I really love the idea depicted here of giving anxiety a “performance review.” (To check out the illustrator’s Instagram page, click here). I think this would be a worthwhile exercise to consider anxiety’s performance in my everyday life! We often conflate the emotions of anxiety and fear, as if they are synonymous. They are similar, …
anxiety
Life is Hard.
No buts about it. I was getting ready for work not long ago when I started feeling very anxious about my daughter at summer camp. She’s gone to this summer camp before and loves it! I trust the camp director, and she knows our family well. Yet, a small miscommunication about something at drop off …
Spiritualizing Feelings
I recently saw a meme on Instagram that resonated with me. There’s been a lot of talk about “deconstructing” in Christian faith circles, with several strong opinions both for and against. I appreciated this creator’s perspective (Sam Won, @SamObiWon), when he posted: “I’m a decluttering Christian. Grateful for the faith I was raised in for …
“Worrying is Optional” by Ben Eckstein, LCSW
Today, I’m reviewing the book, “Worrying is Optional” by Ben Eckstein, LCSW, who is a leading voice in the field of anxiety and OCD treatment. I’ve read a lot about anxiety and worry throughout my career, and when I picked this book up, I figured it would be more of the same of what I’ve …
Self-Compassion as a Christian?
Over the past few years, therapy words and phrases have had “a moment”—if you will—in public discourse. Terms like gaslighting, trauma, trigger, and mindfulness are some words that have shown up in conversations, social media, or in online content about mental health. While I’m glad that as a society we’re talking about mental health more …
Try Softer Review
Today, I’m sharing my review of the book, “Try Softer,” by Aundi Kolber. I knew I wanted to read this book the minute I heard about it, as Kolber’s approach to counseling sounds similar to mine. We both nerd out over how the Bible and biblical principles integrate and speak into evidenced-based counseling, and this …
Wouldn’t Ignoring This Be Easier?
I’ll often ask clients what they do with difficult thoughts and feelings they experience. A lot of times, I’m met with the response that they ignore them. And I get it. Sometimes ignoring our difficult thoughts and feelings does seem like it’d be easier than allowing ourselves to notice them. And by noticing them, I’m …
“Attached” Review
This month, I’m reviewing the book, “Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love” by Amire Levine, M.D. and Rachel Heller, M.A. I picked this book up at the suggestion of a couple of clients who read it and reported they saw so much of themselves and their …
Fear is a Liar?
There’s a song on Christian radio right now called “Fear is a Liar.” I’ve heard this phrase used in other Christian contexts before, and if you’re a millennial like me, you may remember those popular t-shirts and binder stickers in middle school emblazoned with the slogan, “NO FEAR.” Whenever I hear this phrase from Christians, …
Why “Go With Your Gut” is Hard to Hear When You Have Anxiety
“Just go with your gut.” Has anyone ever told you this when you’ve felt anxious or unsure of what to do? I don’t know about you, but for me, hearing this has never helped decrease my anxiety. I do believe that God has gifted us with intuition. Unfortunately, anxiety can hijack my intuition, and I …