Specializing In:
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Youth and Young Adult
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Marriage and Family
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Anxiety and Depression
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
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Postpartum: Women Before and After Childbirth
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Addictions
Anxiety
If you’re having feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. There are many other causes that can lead to anxiety such as: Nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, compulsive behavior and/or panic attacks. The list can go on and on to the many causes that lead to anxiety.
Depression
Everyone goes through periods of deep sadness and grief. These feelings usually fade away within a few days or weeks, depending on the circumstances. But profound sadness that lasts more than two weeks and affects your ability to function may be a sign of depression.
Some of the common symptoms of depression are:
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Deep feelings of sadness
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Dark moods
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Feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness
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Appetite changes
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Sleep changes
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Lack of energy
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Inability to concentrate
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Difficulty getting through your normal activities
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Lack of interest in things you used to enjoy
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Withdrawing from friends
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Preoccupation with death or thoughts of self-harm
Depression affects everyone differently, and you might only have some of these symptoms. You may also have other symptoms that aren’t listed here. Keep in mind that it’s also normal to have some of these symptoms from time to time without having depression.
Marriage, Family, and Relationships
There are many different types of relationships. Family relationships, Friendships, the relationship of a marriage, Acquaintanceships and Romantic relationships. To get help in this area see the section below to better understand what you might be dealing with.
Every couple deals with attitudes and behavior problems in their relationship. The problems that most families face is communicating with one another. There are many reasons to this ongoing problem; one is addictions, and another is fear, rejection and anxiety. The list could go on and on with how we as a people deal with our ongoing problems. Trying to fix it yourself can lead to a deeper level of problems.
Change is the only way to solve the sinful and unforgiving behaviors we deal with on a daily bases. Jeremiah understood why some problems are so resistant to change when he said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Jeremiah. 17:9.
The time to seek help is when you feel increasingly discouraged and confused about life; when you feel that something is bothering you; but you aren't sure what it is; when you feel that everyone is against you; when you find yourself unable to get a handle on your anger, fear, worry, or sleeplessness; when you keep hearing from others that you're being unreasonable or insensitive; when you find yourself thinking seriously about how to get out of your commitment to a relationship or a job; when you are wrestling with an issue that will have significant effects on yourself and others around you; when you are unable to change behavior that is harming yourself or others;
When you have secret compulsions that feel out of control; when there is a pain within yourself that is not being resolved by the normal channels of asking forgiveness, admitting you've been wrong, and seeking reconciliation; when you keep having thoughts of not wanting to live. This is when you should seek help from the foundation of truth through Pastoral Counseling.
Youth & Young Adult
Most of us as adults have been there and done that, which is why we should understand what our young people are going through today.
The Bible tells us to: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
In today’s society it is not easy keeping young people in line with God’s will for their young lives. Between public schools and street friends our young people tend to pick up more negative information about life then the good we try to show them in our homes.
I have spent most of my professional career working with such type behaviors. Having Christ as the foundation for all of the counseling I do have proven to be a great success in the lives of those who accepted God’s solutions to all of their problems.
Many young teens and children are afraid to confide deep problems to their parents. If your child is acting, talking or behaving differently and he/she is not communicating with you about what is wrong; now is the time to seek Pastoral Counseling.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Most people with post-traumatic stress disorder underwent a traumatic event or experience in their past that has led to mental and physical symptoms that can last for years and can be debilitating. In recent years, more research and treatment possibilities have developed to help people with this sometimes life-threatening mental health condition.
One of the first symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder is detachment from others. This can happen for a myriad of complicated reasons. Often, those with PTSD are afraid of how they might behave in front of other people. They worry that they might become angry or react strangely to normal occurrences.
Other Symptoms:
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Feeling upset by things that remind you of what happened
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Having nightmares, vivid memories, or flashbacks of the event that make you feel like it’s happening all over again
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Feeling emotionally cut off from others
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Feeling numb or losing interest in things you used to care about
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Feeling constantly on guard
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Feeling irritated or having angry outbursts
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Having trouble concentrating
What is the treatment for post traumatic stress disorder?
One type of treatment has been shown to be effective for treating PTSD: counseling. Professional therapy or counseling can help you understand your thoughts and reactions and help you learn techniques to cope with challenging situations. Research has shown several specific types of counseling to be very effective for treating PTSD. Seeing a private Medical Doctor for Medications can also be used to help reduce tension or irritability or to improve sleep.
Postpartum
For women before and after birth: “Postpartum” means the time after childbirth. Most women get the “baby blues,” or feel sad or empty, within a few days of giving birth. For many women, the baby blues go away in 3 to 5 days. If your baby
blues don’t go away or you feel sad, hopeless, or empty for longer than 2 weeks, you may have postpartum depression. Feeling hopeless or empty after childbirth is not a regular or expected part of being a mother.
Postpartum depression is a serious mental illness that involves the brain and affects your behavior and physical health. If you are having depression, then sad, flat, or empty feelings of hopelessness; if these feeling don’t go away they can interfere with your day-to-day life. You might feel unconnected to your baby, as if you are not the baby’s mother, or you might not love or care for the baby. These feelings can be mild to severe. Treatment for depression, such as therapy works and will help you and your baby be as healthy as possible in the future.