Refined By Fire Counseling Services

01/13/2026

Your mental health deserves boundaries that honor your peace and well-being.

01/11/2026

It’s never too late to start taking care of what matters most.

Your mental health.
Your recovery.
Your marriage or your family.

So many people delay getting support because they believe they should be able to handle it—or because they think too much time has passed, too much damage has been done, or they’ve failed too many times already. That simply isn’t true.

Struggles with anxiety, depression, addiction, relationship conflict, or family stress don’t mean you’re broken—they mean you’re human. And reaching out for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a courageous decision to stop carrying everything alone.

Whether you’re working to rebuild trust, break cycles of addiction, manage overwhelming emotions, or strengthen your family, healing is still possible—and support is available.

As you head into the upcoming week, here are five simple, practical tips to help you begin:

1️⃣ Name what you’re feeling — Avoiding emotions gives them power. Naming them brings clarity and relief.
2️⃣ Reach out to one safe person — Healing happens in connection, not isolation.
3️⃣ Set one small boundary — Protect your energy, even in small ways.
4️⃣ Practice compassion toward yourself — Progress is not linear, and grace matters.
5️⃣ Take one intentional step — One honest conversation or small decision can begin real change.

You are not behind.
You are not too much.
And you are not out of time.

Wherever you are today, change can begin right here.

— Dr. Cam
Refined by Fire Counseling Services, LLC
👉 https://rbfcounseling.com/

01/11/2026

For many of us in addiction recovery, shame doesn’t show up loudly.
It whispers.

It sounds like
• “Something is wrong with me.”
• “I should be further along by now.”
• “I need to earn compassion.”

Shame often disguises itself as self-criticism, people-pleasing, over-responsibility, or the belief that our past defines our worth.

It’s important to name this: shame is not the same as guilt.
Guilt says, “Something I did matters.”
Shame says, “I am the problem.”

Guilt can lead to accountability and growth.
Shame keeps us stuck and isolated—often driving relapse, secrecy, and self-punishment.

Here’s the truth many of us are learning in recovery:
Shame loses its power in the presence of compassion and connection.
It thrives in silence and isolation, but it weakens when it’s named, understood, and met with truth.

Biblical wisdom, neuroscience, and lived recovery all point to the same conclusion:
Healing doesn’t come through beating ourselves up—it comes through safe connection.

As Dr. Curt Thompson explains:
“Shame’s healing… comes through the counterintuitive act of turning toward what we fear most… It is in movement toward another—toward connection with someone safe—that we find life and freedom.”

Mature recovery doesn’t mean shame never shows up again.
It means recognizing it sooner, responding with compassion, and refusing to let it define who you are or where your story is going.

If this resonates, you’re not weak.
You’re human—and healing is still possible. 💙

01/11/2026