximately 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult aged 50 or older in the past 12 months. The majority of caregivers are female (60 percent). Most caregivers are taking care of one person (82 percent) and providing care for a relative (85...
Pastoral Ministry and Psychotropic Medications
Consider this tension: Pastors are not medical professionals and, therefore, should not give medical advice. This seems clear and straight-forward, BUT Pastoral silence on the issue psychotropic medications reinforces the idea they are bad for Christians to take. This...
How to Honor Your Parents as a Young Adult
In my counseling practice, I often see young adults who struggle in their relationship with their parents. The majority of these clients are in college and in the transition period of leaving adolescence and entering adulthood. Relational struggles stem from the...
Tips for Pastors Counseling Abuse
This is a quick resource for helping those who may be in an abusive or toxic relationship. I wanted to provide a quick list of tips you can refer to as a pastor, Christian leader, or friend to help female victims who are in abusive relationships. If you’d like more...
The Holiday Blues
It’s inevitable for most people. We break out of the routine and spend lots of time doing little more than anticipating and preparing for the biggest holiday in our culture. Some of us get energized (and rightfully so. It does celebrate the birth of Jesus and a...
Intensity vs. Intimacy and Pacing in Dating
In the book The Addictive Personality author Craig Nakken notes one feature of the addictive personality that compounds the difficulty in freeing oneself from addiction. He said that addicts typically make the mistake of confusing intensity with intimacy; that the...
Sexual Harassment, Sowing and Reaping, and Christian Integrity
As we have recently seen in the news and witnessed a firestorm on social media, much attention has been drawn to the longstanding issue in our country around sexual harassment, particularly sexual misconduct in the work place. Women primarily but also men has...
A Confession By Any Other Name. . .
A Confession by Any Other Name “Having a ministry that is fueled by personal devotion has its roots in humble, heart-deep confession.” Sometimes we have to repent and confess until we believe it, or if I can say it this way, until our hearts feel it. Our repentance...