Restoration Counseling Center

12/31/2024

As we anticipate the beginning of a New Year, it’s a wonderful opportunity to pause to reflect on this past year and prepare our hearts for the next.

We invite you to take a few moments to sit quietly and reflect on the questions in the image above. (And as you do, ask Jesus to reveal to you where he was with you this year.)

It might help you to journal your responses and prayers as you do this. Or it might help you to talk to a soul friend or spiritual director who can listen and minister God’s love, empathy, and grace to you ❤️

PS. We have a team of spiritual directors who are available to support you with this. Visit our bio to learn more!

12/12/2024

07/29/2024

07/23/2024

Discover how to let go of bound-up resentment and overcome the resistance to forgiving people who aren’t willing to make things right.

07/19/2024

During times of trauma, individuals often develop innate coping mechanisms to navigate through threatening or painful situations while still functioning. However, as one transitions from mere survival to thriving during the healing process, these same coping mechanisms may evolve into detrimental factors that actually hinder progress.

Some examples of this may include people-pleasing, avoidance, hyper-vigilance, control, aggression, isolation, daydreaming, distraction, shutting down, perpetual optimism, minimizing pain, keeping busy, or workaholism.

Have you noticed any coping skills in your life that were once beneficial but now may be holding you back?

07/04/2024

Phrases that can build insecure relationships:

• “Your feelings aren’t my responsibility.”
• “Why do you keep bringing up the past? It’s time you got over that.”
• “You’re too sensitive.”
• “You’re just like your mother/father/family member.” (said with contempt or judgment)
• “I’ll work on that.”(said to appease, then making no behavior change)
• “This is just how I am.” (demonstrating a general unwillingness to make changes or grow)

Disclaimer: Content is for informational purposes and doesn’t constitute therapy. Posts are generalized and may not fit all individuals or situations. I don’t specialize in abusive relationships, so this doesn’t speak to those circumstances.

04/22/2024

Have you ever found yourself making sweeping statements about yourself or others based on a single experience? This cognitive distortion, known as overgeneralization, can impact our mental health and relationships.

🚫 Overgeneralization involves drawing broad conclusions from limited evidence, leading to distorted beliefs about ourselves or the world around us.

✅ Challenge overgeneralization by:
- Examining Evidence: Consider if your beliefs are based on concrete evidence or isolated incidents.
- Questioning Assumptions: Challenge the validity of your generalizations by seeking alternative perspectives.
- Asking Input from Others: Hearing another perspective can help challenge our own beliefs and perspectives.

👥 Remember, seeking support from a counselor or trusted loved one can help you identify and address overgeneralization patterns, leading to healthier thought patterns and improved well-being.

04/20/2024

Posted •

Appetite suppressants may kill your hunger cues, but they do NOT eliminate your body’s need for fuel.
Think of it this way— just because you silence the alarm doesn’t mean there isn’t a fire.
I’ve been having this conversation A LOT in relation to weight loss drugs and folks who are under the impression that if they “don’t feel hungry, they don’t need to eat.”
And this couldn’t be further from the truth.
If anything, when taking a drug that acts as an appetite suppressant it’s important to be MORE intentional about eating, simply because your brain won’t be receiving those signals as clearly from your body.
Killing the hunger signal may mute the “food noise,” but it doesn’t eliminate your body’s need for consistent, adequate, balanced nutrition.
Remember, your hunger is not the enemy.

04/05/2024

Never underestimate the power of a conversation!

This is a great article that gets into the neuroscience behind how conversations contribute to our health and wellbeing or detract from it.

This helps explain part of why talking with someone safe is, in and of itself, therapeutic.

A deep dive into the fascinating world of conversations.

03/19/2024

Part of learning to see beautiful again is recognizing that a hard season doesn’t mean that every day has to be hard.

Sorrow and celebration can coexist. As a matter of fact, I think they should coexist. There’s still beauty to be found in the ashes (Isaiah 61:3). Joy can be found in the midst of hardship, and peace can exist in the middle of unresolved conflict.

And there are still so many reasons to celebrate and thank God.

God has beauty in store for us today. We just need to be intentional about looking for it. Let’s ask God to show it to us. Let’s believe it’s already there for us to find.

And when you’re not feeling brave, say this: “I’m so much stronger than I ever dreamed possible. And when I’m not, God still is. Thank You, God. Help me, God. Show me, God.”

Find the beauty today. I just know it’s waiting to be found by you.

03/11/2024

So many times we think that a sign of strength is the ability to manage things on our own, to figure it out, to handle it, to need others less. But this is not the way God designed us. He designed us to find connection and support as we reach to others and to Him. Without it, our struggles increase and multiply.

It takes a lot of humble strength to ask for help, whether it is practical assistance, emotional support, or something else.

If asking for help is hard to you, I hope you'll begin to break that isolating habit by reaching out to someone and letting them know you could use their help. This will add both value to others, and strength to you.

You don't have to do this all on your own.
You were never meant to.