Wade Van Staden

About Wade Van Staden

As a native of Zimbabwe, Africa I have always used what I have to help where and whomever I can. I became a certified counselor immediately after leaving school, and have worked in charities, missions, and community projects and churches ever since. I have worked with pre-teens, young adults, married couples, and the elderly. My hope is always that people know someone is there to walk next to them. I’ve had my fair share of mental health issues too, experiencing total burnout by the age of 24. As a result, I am passionate about helping people find their boundaries and establish habits that will boost their mental health. I started working online during the pandemic, teaching English to refugees around the globe, in hopes that they can find work. I believe that it doesn’t take much to make a lasting impact, and sometimes all people need is to know someone sees and hears them. I love being outdoors, tending to my 200 house plants, and having movie marathons with friends in my free time.

The Dos and Don’ts of Helping Someone With PTSD

2025-04-30T07:26:30+00:00April 30th, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, Trauma|

It can be difficult to know how to support loved ones through experiences that you can’t understand. To make things worse, PTSD is something unique to each one who experiences it, and it can be hard for the sufferer to talk about it for many reasons. In addition to all of this, PTSD is frequently misdiagnosed and treated as fatigue or depression. We can unintentionally harm our loved ones by the way we react to their PTSD symptoms, regardless of how long they have been apparent. Most of us genuinely want what is best for our loved ones dealing with PTSD, so here are some pointers that could help us help the ones we love. The Dos of Helping Someone With PTSD Acknowledge and validate their struggle It’s always reassuring to be seen in a struggle, and many people with PTSD need that assurance and validation that what they’re going through is hard. Listen to them when they share their experience It can take a lot for someone going through the symptoms of PTSD to open up and share, so when they do, value them by listening. Try to empathize with their feelings It’s hard to level with someone when they’re going through something we can’t understand, but we need to try to empathize with what they’re feeling. Support them as they seek help People with PTSD tend to sit in their feelings for ages. When your loved one starts seeking solutions to their symptoms, encourage them because it is a big deal. Ask them how you can help Asking them how you can help gives them the chance to think of what they need. They might not have even considered how they need help, so this could be a meaningful prompt. The Don’ts of Helping Someone with PTSD [...]

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5 Everyday Habits That Cause Stress

2024-11-20T13:06:58+00:00November 21st, 2024|Coaching, Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development, Professional Development|

People experience stress from many different sources, but it always has a physical effect. From migraines to stomach ulcers, stress could be affecting you in ways that you hadn’t even considered. 5 Habits that Cause Stress (and How to Break Them) Here are five everyday habits that could add stress to your life, and how to break them. 1. Holding in emotions Many people feel uncomfortable expressing their emotions at work and might even create a buffer at home to prevent their children from seeing too much of their struggles. This is perfectly understandable; however, it means that stress is locked up inside with no release. Imagine that your body is a bucket and stress is water being poured into it. At some point, you will be filled to the brim. To avoid overflowing or bursting your capacity, you need to find a way of venting. This could be texting a friend you can be honest with, taking five minutes in the bathroom to breathe, or taking the time to complete a few small tasks so that you can feel like you are in control of your schedule. 2. Refraining from bathroom visits We’ve all done it before, rather than break your concentration, you hold your bladder and continue working. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it is potentially dangerous. Just like with stress, what comes in must go out, or it will release toxins into your system. Make a habit of going to the bathroom when you need to. 3. Holding tension in your body There is a post circulating social media that reminds you to unclench your jaw, let your shoulders fall, and breathe out slowly. It’s amusing to follow the instructions and realize just how tense you were, even when you thought you were relaxing. This [...]

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The Dynamics of Codependency

2024-09-25T08:31:30+00:00July 15th, 2024|Codependency, Couples Counseling, Featured, Relationship Issues|

Codependency is a toxic dynamic in a relationship where two people become locked into a giving-and-taking imbalance. This means that one person (the giver) pours their energy, time, and resources into supporting the receiver or “enabler.” The giver needs to be needed, and the enabler needs to be in a position of primary importance in someone else’s life. There are varying degrees of severity with codependent relationships, but the result is usually two people trapped by each other and descending into bitterness and resentment. Recovery from codependency is possible, and it begins with self-reflection and awareness. Sometimes people need to see where they need help or healing to undo damaging situations, they have gotten themselves and others into. The giving flaws The givers in codependent relationships usually begin with people pleasing and pacifying from a young age. They are often highly empathetic people who derive genuine joy from making others happy. However, underlying this generous spirit is often a wound of feeling not good enough, unseen, or unworthy of affection. By nature, givers do not acknowledge or confront issues. They might be aware of problems with their self-esteem but will default to being the good friend, or the kind stranger to receive compliments, praise, and affection. This behavior might seem pleasant on the outside, but deep down it is subtly manipulative. What about enablers of codependency? In some ways, the enabler is the inverse of the giver. They appear more confident, less uncertain, and more obviously controlling. The giver comes to rely on the other person in the codependent relationship for their outspoken opinions, decisiveness, and perceived superiority. Where the giver’s motive is to people please, the enabler has a motive that is simply to have someone meet their needs. Their self-importance is often rooted in narcissism, and they will [...]

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