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How to Deal with a Narcissist

How to Deal with a Narcissist

By Kate Motaung|2024-09-30T12:53:52+00:00August 10th, 2020|Couples Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issuse|

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is one rarely diagnosed because of the nature of it. Many times, a narcissist does not recognize his or her own need for change when struggling with signs of narcissism. It is often those around them who see that their behaviors and attitudes are self-inflated at an extreme level, to the point of hurting those around them. Lasting relationships are difficult for a narcissist to maintain because when unhealthy, this person thinks the problems lie with others and not themselves. Self-awareness is at a low, and others grow weary of being close to people who do not take responsibility for their actions. This behavior can quickly become abusive, and if someone is in a relationship with a person with the following behaviors, it is important to note that she does not deserve this type of treatment. Main Behaviors of Narcissistic Personality Disorder Grandiose Sense of Self-Importance A narcissist not only thinks they are important, they believe that they are more important than anyone else. They think that they deserve to be in the ranks with societies best and most well-known. Their inner fantasy life exacerbates this idea. It is an elevated sense of self, a “bow down and worship me” mentality. Though a narcissist would probably not admit this problem, their close friends and family never feel like they can live up to this ideal. Self-Centeredness They believe that they are always right about something. They expect others to stop what they are doing to serve them or do what they want them to do. When things go wrong, they tend to have a “woe is me” attitude, rarely seeing how a situation affects another person, too. They do not display empathy very often, and they struggle with listening. Everything tends to revolve around them, and [...]

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Spiritual Disciplines that Promote Spiritual Development

Spiritual Disciplines that Promote Spiritual Development

By Kate Motaung|2024-09-30T12:57:04+00:00July 27th, 2020|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development, Spiritual Development|

Spiritual development and spiritual growth are important biblical concepts because God wants His people to know Him deeply, live in a way that honors Him, and reflect His image. In the Bible, it is referred to as sanctification. Sanctification (as defined in Strong’s Concordance) means “consecration or purification, a sanctification of heart and life, holiness.” It is a process of becoming more like Jesus, continually turning away from sin, and turning toward Him. Some verses in the Bible that point to the idea of spiritual growth or development in terms of sanctification: For this is the will of God, your sanctification. – 1 Thessalonians 4:3 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. – Romans 6:22 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:20-24 Other passages describe spiritual development and growth in comparison to an infant being on milk to a more mature person on solid food, like: About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain since you have become ill of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the [...]

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Finding Help for Abandonment Issues

Finding Help for Abandonment Issues

By Kate Motaung|2024-09-30T12:53:21+00:00July 20th, 2020|Abandonment and Neglect, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issuse|

Many years ago, a Christian named Augustine wrote the following in his memoir, Confessions: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” He was talking about our sense of ultimate identity and belonging, and all of us on some level can understand the yearning to belong somewhere, to have a home. As human beings, all of us are hardwired with a desire to belong to a people and a place. We long for the experience of loving others, being loved, and knowing that we are loved. When that desire is not met, our hearts ache from a sense of loss. That desire for deep and meaningful human connection makes sense when you consider that the God in whose image we were created, is relational. As difficult as our relationships can be, when they work well, they bring us a lot of joy. The reality we live in here and now, however, is one where our relationships are imperfect, and we do not always get the care and connection we need from others. Some families have an unhealthy dynamic in them where the children are made to feel that their parent(s) do not value them and could leave them at any moment. This can potentially lead to abandonment and neglect issues. While most issues of abandonment and neglect originate in childhood experiences, they can also develop as an adult. You may have experienced abandonment and neglect, whether as an adult or as a child – whether you were left alone for extended periods and left uncared for as a child (a latchkey kid), or didn’t receive the care and support you needed from your spouse. It is a sad fact that people can still face issues of abandonment [...]

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Christian Counseling for Teens: How and When it Can Help

Christian Counseling for Teens: How and When it Can Help

By Kate Motaung|2024-09-30T12:53:02+00:00July 16th, 2020|Christian Counseling for Children, Christian Counseling For Teens, Family Counseling, Featured|

Growing up has many joys, but many growing pains too. As one moves from being a young child toward adulthood, the intervening teen years can be daunting to navigate and make sense of. As young people go through life and come into their own, they may wrestle with a variety of issues such as sex and sexuality, identity, self-esteem, peer pressure, and bullying. For parents and teens, this can be a bewildering time of life. Some kids pass through the adolescent years without incident. For others, this stage of life shifts the very ground beneath them, and they change in ways that can confuse them and their parents. This is a time when your children are dealing with deep questions and issues that will impact their future and shape how they view themselves and interact with the world around them. Parenting your child through these issues can be challenging and overwhelming, especially if it feels like you’re losing your connection with your teen. For many parents, it can be hard to know the difference between normal teenage angst and deeper problems that may require professional intervention and help. This article will try to help you to make sense of some of these challenges and give pointers for when to seek professional help, such as Christian counseling for teens in Pasadena. When to find help for your teen It is important to note that each child is different – what is normal, baseline behavior for each child will be different based on a variety of factors such as personality and life experiences up to that point. Most parents can pick up when their child is acting differently. What can be more difficult and complicated is being able to tell if your teen is simply behaving like a normal teenager going [...]

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Family Counseling: When to Seek Help

Family Counseling: When to Seek Help

By Kate Motaung|2024-09-30T12:52:30+00:00July 6th, 2020|Family Counseling, Featured, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Issuse|

Our family is important in shaping us into the people we become. From our families we learn how to interact with others, we learn customs, how to communicate, how we see the world around us and the people in it. Families come in different shapes and sizes – blended, single parent, two parents, lots of kids, a few kids, just one child, and all the variations in between. Some families are outdoor types and sporty, while others are more homebound. Some homes are quiet, while others are a hive of activity with lots of comings and goings by the adults and the kids. Practical jokes are a staple in one family, while others are more serious. For some families, fondly remembered vacation trips or warm family dinners are the norms, while for others, the word “family” conjures up painful memories of hurtful dynamics. What is true of all of us is that our families go through seasons – some of those are of heartache and struggle. Things aren’t always perfect in families, but often family members can rally around one another to make it through the crisis. When communication breaks down, conflict becomes more prevalent in your family, and disagreements unresolved, what do you do? What do you do when the struggle becomes too much, or when the harder seasons just seem to last too long, things just don’t seem to be getting any better and you are struggling to cope? When trouble crops up in your family, it can start affecting other areas of life as well, including at work, school, and in other relationships and interactions with people outside the family. Whatever your situation, your family is important to you – otherwise, you would not have looked for and found this article. We all want our family [...]

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Christian Marriage Counseling: Getting Help Before It’s Too Late

Christian Marriage Counseling: Getting Help Before It’s Too Late

By Kate Motaung|2024-09-30T12:52:21+00:00June 29th, 2020|Couples Counseling, Featured, Marriage Counseling, Premarital Counseling, Relationship Issuse|

When two people meet, fall in love, and get married, it’s a beautiful thing. Your relationship with your spouse is one of the most intimate and precious relationships there is. The relationship holds much promise, but for the relationship to reach its full potential it requires the two partners to continue walking together as they face life’s challenges. As a life-long commitment made between two people and God, this relationship requires creativity and work if it is to last and succeed. The reality is that every couple faces challenges. Regardless of any differences, this is one thing all married couples have in common. These challenges will vary in how difficult they are, how long they last, and what they are about. As each couple goes through these and the stress they cause, they may have the resources to weather the storm, or they may find their joy and their relationship beginning to suffer. Emotional distance may develop between them, communication may begin to falter, or one of the spouses may react in ways that further complicate the situation. All of this is to say that while marriage is a beautiful thing, it is also fragile and needs to be cultivated to thrive. Your marriage may be stronger than ever, or you may have hit a rough patch and are facing challenges that are undermining your marriage. These challenges may stem from: infidelity poor or unhealthy communication physical and emotional abuse emotional distance between you or your spouse depression unhealthy behaviors such as substance abuse and addiction difficulties with in-laws the loss of a loved one which is proving difficult to work through post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health concerns the loss of a job anger infertility or other circumstances Seeking professional help can be effective in helping [...]

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Getting Help through Individual Christian Counseling Services

Getting Help through Individual Christian Counseling Services

By Kate Motaung|2024-09-30T12:52:11+00:00June 22nd, 2020|Featured, Individual Counseling, Men’s Issues, Personal Development, Women’s Issues|

Life east of Eden can be tough. We do not live in an idyllic world, in which our bodies, minds, emotions, relationships, and environment are only healthy and supportive of our growth. As much as we would like to be in control of everything that happens to us, life can get overwhelming. Despite best efforts, we don’t always have it together, and we can struggle to muster up the resources to handle things on our own. Sometimes life just doesn’t go according to plan. The bottom falls out for a variety of reasons, and we need a sympathetic and compassionate ear with whom to talk things through. We all need a place to get real answers that get straight to the heart of the matter so that we can live a life full of meaning and joy. Some people think that Christian counseling services are only for others. Unfortunately, there are unhelpful narratives out there about therapy that may make people assume it is not for them, and so they do not avail themselves of this helpful resource. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Christian counseling services are a valuable resource for everyone, and helpful for addressing a wide range of issues regardless of your vocation, gender, race, age, or social class. You could benefit from Christian counseling services whether you’re dealing with: depression anxiety eating disorders panic attacks struggles with your faith journey anger issues loneliness low self-esteem relationships issues post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) past trauma and hurts sexual abuse overcoming addictive or harmful behaviors . . . or other concerns. If you are struggling, there is no need to go it alone. Help is available to you in the form of individual Christian counseling services. What is Individual Christian Counseling? The most common picture people have [...]

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