Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all process. Mental health professionals use a variety of therapeutic approaches based on a person’s age, concerns, goals, experiences, and preferences. Some approaches focus on thoughts and behaviors, while others emphasize emotions, relationships, past experiences, meaning, or creative expression. Therapists may primarily use one approach or integrate techniques from several modalities. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT focuses on identi

Before You Decide: Rest, Eat, Drink, Breathe Sometimes we try to make spiritual problems out of things that may, at least in part, be physical problems. We are exhausted. We have not eaten. We are dehydrated. We have been running from one responsibility to the next without stopping. And then, in that depleted state, we try to make important decisions. We try to have difficult conversations. We try to solve problems. We try to discern what God is saying. Scripture reminds us t

Clinical Considerations For healthcare professionals, awareness of Jewish holy days can have practical implications for patient care. Observance varies widely, so the most important clinical practice is to ask rather than assume. A patient’s level of observance, denomination, family customs, and personal health needs may all influence how a holiday is practiced. During Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah, some observant Jewish patients may li

Some dates on the calendar may look ordinary to one person but carry deep spiritual meaning for another. Over the next several weeks, Jewish communities worldwide will observe some of the year's most sacred days. These holy days invite reflection, repentance, gratitude, remembrance, celebration, and renewal. For those of us who work in healthcare, ministry, education, chaplaincy, or other caring professions, being aware of these observances is a simple way to honor the faith

“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.’”— Exodus 33:17, NIV I think most of us, if we are honest, want to be liked. We want to be invited. Included. Remembered. We want to walk into a room and feel that someone is genuinely glad we are there. From the school cafeteria to the workplace, from social media to church, there is something inside us that longs to know: Do I belong here? Maybe we wa

One of the privileges of serving on certification panels is reading candidates’ theory of integration papers. These papers give us a window into how a chaplain brings together theology, personality, life experience, clinical practice, and the behavioral sciences into a coherent understanding of who they are as a professional caregiver. Yet there is one area that I often find underdeveloped: the psychodynamic dimension of the work. That concerns me because psychotherapy is not

Entrepreneurs today face a relentless flood of digital data, leaving little room for the mental pauses necessary for genuine innovation. Ironically, this constant connectivity has actually hindered our efficiency. The primary culprit is multitasking. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences analyzed the media habits of 262 students, closely comparing the most frequent multitaskers with those who did so the least. Across every metric, individual

A Strategic Communication Primer By Kumar Dixit, D.Min, BCCC, BCPC Introducing New Ideas to Your Board Without Making Them Feel Rushed When you have a new idea, especially one you are excited about, it can be tempting to move quickly. You may already see the possibilities clearly. You may feel the urgency. You may even wonder why others do not immediately see what you see. But when you are working with a board, pace matters. Board members are not just there to approve decis

Most of us have been in this situation before. A colleague, student, friend, or family member comes to us carrying something heavy. They are overwhelmed, discouraged, angry, or grieving. And because we care, our first instinct is often to help. We want to say the right thing, offer advice, make a plan, or somehow make the pain feel lighter. But sometimes, what the person needs is not advice. Sometimes they just need someone to listen. Sometimes they need practical help. And s

5:35 a.m.My alarm started beeping. I quietly got out of bed and showered, trying not to wake up the rest of the family. It was Easter Sunday, and I was about to meet other believers on the Vancouver shores of Kitsilano Beach and watch the sunrise. 6:01 a.m.The rain was coming down hard as I drove into the city. My Internet radio was blasting loudly in my car as I listened to praise and worship music. The songs had a unifying theme: Jesus conquered the grave! It was a euphoric