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4 Ways to Stop a Panic Attack

4 Ways to Stop a Panic Attack

Tammy Varghese, Kate Motaung2025-02-19T11:50:28+00:00February 19th, 2025|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Panic attacks are more common than people realize. However, they may also be more challenging to recognize. A panic attack occurs when a person’s anxiety has been going on for some time, and they are stuck in a fight or flight response. This is when the parasympathetic nervous system continues to feel fear even when there’s no stimulus or reason to feel that fear. Panic can happen both in public and in private. A panic attack can cause embarrassment and humiliation, especially in a social situation. A panic attack can occur in an instant; they are challenging to detect because a person can be in the middle of the conversation and realize they are having a panic attack. 4 Ways to Stop a Panic Attack Panic attack symptoms mimic heart attack symptoms. A person may feel pain in the chest, a constant sense of fear, tingling or numbness in the arm, sweating palms, a shaking or fearful feeling, shortness of breath, etc. These symptoms can range from mild to severe and may cause someone to go to the emergency room. However, there are ways to stop a panic attack from getting too severe. Here are four ways to stop a panic attack: 1. Go Somewhere Alone Anxiety symptoms are complex enough to deal with. It can be uncomfortable if it happens in a social situation. They may want to hide the symptoms, so they don’t have to tell others what they feel. However, this can add to their stress if they fear peer rejection. It is essential to have someone supportive of you with you when you’re having a panic attack. If you sense your anxiety has been at a high level, let the supportive person know. If you need to leave, figure out a signal or word you [...]

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How to Find Support and Healing After Infidelity

How to Find Support and Healing After Infidelity

Cyndi Kay Green2025-02-04T06:21:33+00:00February 4th, 2025|Couples Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling, Infidelity and Affairs, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Infidelity in a relationship can be a challenge to recover from. A person can be unsure about pursuing forgiveness and restoring the marriage to what it once was. The discovery of infidelity not only feels as though life has imploded, but it can also feel as though the entire marriage has been a farce, making healing after infidelity difficult. Healing after infidelity begins with the most challenging part: forgiveness. Until a person finds a way to let go of the bitterness, there will be no peace in any of the decisions that are made. Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22, ESV There are many ways to pursue healing after infidelity. This pursuit begins with making an intentional choice to heal regardless of what may seem to be ruined. Just as with any other process, it is important to recognize what the goal is and to get clarity about that goal. These four important questions may help you take the first step in healing after infidelity. Can you forgive your partner? Can you become committed and trust your partner again? Have you released the anger toward your partner? Can you move forward? After asking yourself these questions, it is time to begin taking steps to heal. Recovering the Relationship Each relationship is different and special. It revolves around the people involved, and it is specific to how they relate to each other. This means that recovery after infidelity is different for each couple. While it may look different, there are phases that relationships typically experience as they engage in the healing after [...]

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Why You Need a Personal Development Plan and How to Get Started

Why You Need a Personal Development Plan and How to Get Started

Mccartney Paul, Kate Motaung2025-03-27T18:32:14+00:00January 31st, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development|

Does the turn of the new year excite you? Do you think about what you want for your future? Or have you been living the same year repeatedly, much like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day? You were created for a purpose, and it is not to repeat the same year over again. You can get clear on what you should do with a personal development plan. Why You Need a Personal Development Plan A personal development plan identifies your goals, strengths, and weaknesses. It uncovers what you need to learn or do to accomplish your goals. New skills will take you higher than you have ever been before in your personal and professional life. The following are more benefits of creating a personal development plan. It motivates you to accomplish goals A personal development plan motivates you to accomplish goals that otherwise might be out of reach. It gets to the bottom of why you want to achieve a specific goal. When the tasks to reach the goal become challenging and you no longer feel motivated, the reason why you chose this goal will motivate you once more. A personal development plan keeps you focused on the reason behind the goal. It teaches you goal setting principles There is an art to setting goals; people who understand the principles and follow through achieve more than those who make vague statements. Anyone can declare that they want to do something, but it will probably never happen if they do not make their goal specific and time bound. It helps identify your strengths and weaknesses To reach the next level, you must honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses. You will also need to discern what strengths you want to build upon and what weaknesses you need to tackle first. For [...]

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Questions and Answers About Explosive Anger Disorder

Questions and Answers About Explosive Anger Disorder

Sandra Stein2025-04-29T19:39:08+00:00January 17th, 2025|Anger Issues, Christian Counseling for Children, Christian Counseling For Teens, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Listen to this article Explosive anger disorder, also known as intermittent explosive disorder (IED), is a mental health condition characterized by frequent episodes of intense, out-of-control anger that leads to aggressive verbal outbursts or violent behavior that is out of proportion to what triggered it. IED is a formal diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), listed under the category of disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders. What are the symptoms of Explosive Anger Disorder? A person with explosive anger disorder may feel as though he or she has lost control of his or her emotions and be so overcome by rage he or she lashes out verbally, makes threats, starts screaming, physically attacks animals or people, throws or breaks things, has temper tantrums, kicks in doors, punches holes in walls, or engages in behaviors such as road rage or domestic abuse. Outbursts can come on suddenly, and the aggressive behavior is impulsive, with no thought of what the consequences might be. After the fit is over, the person may regret his or her actions and feel guilty, ashamed, or sorry for what he or she has said or done. Are there any warning signs of an outburst about to happen? Some warning signs that you are about to have an explosive anger outburst include irritability, a growing sense of tension, sudden rage, rapid heartbeat, racing thoughts, a feeling of tightness in your chest, tingling, and/or shakiness. Causes The exact cause of explosive anger disorder is unknown. However, there appear to be several possible contributing factors such as a genetic predisposition; changes in brain structure, function, and chemistry; life experiences; and the environment you are exposed to during childhood. If, for instance, you were abused or bullied as a child or [...]

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How to Walk Alongside Your Depressed Husband

How to Walk Alongside Your Depressed Husband

Mccartney Paul, Kate Motaung2025-01-07T03:58:54+00:00January 6th, 2025|Couples Counseling, Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling, Marriage Counseling, Men’s Issues, Relationship Issues|

Seeing a person we love going through a hard time is heart-wrenching. We want to do all we can to love them, to make them feel loved, supported, and understood. It is possible in many situations – especially that of a depressed husband – to begin to feel powerless, especially when our presence does not seem to be making a difference. In this and other situations, remember that your empathetic presence by itself can make a difference, and you must hold onto that when it seems otherwise. If your husband is struggling with depression, you may not know how to be that empathetic presence for him. On the other hand, you may wonder if what you are doing is making a difference. Hopefully, the words below will encourage you in your journey with your depressed husband. Supporting a Loved One with Depression Depression is a common mental health problem that afflicts people from all walks of life, all genders, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds. It can afflict those whom we may perceive as strong. It is often shocking for many wives to see their husbands bowed down by depression. As with any other condition or situation, one of the first ways you can function as a meaningful support is to understand what it is your husband is dealing with. Depression is a mood disorder that affects how a person feels, thinks, and functions in daily life. Something is going on not only in the person’s body but also in their mind and brain chemistry as well. Often, depression is signaled by feelings of intense sadness which last for weeks and months. It can be tempting to think that your depressed husband just needs to push through this and get to the other side. Depression requires treatment, and it does not [...]

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Cultivating Healthy Expectations In A Relationship

Cultivating Healthy Expectations In A Relationship

Jennifer Kooshian2025-02-20T18:02:16+00:00December 26th, 2024|Featured, Personal Development, Relationship Issues|

Listen to this article It’s been said that if you aim for nothing, you’re likely to hit it. If you have no goals, and if you hold no expectations, that might mean that you won’t be disappointed, but it might also mean that what you get won’t be good, either. Having expectations of a given situation can be a dangerous exercise because of the possibility of disappointment and frustration, but without them, it’s also possible to wind up being taken advantage of. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, an expectation is the feeling or belief that something will or should happen. In a relationship, your expectations are typically about the behaviors and attitudes that you believe or feel your partner should have toward you. It’s about how you would want to be treated, and how you want to treat the other person. Do Relationships Need Expectations? Whether we like it or not, we come into every situation with some kind of expectation about how we will be, and how we would like others to be toward us. Those expectations may be low, and they may be either healthy or unhealthy, but they are there. Often, one way to know if you had expectations of some kind in a situation is by noticing if you feel disappointed when something happens or fails to happen. A healthy relationship needs healthy expectations because every relationship carries expectations of some kind. Even a parent-child relationship, in which a parent unconditionally loves their child carries certain expectations. For instance, a parent who loves their child unconditionally can and should expect to be shown respect and kindness by their child. Having expectations in a relationship helps you set a standard for how you want to be treated in that relationship, as well as letting [...]

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5 Everyday Habits That Cause Stress

5 Everyday Habits That Cause Stress

Wade Van Staden2024-11-20T13:06:58+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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Work Boundaries: The Value of Taking Breaks

Work Boundaries: The Value of Taking Breaks

Kate Motaung2024-11-07T09:10:34+00:00November 7th, 2024|Coaching, Featured, Individual Counseling, Professional Development|

You may have caught yourself doing it. You’re at a party or a gathering related to your kids like a sports event. You strike up a conversation with another person, and before you know it, you ask them what they do for a living, or they ask you about yourself and you start talking about your work. Sometimes it seems as though we can never get away from our work because we have no work boundaries. For many of us, our lives are defined by our work. Most of our waking hours are tied closely with work, whether that’s our morning commute to work, thinking about deadlines and meetings, gaining skills to make us better at our job, resolving a thorny interpersonal issue that’s arisen there, or thinking about getting a different job than the one we have. The Place of Work in Our Lives The work that we do provides us with many things. We can derive our sense of purpose, resources to support our family and pursue other passions, and a means of serving our community through our work. The work that takes up your day might not be remunerated with a salary, but that doesn’t diminish its significance or impact. Work can be deeply fulfilling even when it isn’t a career. Work has existed since the beginning of creation, and despite what the Monday blues tell you, work is fundamentally good. It existed in the garden before people rebelled against God and our work became a burdensome toil (Genesis 2:15; Genesis 3:17-19). Work still provides us with pleasure, especially if it is good work that’s done well, but it’s also true that most of us have a love-hate relationship with our work. One of the other things that’s happened with us and our work is [...]

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Connecting Well with Others: Relationship Advice for Women

Connecting Well with Others: Relationship Advice for Women

Mccartney Paul, Kate Motaung2024-11-13T11:06:17+00:00November 6th, 2024|Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues, Women’s Issues|

The greatest treasure in our lives is not all the stuff we have, including our homes, jobs, wealth, or looks. To be sure, those things all have their place in our lives, but the value they possess is limited. Rather, what is of greatest value is our relationships. these relationships can be with our friends, neighbors, siblings, and other family members, or our romantic partners. When these relationships are of a good quality, that impacts your overall well-being in a way little else can. “Stuff” is best enjoyed when it’s shared with your loved ones. It should come as no surprise that your relationships are of such importance. For one thing, people are deeply social and relational beings, something we get from our Heavenly Father. In the beginning, God created human beings in His image and likeness. That can mean many different things, including taking care of our world, but it also means there’s something about us that images God. God is love (1 John 4:16), and love is all about rich, deep, truthful, and healthy relationships with others. If the God we reflect is eternally Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, then it makes all the sense in the world that we are relational creatures too. Our overall well-being is intimately tied to our relationships. A person who has healthy, positive, and supportive relationships has a greater likelihood of being happier and healthier. Life isn’t always sunny, and we often encounter hardships such as death, losing a job, or struggles with our health. That’s why developing and maintaining good connections with other people matters. When we are going through hard times, those relationships can also help us to combat loneliness and improve mental health issues such as stress and anxiety. Some relationship advice for women Your relationships matter, and you [...]

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A Few Healthy Ways of Dealing With Loneliness

A Few Healthy Ways of Dealing With Loneliness

Tammy Varghese, Kate Motaung2024-11-13T11:07:46+00:00November 4th, 2024|Coaching, Featured, Individual Counseling|

God created us as social and relational creatures. We flourish when we are in healthy relationships with other people, and we can struggle if we find ourselves feeling isolated. There is a difference between being alone and feeling lonely. Solitude can be good for a person, but loneliness can lead to poor mental and cardiovascular health, among other negative outcomes. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), loneliness is cognitive discomfort or uneasiness from being or perceiving yourself to be alone. It can be an objective as well as a subjective state in which one feels emotional distress when their inherent needs for intimacy and companionship are not met. The key difference between being alone and being lonely is that, in loneliness, you want the company of others, but that need is not being met. Reasons why people feel lonely People’s lives and circumstances vary, and there are many different reasons why people feel lonely. Living by yourself If you prefer to live with others but live alone, that can lead to loneliness. The longing for companionship can be difficult when you come home to an empty apartment or house. Loss of loved ones The elderly struggle significantly with loneliness, as they may have lost many loved ones and no longer have people in their social support network. If your closest confidant has passed away, or if you’ve been through a divorce, you can find yourself feeling lonely and isolated. A new situation If you’ve just moved to a new city or country, chances are you haven’t built up a network of people to hang out with. Until you build up those networks, loneliness is a possibility. Lack of intimacy in current relationships You may be far away from people you would consider trusted confidants. Perhaps you have fought [...]

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