Kate Motaung, Carrollton Christian Counseling

Is Counseling a Safe Space to Bare All My Secrets?

Is Counseling a Safe Space to Bare All My Secrets?

Mccartney Paul, Kate Motaung2025-10-22T06:28:07+00:00October 22nd, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, Men’s Issues, Personal Development|

In this day and age, with so many innovations, like virtual counseling, on the rise, many question if the joy of opening up in counseling is still safe and intact. We are all justified in wondering whether new methods like online therapy still provide that trusted sanctuary of face-to-face talk, where vulnerabilities are met with empathy and expertise. Now, let’s get into what makes today’s counseling climate challenging and reassuring at the same time for many people who share these questions. Why Traditional Counseling Was Always a Safe Space Traditional counseling has always been loved and respected because of its unique promise of an environment of trust and confidentiality. Counselors proudly adhered to strict ethical guidelines to keep your privacy intact while creating a therapeutic environment. It created a neutral zone, which allowed you to explore your feelings without fear of exposure. With increased knowledge related to the physiology of mental health over the years, this insight has helped clients gain immensely by making counseling an emotionally secure experience for all parties involved. Attachment dynamics and the traditional counselors’ grasp of how the mind and body connect and interlink helped this field grow and gain a reputation for being essential to overall well-being. If you speak to people who have received counseling throughout their lives, they will be quick to share the great joy and relief counseling has brought them. They loved that sense of solace in a space where active listening, empathy, and reflection thrived. They often laud the capacity they gained to lift burdens off their shoulders and make life’s challenges manageable. With this in mind, it is quite natural for some to wonder why, then the mental health fraternity has reinvented the wheel and incorporated new technologies into counseling. How Counseling Has Changed in the Digital [...]

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Bible Verses About Worry: Finding Support from Scripture When You’re Feeling Anxious

Bible Verses About Worry: Finding Support from Scripture When You’re Feeling Anxious

Ashlynn Barnette, Kate Motaung2025-10-16T06:44:15+00:00October 16th, 2025|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling, Spiritual Development|

Worry and anxiety have always been a part of the human condition. They were one of the first things Jesus addressed in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-34). Paul and other New Testament writers referenced worry and anxiety throughout the epistles (Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:7). Anxiety disorders have become extremely prevalent. Whether it is that diagnoses are becoming more common, the ever-present 24-hour news cycle, constant social media updates, doomscrolling, or other factors, anxiety is flourishing in today’s culture. In 2019, about 15% of U.S. adults reported having anxiety issues. By 2022, that number had risen to 18% (U.S. News & World Report). In 2024, 43% of Americans said they had higher anxiety than the year before. No matter the cause, it’s clear that anxiety rates are continuing to rise, and people are becoming more self-aware of their struggles. As Christians, we may wonder – what does the Bible say about worry? Does it address the human condition of anxiety? Some people say that worry is a sin, and this can make someone who struggles with chronic worrying, panic, or fear feel even more defeated than before. The truth is, it is possible for worry to be sinful. Sometimes worry signifies a lack of trust in God. Are we doubting His goodness? Do we have a lack of confidence in His faithfulness? Are we worrying because we feel that the cares of the world are on our shoulders instead of His? Do we struggle with unbelief? It’s important to remember, though, that pain, fear, worry, and anxiety are not just sins – they are part of our broken human condition because of the fall. At the same time, brokenness does not always equate to sin. Just think of the many ways our physical bodies can be broken [...]

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How to Make Friends If You Have Social Anxiety

How to Make Friends If You Have Social Anxiety

Mccartney Paul, Kate Motaung2025-09-24T06:43:56+00:00September 24th, 2025|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Most people crave friendships. Even the most introverted among us has a certain degree of God given desire for social connection. God made us social creatures for a reason. He created Eve when He recognized Adam’s social need. God brought us back into fellowship with Him when He saw the sin-induced divide. So, having people in your life is important and necessary for fellowship, mission work, and overall life satisfaction. If you’re craving relationships, there are a lot of ways to find those social connections, even if you’re socially awkward or suffer from social anxiety. Even if you have a shy personality or have been criticized publicly. Even if toxic friendships have made you afraid to trust others again. And even if you’re at a stage in your life where you are physically unable to socialize in the ways you always have. Tips for Overcoming Social Anxiety Whatever the reason for your isolation, it can be difficult to reach out to others when your insides are a jumbled-up mess of nerves, doubt, fear, hurt, and self-doubt. But there is hope. You can overcome those obstacles that prevent authentic connections and live a whole, fulfilling social life. You can be a part of a dynamic duo or be a main character in a friend group. You can find people who will support you in your endeavors and cry with you in your defeats. But first, you might have to put in a little work to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of those authentic and meaningful connections. Get therapy Therapy can help you not only understand but also untangle the things that are standing in the way of quality relationships in your life. Sometimes what you need is someone trained to walk with you through the fear, trauma, and [...]

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Training and Development in the Workplace: Why it’s Worth the Effort

Training and Development in the Workplace: Why it’s Worth the Effort

Marcia Deah, Kate Motaung2025-11-01T12:03:23+00:00August 20th, 2025|Coaching, Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development, Professional Development|

“‘Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, that’s life. Tryna make ends meet, you’re a slave to money, then you die.” – The Verve The lyrics from this song couldn’t have been more authentic. How bittersweet it is to spend more than half of your life working just to make sure you are able to live. My philosophy is, if you are required to work to live and more than half of your life is spent on work, why not enjoy what you do? In some cases, that might be fairly easy depending on your career path. In other cases, work is not the greatest, and it is just a means for survival. This is why you, as a supervisor, hold an important responsibility to create and maintain a healthy working environment for your employees. The less rewarding or more stressful a job is, the more difficult it can be to show up and/or be mentally present day after day. Job satisfaction is a hard task, and even harder when you are not considerate of your employees. In my experience, I have witnessed the difference it makes when an employee has a supervisor who invests in them versus a supervisor who does not put in that effort or just tolerates them. Statistics also support that one key factor in retention is employee recognition. The question is, as the employer, how can you make your workplace environment a place where an employee wants to stay? Inevitably, people will get promoted. Also, people will quit or get terminated. That is just a part of the territory. However, there are things you can do as an employer to improve retention. Pour resources into your employees. It is cheaper to train and develop the staff you have than to hire new people. The first people [...]

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Signs of Social Anxiety to Look Out for in a Loved One

Signs of Social Anxiety to Look Out for in a Loved One

Mccartney Paul, Kate Motaung2025-08-14T06:55:17+00:00August 14th, 2025|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling|

More than anything, we want our loved ones to be happy. As well-placed as this intention can be, one challenge that can come up is that our definition of “happiness” and our loved one’s definition of happiness might not always align perfectly. This can be a source of conflict as two people who love each other try to navigate life together. Knowing your loved one’s struggles can put you in a position where you can stand in the gap for them, supporting them as they need it. With social anxiety, it’s important to know the signs of it, as well as how best to support your loved one if they are socially anxious. Just as there are helpful ways to be present and supportive, there are also unhelpful ones, and knowing the difference matters. The Signs of Social Anxiety People have feelings of anxiety in a variety of circumstances. Some people thrive in a setting with lots of people, engaging in conversation with strangers, or talking through ideas in a public forum like a meeting or classroom. For other people, these things are dreadful, in the literal sense. It takes enormous amounts of energy to be in those kinds of spaces, and once there, it’s a matter of hanging on until it’s all over. A person’s anxiety in social settings can become so severe that it begins to interfere with their daily functioning. At that point, it could be diagnosed as a social anxiety disorder by a mental health professional. Social anxiety disorder can make life – whether that’s hanging out with loved ones, going to work, doing your grocery shopping, or going to the doctor – hard. Anxiety has tell-tale signs, as it affects you physically, mentally, and emotionally. If your loved one has social anxiety, you may [...]

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When ADHD Interferes With Your Relationships

When ADHD Interferes With Your Relationships

Mccartney Paul, Kate Motaung2025-07-23T06:18:26+00:00July 23rd, 2025|ADHD/ADD, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Relationships are important. They are part of God’s plan. He made us social creatures. In Genesis, we find that God didn’t want Adam to be alone, so He created Eve. The Bible is full of stories of how God has provided people to do his work and to love His followers. So, when you long for relationships, it’s not unusual – it’s part of God’s plan. But if you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (also known as ADHD), you may be struggling in your relationships. It’s one thing to desire deep, meaningful, and mutually beneficial relationships, and it’s a whole other thing to make and preserve them. ADHD Relationship Obstacles If you have ADHD, you’re probably already familiar with some of the obstacles that this disorder presents when it comes to interpersonal relationships. You’re probably acutely aware of the fact that you interrupt people when they’re talking or that you have a hard time focusing on a conversation. You probably cringe when you think about the time that you were pacing the floor acting disinterested in a conversation. But your mind and your body often follow the directions of ADHD rather than social norms. A romantic relationship adds a whole other layer of confusion and misunderstanding. You might be in a fully committed, loving relationship, ready to make a life together, but if your partner doesn’t understand your ADHD, you might not be perceiving the relationship in the same way. When you forget something they just said or lose track of the task that you promised to handle, it can feel to them like you’re careless or indifferent or even worse, that you simply don’t prioritize them or their needs. If they don’t understand that your brain works just a little differently, they may interpret your actions as lazy, [...]

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7 Ideas for Building Self-Esteem

7 Ideas for Building Self-Esteem

Ashlynn Barnette, Kate Motaung2025-07-07T04:04:55+00:00July 7th, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development|

If you have felt out of sorts lately, it may have to do with your self-esteem. Factors such as bullying, abuse, trauma, negative self-talk, neglect, or prejudice can contribute to low self-esteem. Building self-esteem is critical for your emotional and mental well-being. Why Building Self-Esteem is Critical Although several factors can lead to low self-esteem, knowing who you are and how valuable you are to yourself, your loved ones, your community, and God is the basis of a healthy mental state. When you value yourself and perceive your worth, you build emotional resilience and do not feel as pressured by societal ideals. If your self-esteem is low, then you might: Compromise on your values. Stay in a toxic relationship. Compare yourself to others. Make rash decisions or struggle to make commitments. Never take risks. Struggle with body image, depression, and anxiety. Struggle to achieve goals. Let yourself go, including personal hygiene and health. Building self-esteem will positively affect your physical, emotional, and mental health. As you realize that you were made in the image and likeness of God, the belief that you are a co-heir to Christ’s kingdom and a son or daughter of the King, your confidence will soar. What if low self-esteem were no longer a barrier, and you knew in your heart that opportunities were available to you and doors were open that no man could shut if it were God’s will? Start by building self-esteem and shifting your mindset and beliefs. Ideas for Building Self-Esteem Building self-esteem takes practice. You may need to replace negative self-talk with positive affirmations, mantras, and beliefs. You will need to challenge your own thoughts and limiting beliefs. Your behavior will need to change to reflect confidence by adopting new actions. Although not mentioned in the list below, reading and [...]

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Signs That You Need Help for Alcohol Dependence

Signs That You Need Help for Alcohol Dependence

Mccartney Paul, Kate Motaung2025-06-20T07:00:08+00:00June 20th, 2025|Chemical Dependency, Featured, Individual Counseling, Men’s Issues, Women’s Issues|

Many people have a complicated relationship with alcohol. In one person’s experience, it may be related to happy and enjoyable memories, while for another, it’s associated with dark and painful ones. Each person must navigate how they will deal with alcohol, and it helps to be informed about some of the ways it can negatively affect someone. Various substances, such as prescription and recreational drugs, affect the brain. Likewise, alcohol can produce pleasurable feelings and also blunt negative ones. It has a powerful effect on the brain, which can make it appealing. This temporary relief can motivate someone to turn to alcohol again and again, even when it poses possible significant risks to their health and overall well-being. You can become dependent on alcohol even without recognizing it. What is alcohol dependence? When you depend on something, it means that it plays a significant role in your life. When a person is dependent on alcohol, they may feel as though they cannot function without consuming alcohol. Alcohol assumes an important role in their life, and often, they have to drink more and more of it in order to obtain the same effect as before. Alcohol becomes a priority, superseding other activities or obligations. When a person is dependent on alcohol, they may not only prioritize alcohol over other things like family or work, but they may continue to consume alcohol even when it becomes destructive. Even if they’ve begun experiencing the harmful consequences of drinking, such as getting a DUI, losing their job, being diagnosed with liver disease, or other mental health challenges, they will continue to drink. Alcohol dependence is marked by the impaired ability to stop or control one’s intake and use of alcohol. Alcohol dependence is one of a cluster of terms that are often used [...]

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The Many Ways Distorted Thinking Affects Your Life Every Day

The Many Ways Distorted Thinking Affects Your Life Every Day

Ashlynn Barnette, Kate Motaung2025-06-12T10:10:02+00:00June 12th, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development|

Emotions are a big part of how you experience your life. They shape the way you see the world, make decisions, and react to the ups and downs of life. But what can happen is that emotions take charge and trick you into thinking things that aren’t true. If you let them, they can twist your thoughts, making situations seem worse than they are. This is called distorted thinking, and it probably happens to you more than you’d think. Distorted emotions are like a filter, and through it, everything seems darker and more difficult than it really is. You can have a small argument with a friend, and then an emotional response will make you think, “They don’t care about me,” even when there’s no proof. These kinds of thoughts feel real at the moment, but they’re not the truth; they’re just emotions blurring reality. With some awareness of how your brain may conjure up this wrong way of thinking, it’s possible to spot these patterns, and then you can change them. Why do you have emotions? Emotions come from a part of your brain called the amygdala. It’s the one that helps you respond to things around you. These emotional responses are part of what keeps you safe and balanced. The amygdala normally processes feelings like fear and anger, where chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin create sensations of either happiness or sadness. These emotions are the brain’s way of helping us respond quickly to the world around us. This is the way your brain knows, for example, that fear signals danger, and joy means something good is around. Through it all, the brain is supposed to remain in charge of your thoughts by rationalizing and balancing your reactions with what is real. Everyone experiences emotional highs and [...]

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Common ADHD Quirks and How to Manage Them

Common ADHD Quirks and How to Manage Them

Mccartney Paul, Kate Motaung2025-06-05T07:04:22+00:00June 5th, 2025|ADHD/ADD, Family Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Having ADHD is a mixed bag of fun and frustration. so many things are just different about us compared to neurotypical folks, that it’s sometimes hard to keep track of. It is important for us to feel seen and understood because, although we might be different, there is nothing inherently wrong with us. As with everyone, regardless of their neurotype, sometimes we need to understand why we are doing certain things so that we can better adapt or tweak our actions, for the good of everyone. Let’s explore some of the most common ADHD quirks and consider how to manage them. Common ADHD Quirks and How to Manage Them Most of us have poor bladder control When we get locked into a hyperfocus mode, there is little that can stop us or distract us, even a full bladder. Unfortunately, holding urine does not strengthen the bladder but weakens it over time. It might take a lot of practice, but we simply need to lean into our natural affinity for multitasking and go to the bathroom while we are doing whatever fun task we are absorbed in. We tend to adopt accents Those with ADHD often become fascinated by ordinary things, and a foreign accent can be captivating. We tend to imitate accents without even realizing it, and sometimes this comes across as rude or fake, although for us it is harmless and unintentional. If we find ourselves in a conversation with someone who has an interesting accent, it might be helpful to warn them that we tend to mimic accents. It may not be a big deal, but it also might be best to warn others before it slips out. Alternatively, we can be self-aware and try to intentionally stop ourselves from mimicking. We suffer from FOMO There is [...]

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Carrollton Christian Counseling

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