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When Life Goes Off The Road
by Byron Loy, MA, LPC, LCPC, CRADC There are times in life when no physical pain can compare with the emotional pain we feel from grief and loss. On a cold November night in Michigan, two days after I turned eighteen, I fell asleep at the wheel on my way home from roller-skating with my church youth group. I woke up as soon as my tires hit the gravel on the side of the road but I was unable to gain control and went off the road. My left arm went through the driver’s side window and dirt and shattered glass flew everywhere as the car rolled over three times.…
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The Fruits of the Spirit: The Ultimate “How-to” Relationship Guide
As we enter the new year, many couples might be considering how they can resolve to improve their relationship. When we want to improve something, it’s often beneficial to turn to “how-to” advice. The Bible actually has many great guidelines and “how-to’s” that can help us achieve healthy, long term commitments. One of those “how-to” lists is widely known as “the fruits of the spirit.” These fruits apply to many areas of our lives, and as a therapist, I see a direct application to the area of relationships. The interpretation given below is my own. I am not a trained Bible scholar, nor a pastor. Below are some of my…
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How to Help Your Grieving Children, Teens, and Families
By Lisa Mottola Ernst, MSW, LCSW In working with grieving children, teens and families, I get many questions concerning children and their ability to grieve. Before answering these questions, it is important to note that children grieve differently than adults. For them, the loss of a parent, sister, brother, grandparent, friend or classmate brings both sadness and confusion. Given a child’s ability to love deeply, that child in turn grieves deeply as well. These grieving children need special care. Developmentally, it is important for children and teens to attend social functions and receive that peer support after a loved one has died. Many of these emotions are often displayed initially as…
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I Know____, but I Feel_____.
The Dichotomy of Mind Caused by Trauma By Kristy Cobillas, MEd, LPC Feelings can be tricky. Feelings can reflect perceived reality, but they certainly do not dictate what reality is. Sometimes the two do not line up! Why does this happen? What is this dichotomy of mind that takes place between what one thinks and what one feels? The answer, in part, is biological. Different parts of the brain have different functions. For example, the prefrontal cortex is the area that is known for the processing of a person’s executive functions, such as reasoning, impulse control, decision making, planning, and anticipating a negative outcome. It is a part of the…
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