Martin de Porres and Habits of Love

This isn’t a counseling article, but the story of this brother-in-Christ is so inspiring I wanted to share it with you. Click here to read full article. 

Russell Moore on Loving the Hurting Exvangelical

In counseling we often see what looks like anger, but which is really a cover for hurt. Russell Moore helps us see that this is also true for some people who at one time gave every indication of being committed Christians, who pull away from the church. With an introduction by Randy Alcorn.

If you are dealing with someone who is hypercritical, or someone who has been hurt by one or more people who are hypercritical, this heartfelt letter might be helpful. Click here to read full article. 

Early Peanut Feeding Guidelines Still Not Reaching Families

If you work with families this information might be helpful. Apparently lots of parents are not getting the message about how to prevent peanut allergies and so it might be helpful for you to know this information, both for your families as well as the families you work with. I know this skirts the borders of practicing medicine without a license, I think if you simply tell them this is the information conveyed in a respected medical journal (Medscape Psychiatry), and encouraging them to check with their pediatrician, you would not be doing anything that would be questionable. Click here to read full article. 

Does High-Intensity Exercise Affect Our Hearts? Minds? Life Spans? Waistlines?

There have been lots of articles on high-intensity workouts, both supportive and cautionary.

Here is an article that tries to give a balanced view of both sides of the issue. Click here to read full article. 

Bipolar Depression: Letting the Light In

Bipolar disorder is often not diagnosed for several years after it first appears. One reason is that depressive episodes are much more pervasive. Something that makes bipolar disorder easier to diagnose occur when the person is manic. Therefore if you’re counseling with a depressed person it’s often a good idea to ask them about their history and see if they have ever had manic symptoms. Click here to read full article. 

50 years of predictions that the climate apocalypse is nigh

I think most Christians agree that we are to be good stewards of Planet Earth. But when you read proponents of each side of the global warming debate, you get very different views of which facts are true. One side says that the climate is affected by many different factors, and that the effect of any one factor is to be balanced with a recognition of all the other factors. The other side says that unless we reduce one factor (carbon emissions) immediately we are doomed.

Since many of you were not around in the 1950s and 60s you might now know that at that time there were also climate alarmists, but then they were predicting global cooling. They asserted that unless we made immediate changes we would usher in another ice age.

After having read a few books on the subject I’m convinced that climate is affected by many factors, and that we need to continue to study how to be good stewards of our planet, but that we need not be panicking that global destruction is right around the corner.

If you’d like a short historical review of how climate alarmists have been predicting climate catastrophe for the last fifty years (none of which has occurred), read the following article. Click here to read full article. 

If you’d like to listen to some five-minute videos by various scientists who do not believe we have a climate emergency that requires immediately transforming our economy, you can find some at Praeger University’s website (www.praeger.com) and browse five minute videos on climate change. You might at least be able to sleep better at night.

Washington Supreme Court Ruled Against Seattle Homeless Ministry Over Christian Beliefs

Seattle’s Gospel Union Mission has been helping the homeless in Seattle since 1932 and has an enviable record of helping people become employed or continue their education. Recently a man applied for a position who was not a believer, would not follow their code of conduct,and who said part of his purpose was to change the Mission’s spiritual beliefs. When he was not offered a position the Washington Supreme Court ruled against the Mission. The Alliance Defending Freedom is attempting to have this case heard by the Supreme Court. I think we need to be vigilant because some groups are trying to remove the religious freedom that we have taken for granted for many years. Click here to read full article.

Pediatric Orgs Declare National Emergency in Mental Health

If you work with girls 5-11 and teen girls you should know that there is a significant increase in suicide attempts in that age and gender. Click here to read full article.

Resident Doctor Who Attempted Suicide Three Times Fights for Change

As many of you know, bipolar clients have several times the normal rate of suicide as do the general population, and disrupted sleep is very dangerous for these clients. This doctor has bipolar disorder, was doing his residency (where residents frequently do not get regular sleep), and he attempted suicide three times. Here is his story and his recommendations. Click here to read full article.

Beyond the Brain-Body Split

Although cognitive and behavioral strategies work for many issues, there may be times when a neurodevelopmental approach may be needed. This article provides a helpful introduction to that approach. Click here to read full article. 

Coping with a Narcissist at Work, at Home, or in Relationships

Although living with or working with a narcissist has no easy solutions, here’s a brief article from the Amen Clinic with some suggestions for how to live with a narcissist at work, home, or in the family. Click here to access full article.

“Luxury Beliefs”

Sometimes we might, for a moment or two, think it would be nice to live like the rich and famous. This thoughtful analysis reminds us that the Christian lifestyle, while it seems much less exciting than the “luxury beliefs” often flaunted on social media, is ultimately the most fulfilling and healthy. Click here to read full article. 

Dr. Becky Doesn’t Think the Goal of Parenting Is to Make Your Kid Happy

Each generation seems to have one or more persons whom parents look to for guidance on parenting. One of the newest persons to fill that role is “Dr. Becky”—Dr. Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist and mother of three. She has some ideas that I think are worthwhile considering. If you’re not familiar with her work and approach, I encourage you to read this article from the New York Times Magazine. Click here to read full article. 

A Potential Solution to the Impulsivity of Bipolar Disorder

Although this article is addressed to people with bipolar disorder who are impulsive, I think the approach recommended in it could be useful to anyone who has made (or sometimes makes) impulsive decisions, and it would certainly be compatible with our goals in Christian counseling. Click here to read full article. 

9 Ways ADHD Breaks My Heart Every Day

I think we sometimes don’t realize the amount of pain that some people with mental disorders experience because of their illness. Here is a brief article by a mother with ADHD, who has a child with ADHD, and who is an ADHD coach. This article can help give us empathy. Click here to read full article. 

An Age-Old Tool for Suicide Prevention

Feeling connected with others, having a social support system, people whom you care about and who care about you, is an important suicide prevention tool that we sometimes do not give enough emphasis to in our schools, our families, and our churches. Click here to read full article. 

The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Changing Our Dreams

After having several months of unusually vivid dreams during this pandemic, I wondered if others were having similar changes in their dreams. Here is one study which was done early in the pandemic that showed that I was not alone. You can see whether it is at all consistent with your experience. Click here to read full article. 

Is bad indoor air dulling your brain?

This article summarizes the result of a multi-country study that showed that poor air quality in offices has a detrimental effect on cognitive functioning, and also contains some practical information about what to do about it. Click here to read full article. 

Jury Still Out on Lithium's Antisuicidal Effects

For more than a decade it has been commonly believed that lithium was helpful in reducing suicidal behavior in people with either Bipolar 1 or 2, and more recently, in veterans with PTSD. This well-designed study found that lithium produced no noticeable difference in suicide rates in comparison to placebos, contradicting the lore that lithium does reduce the likelihood of suicides in these two groups. Click here to read full article. 

 Have a wonderful weekend!

Henry Virkler