Engage Counseling Services

03/26/2025

The Dakota Counseling Institute will be an alternative to the jail that offers immediate support and a safe space for individuals in need.

07/08/2024

No judging here … I love to help you get organized. Contact me today!

04/30/2024

12/04/2023

"EZER KENEGDO"
I love how John Elderidge defines the word helpmate in his book "Wild at Heart." Listen to these words...

Eve is given to Adam as his "ezer kenegdo" — or as many translations have it, his "help meet" or "helper." Doesn't sound like much, does it? It makes me think of Hamburger Helper. But Robert Alter says this is "a notoriously difficult word to translate." It means something far more powerful than just "helper"; it means "lifesaver." The phrase is only used elsewhere of God, when you need him to come through for you desperately. "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you" (Deut. 33:26). Eve is a life giver; she is Adam's ally. It is to both of them that the charter for adventure is given. It will take both of them to sustain life. And they will both need to fight together.

09/30/2023

Anxiety is like...
I am teaching a class on abnormal psych and the following are the responses from the class!

TO ME ANXIETY IS LIKE...

Trying to keep your head above water as you attempt not to sink.

Being locked in a dark room, not knowing what is in the room with you.

Standing on the shore but imagining all the possible ways someone could drown.

Fighting an internal war, with external consequences.

An intruder entering my mind, threatening to take over everything, stealing my joy, and leaving behind a mess to sort.

Getting the wind knocked out of you and trying to regain your breath.

Holding your breath but you are not able to let it out.

Standing in an empty room and the walls start getting closer and you feel like you don’t have enough mental or physical energy to figure out how to get out; all you can see is the walls becoming tighter around you.

Running a hundred miles per hour, but never getting anywhere, and not knowing why you are running.

Walking into a room and as the door closes it locks and all the lights go out.

Being trapped in a room with only windows that lead to other rooms, with no doors.

You are constantly gasping for air and the moment you are submerged in water, the numbing quiet, you can finally breathe.

Running a marathon without training.

Having a rowboat with no oars.

Treading water to the point of beginning to drown.

ANXIETY IS A VERY REAL THING. It is more than worry or concern. Anxiety is ultimately a lack of confidence that you can encounter life and be okay. Soon this lack of confidence turns into fear, and not very long after we begin to "fear the fear." Anxiety is marked by racing thoughts and strong overwhelming sensations in the body. These physical feelings can at times become very intense and have an impending sense of doom associated with them. Heart rate and breathing may increase to an uncomfortable or even fearful level and sleep, appetite, responsibilities, and relationships can be affected. If you experience any of these symptoms you need to know there is hope. You can experience life without the overwhelm and associated fear.

09/30/2023

Depression is like...
I am teaching a class on abnormal psych and the following are the responses from the class!

TO ME DEPRESSION IS LIKE...
.. a clock that needs new batteries. There is a constant ticking, but the hands never move the time forward.
.. seeing everyone else move forward while you are unable to move."
.. a clock ticking away but the hands on it never move.
.. being trapped in a bubble, where you can see what is going on around you, and see what you need to do, but can't move.
.. doom and gloom lurking over every area in your life, bringing darkness to even the most common joys.
.. being pulled down by gravity and not being able to move.
.. being tied to a weight but trying to untie it with mittens on.
.. walking around with goggles and earmuffs everything is dull and muted, nothing is exciting.
.. spiraling down into a dark pit with sinking mud. It feels like you're all alone, there's no light. and no way to get out.
.. everyday is a cloudy day. You feel like the sun will never come out.
.. rejection on steroids."
.. knowing I am about to fall off the cliff, but not caring enough to do anything about it.
.. having a storm cloud following above the head all day long.
.. walking through waste-deep sludge while carrying heavy chains.

DEPRESSION IS VERY DIFFICULT AND DIFFERENT FOR EACH PERSON. If you struggle with depression, know that there is help and hope. There is a way through and there are answers. You are not alone.

04/24/2023

Most conflict comes from a misunderstanding of what type of conversation we are having. There are two types of conversations during conflict. The first one is a "DISCUSSION" conversation and the second one is a "DECISION" conversation. A discussion conversation is simply that, it is communication about the details of a subject. No decision is expected to be made at the end of this conversation so any disagreements can be discussed. When we know that we can openly share our opinion without having the pressure of having to defend it in a decision, we are much more at liberty to share our feelings openly.

The second type of conversation is a decision conversation. In this conversation, the goal is to make a decision at the end of the communication. This puts significantly more pressure on coming to an agreement or defending a position.

Most conflict happens when there is confusion about whether it is a discussion conversation or a decision conversation. It's important that our partners or our teams understand exactly what type of conversation we are having.

04/10/2023

Engage Counseling is a full service private counseling practice specializing in "Bringing People Tog

04/10/2023

Therapist Position Available
Engage Counseling in Mitchell/Plankinton/Chamberlain SD is currently receiving inquiries for a full-time therapist (LPC or LCSW). Considered candidates will have a masters in Counseling Psychology/Social Work or related field and will have or will be eligible for obtaining SD licensure. Engage is looking for a motivated individual who is open to supporting faith influenced counseling, is willing to be trained in trauma-based methods and enjoys working in a dynamic team setting. Competitive compensation and and robust benefits/professional development/incentive package will be based upon experience and licensure. All referrals provided by the practice start full time immediately for approved candidates. Call 605 942 7332 or email jon@engageservices.net.

Engage Counseling is a full service private counseling practice specializing in "Bringing People Tog

04/10/2023

I recently had a group of students define depression in their own words by completing the sentence:"Depression is like..." Depression touches everyone of us in some way. If you are struggling with depression, you are not alone, there is hope!

• “Like being "Down in the dumps."
• "Like being stuck in a shallow hole that you cannot get out of, and no one is able to help you; so, they eventually leave you stuck in the hole."
• "Being held underwater with the knowledge that you should fight to get free, but you don’t have the strength to do it."
• “Like being in a pitch-dark house where the light switch and exit are nowhere to be found."
• "Like watching a movie in black and white; you see the same things as everyone else but the colorfulness and joy are often stripped/altered."
• "Like the weather in the Spring, unpredictable. ... Some days, we get up and see the dark clouds, the cold wind still blowing when our expectations were for a sunny warm day. A sense of sadness and almost a sense of loss for the day we expected not coming to pass. Then we will have the next day that we arise and see the sun shining, a warm south breeze in our face and we are ready to conquer the World!"
• "Like living your life as Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh."
• “Like the morning after tossing and turning, not sleeping well, and a heaviness that makes your feet feel like lead with every step you take. The brain is foggy, but you know you have somewhere to be. "
• "Like the dying parts of plants. Every part was once full of life but for some reason, it starts dying and is not always able to be brought back to life no matter how much care is given to it."
• "Like a dark hole that you want to climb out of, but feels so impossible that you don’t even want to try. "
• "Like being in a body of water, in over your head, and not being able to swim."
• "If life is a rollercoaster, depression is like the valleys that dip low on the ride. "
• "Like living in a valley. You are separated from the world and to make progress you must work uphill. "
• “Like a cloud. The cloud itself causes a lot of dread and makes life hard to get through some days the cloud is really thick and it keeps you from doing what you might normally do or enjoy. Other days the cloud lifts, but it doesn’t always mean the cloud or the depression is completely gone. "
• "Like being engulfed by a heavy, debilitating fog of hopelessness that saturates a person seemingly to the soul, tainting every aspect of life with each writhing tendril it stretches forth uninvited. "
• “Like has felt and often been described as a feeling stuck. “

11/20/2022

“I spent a long time trying to come to grips with my doubts, when suddenly I realized that I had better come to grips with what I believe. have since moved from the agony of questions that I cannot answer to the reality of answers that I cannot escape ... and it's a great relief!”

-Dennis Rainey