Counseling News from the Week of August 14, 2026

Extra Explanation: This week had a paucity of counseling-related articles, so I’ve also included several other articles I ran across in my research that I thought might be of interest to many Christians, so I’ve included them along with the counseling articles.

Explanation: Although I scan the Internet primarily for counseling articles, in the process I run across quotes and interesting facts that I sometimes include in these first two sections. If you’re just interested in the counseling articles, you can skip these first two sections and go directly to the section called Counseling Articles.

Interesting Quotes

"The well-being and the hopes of the peoples of the world can never be served until peace—as well as freedom, honor, and self-respect—is secure."

Ralph Bunche

“Conscience is the most sacred of all property.”

James Madison

“He who has peace of mind disturbs neither himself nor another.”

Epicurus

"Negative energy is wasted energy. You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments. That is, to me, the sign of a champion."

Roger Federer

"When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade."

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

William Shakespeare

Fascinating Facts

Tiny but lethal” “Mosquitoes are the world's deadliest animal, killing about 760,000 people annually. Though there are more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes and only a very small fraction of them bite humans, the diseases that skeeters carry can be very deadly. Malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, and more sicken and kill humans and other animals, too. Only females bite humans, and they suck our blood because they need blood proteins to sustain their eggs.” Click here to read the full article Mighty Darwin Has Struck Out: Thirty Years of Darwin’s Black Box 30 years ago Michael Behe wrote “Darwin’s Black Box” which critiqued Darwin’s theory that animals and humans developed by a series of small evolutionary changes, and many observers say that Behe’s book initiated the modern Intelligent Design movement. In his book he shows that the flagellum, which emerged early in the world’s history, is an extraordinarily complex physical mechanism and doesn’t seem to be the result of many previous mutations. Recent scientific research shows that early life on earth was very complex, and then evolution helped animals and humans make small changes in their genomes in the centuries since. Although there have been at least three major attempts to disprove Behe’s hypothesis, as continued scientific research has shown, shortly after the “big bang” happened extraordinarily complex processes were occurring, suggesting that a loving, Intelligent Designer created a complex creation that has experienced only minor evolutionary changes since. Click here to read the full article Why This Cosmic Rarity Reveals God’s Grace to Every Believer

We usually take water for granted, but it is quite rare throughout the universe. It is essential for animal and human life here on earth to exist and thus provides just one more proof of very loving and caring Intelligent Designer who created the universe and the earth.

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Black Hole Stars

A new cosmic entity has been discovered by Webb telescopes, that is believed to have been created about 660 million years after the Big Bang. They [there is more than one] radiate about 100 billion times the energy of a typical star. Here is a quotation describing them: “Scientists say they have identified a new type of cosmic object, a supermassive black hole surrounded by a dense gas cloud, resembling a star. The so-called “black hole star” could explain similar objects, red dots that have until now remained unidentified. While searching for the oldest possible galaxies, researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope noticed an extremely bright red spot, the reddest hue it has ever documented. They say the object—named “MoM-BH*-1”—formed about 660 million years after the Big Bang. They posited that a powerful star surrounded by a dense cloud of hydrogen could explain the red hue, among other phenomena. However, it was only when researchers incorporated a black hole into their simulation that it explained the object’s brightness, radiating 100 billion times the energy of a star. Red dots have appeared in nearly every image the telescope has taken, suggesting these cosmic objects may have been foundational in the early universe.”

Counseling Articles

Scientific Theories That Were Once Considered Ridiculous

Though not a specifically counseling article, I think this article contains some interesting psychological insights. New theories are often rejected initially because they contradict the theories of the time. But as human beings come to learn more about the world, often the theory comes to be accepted. I think this reminds us to be open to new ideas, and to use science and the reason God has given us to evaluate them. Take a moment to review some of the theories that were at one time rejected as ridiculous, such as the idea that physicians should wash their hands (this was before the time when science had discovered bacteria).

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5 Small Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Mood Episodes

This article describes 5 small changes that clients could easily implement that could help them prevent or reduce the frequency of mood episodes.

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'Gender-affirming care' is abortion 2.0

At first this title may not seem to make sense. But this quote from the early part of the article helps clarify why Planned Parenthood is endorsing both. “Planned Parenthood’s own literature has defended both abortion and “gender-affirming care” under the banner of “bodily autonomy.” Both are described as lifesaving, life-affirming, and essential expressions of personal freedom. Once that premise is accepted, the slogan makes perfect sense. Ending a pregnancy and interrupting healthy human development become parallel acts of self-definition. Planned Parenthood and, by association, its allies, are finally acknowledging both practices share the same anthropology.”

Click here to read the full article

How early-life stress leaves a ‘scar’ inside brain cells

We’ve known for decades that early-life stress can affect functioning in later life. Probably most of us attributed that to psychological factors. Now new research shows that early-life stress changes cells and neurons in the brain and thus may predispose adults to things like anxiety disorders and depression. And the effect seems to be cumulative: children who experience four or more early-life stressors are more likely to experience long-term effects than those who experience only one or two.

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Gen Z dating apps like Ditto ditch swiping in favor of AI matchmaking

Young people are becoming disillusioned with the current process of swiping to find dating partners. One of the newest approaches is to use AI to find compatible partners. Users complete an introductory questionnaire that asks them about their interests and background and then matches them with others with similar backgrounds. Sounds like a worthwhile concept to consider.

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Circumcision and Autism: What a New Study Found

A new study examined whether circumcision had any effect on the development of autism. For those who have been circumcised or for parents who have circumcised their children, the results are reassuring. Circumcision apparently has no effect on whether a child will develop autism.

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Three Factors Tied to 13 Additional Dementia-Free Years

Maintaining 3 factors during midlife—normal blood pressure, avoiding diabetes, and not smoking, were associated with 13 additional disease-free years and longer life.

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Understand Your Love Language

Most of us know Gary Chapman’s theory of five love languages, but if you have young couples who are not familiar with them, this summary article may be a good introduction for them. Learning their love language and that of their partner could help them strengthen their marriages effectively.

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What Parents Risk When They Shield Children from Every Hardship

I think every parent knows that they should shield their children from situations that are beyond their maturity level to deal with. But this article makes the point that shielding children from every difficulty may prevent them from developing the perseverance needed for lifelong faith and maturity. Instead of shielding their children from every difficulty, helping them learn to deal with those difficulties may be the more loving thing to do.

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Jefferson’s Lost Words Reveal His True Conviction on Slavery

Recovery of the original Declaration of Independence reveals that Thomas Jefferson denounced slavery and thoroughly believed that “all men are created equal.” Some of his original words were removed to allow the Southern states to ratify the Declaration. Fortunately, in time the United States under Abraham Lincoln came to live up to Jefferson’s aspirations.

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What to Say to Someone Who Is Dying, According to Hospice Workers

We can often learn from people who have been through experiences themselves, and that includes hospice workers, who see many people and their loved ones during the last moments of consciousness. I hope you don’t have to experience this anytime soon, but here are some ideas to keep in mind.

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7 Smart Ways to Protect Your Finances from Elevated Moods

People who have bipolar disorder often run into financial problems that occur during their manic periods. Here are 7 practical suggestions to help them protect their finances during these periods.

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The Demise of Civilizations

Although not a counseling article, I think these reflections from Richard Simmons are worthwhile for all Christians to consider. He summarizes how some of the best historians have viewed the reasons world civilizations have collapsed. There are several primary ingredients, but one common ingredient in each major civilization’s fall was the moral collapse that occurred within its citizens.

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CKM Syndrome: A New Condition 9 in 10 Adults May Have–Here Are the Causes

In case you don’t have anything to worry about, the newest news is that 90% of adults may now suffer from CKM syndrome, which stands for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome. Previously these were considered totally different illnesses, but this article explains how problems in one system can lead to problems in the other two.

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It’s natural to envy your friends

Based on the verse in Proverbs that says: “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” Christians typically believe we should never experience envy. But this article makes the distinction between benign and malignant envy, and I think that distinction is worth considering. See what you think after reading the article.

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HHS Report Alleges Insurance Fraud by ‘Gender-Affirming’ Pediatricians

The gender-affirming-care movement is facing another legal challenge. HHS is now alleging that pediatricians who did sex-change surgeries committed insurance fraud and should have instead referred patients to therapists, since most persons with gender dysphoria will resolve by the completion of adolescence with psychotherapy.

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The Story of America

A free series which now has about 17 videos (more are being developed), each about 10 minutes long, which could be interesting to watch with your children. They tell the story of the questions the Founders wrestled with, the factors that led to them breaking from Great Britain, the world’s superpower of the time, the enormous struggles they faced, the decisions leaders needed to face during perilous times, the development of the Army, Navy and Marines, the first spy network and the incredible way they communicated information before any modern means of communication, and much more. It fills you with thankfulness for the Providence of God in our nation’s founding, the wisdom of our Founders in developing a Constitution and Bill of Rights, and the willingness of the Founders to sacrifice their own safety and many early soldiers to experience incredible hardship (starvation, freezing temperatures, etc.) so that we might eventually be free. If you watch these videos with your children, I think you’ll all be left with a sense of gratitude for the country we have.

Click here to read the full article

Have a wonderful week!

Henry Virkler