Interesting quote:

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.

C. S. Lewis 

A Verse That Illustrates Three Interpretive Principles

One topic that I’ve always thought to be an important one for Christian counselors is hermeneutics, which is why I wrote a book on that topic that has been translated into eight languages. In case you’re not familiar with that term, here’s a brief introduction that illustrates why it’s such an important topic, not just for Christian pastors and counselors, but for all Christians. Click here to read full article. 

Move Over, G Spot -- Scientists Have Found the C Spot

Over the past 30 years the G-spot has been the focus of much discussion by sex therapists and sex educators. Now some new research has uncovered another point of interest. See this article from a medical psychiatry journal for further information. Click here to read full article. 

The Cell That Might Trigger Alzheimer’s Disease

It seems that we’re getting closer to understanding what causes Alzheimer’s disease, the major cause of dementia. If the cause can be identified, we will be one step closer to finding a treatment. The cause of Alzheimer’s probably has to do with some brain cells called microglia. Stay tuned for further research. Click here to read full article. 

Day in the Life of a Doctor: Shadowing ED Social Workers

This is an interview with two social workers who work in an emergency department of a hospital. Very interesting interview on what life is like in this career placement. Click here to read full article.

God Is No Luddite, and We Need Not Be Either

In case you hadn’t heard this word, a Luddite is some who opposes modern technological advances, believing they will bring the end to human civilization. I think this Breakpoint column has some interesting points to consider. Click here to read full article.

Prolonged Grief Disorder Diagnostic Criteria—Helping Those With Maladaptive Grief Responses

This is a summary of the new diagnosis in the DSM-5 TR “Prolonged Grief Disorder” and a brief discussion of a therapy that has been successful in treating it. Click here to read full article.

9 Life Lessons We Can Learn from People with Bipolar Disorder

We can often learn from people who see the world differently than we do. This brief article is an illustration of that. Click here to read full article.

Midlife Conditions Linked With Later Dementia

This study was done using records from about 10,000 people in Great Britain. They looked at 13 chronic conditions and then the frequency of dementia in later life. The article is worthwhile looking at, especially because of the practical comment made by one of the study’s authors at the end. "For those with a first chronic condition, it is important to manage the condition so that a second chronic condition is avoided," she said. "Data from high-income countries show the increasing prevalence of multimorbidity in midlife, and this is likely to have implications for the cognitive status of individuals at older ages." Click here to read full article. 

Heartbroken? There's a scientific reason why breaking up feels so rotten

Science writer Florence Williams met her husband-to-be the first day of college and was married to him for much of her adult life, until she discovered a love note on his phone from another woman. This precipitated a breakup and eventual divorce, but also caused her to begin a research project interviewing scientists in the U.S. and Great Britain that resulted in the book “Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey.”

Undoubtedly some of your clients are going through similar situations, so this might give you additional understanding of what they are going through. Click here to read full article. 

 Wheaton scholars pen first ‘Origins’ college textbook bridging the Bible to ‘mainline science’

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wondered how the geologic phases hypothesized by geologists could be reconciled with the Bible. This new textbook might provide some answers. I know that this isn’t a counseling book, but there are many things in Genesis that lay the foundation for how the Christian life is to be lived. Click here to read full article. 

Walking Just 10 Minutes a Day May Lead to a Longer Life

Since this is a New York Times article, I’m just going to quote one sentence from it. “Ten minutes of moderate exercise daily would prevent more than 111,000 premature deaths a year [in the U.S], a new analysis found.” Click here to read full article.

Adrienne Johnson: Why I Am No Longer an Atheist

Adrienne was raised by atheist parents and was an atheist during her childhood and early adulthood. Her life hit rock-bottom, and she didn’t know where to turn. Hers is an amazing story which I think you’ll be inspired by. I encourage you to take 10 minutes to listen to her testimony. Click here to read full article.

Trauma treatment can alter sexual attractions. Big tech won’t let us talk about it

This article, by Dr. Joe Nicolosi Jr. is an important introduction to reintegrative therapy. If you’re not familiar with that term or that concept, I strongly encourage you to read it. Click here to read full article. 

Inventory Your Strengths

While this article was written to help people with ADHD, I think these ideas could be helpful to many clients, not just those with ADHD, who struggle with self-esteem issues. See what you think. Click here to read full article. 

Doctor Assisted Suicide is No Slippery Slope, It’s a Moral Cliff

This Breakpoint article makes an important point: even though we are moved by stories of people who suffer painful deaths, whenever assisted suicide has been legalized in countries, it was not long before doctors began making decisions to terminate patient’s lives, even when that had not been requested by the patient. I invite you to read this full article if you are wondering about this issue. Click here to read full article. 

Activists Are Trying To Normalize Pedophilia And Corporate Media Is Helping Them

This article compiles a list of many of the persons and media outlets that seem to be attempting to normalize pedophilia. Click here to read full article.

College athlete says Ivy League Lia Thomas decision told female athletes their rights don’t matter

The controversy over whether transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in athletic events has now entered a second sport—women’s track and field. The changes in the human body during puberty—not just muscle strength but also lung capacity, strengthen the argument that in order to protect women’s sports and establish a level playing field, those who go through puberty and then change their gender identity should not be allowed to compete against natal female athletes. Click here to read full article. 

 Who knew a government-subsidized pre-K could ‘fail’ kids?

This is a high-quality research study from Tennessee. Tennessee required pre-K teachers to have a bachelor’s degree and be certified, and it also paid them on parity with elementary school teachers. But following the students admitted to pre-k versus those who spent the year in some other setting, it found that sixth grade students who had gone to Tennessee’s pre-k program had lower scores on math, reading, and science tests, and had poorer attendance records and higher discipline problems than those who hadn’t. This does not mean that all pre-k programs would have the same results, but the fact that Tennessee had pretty high requirements for their pre-k teachers means that we shouldn’t automatically assume that pre-k will improve the lives of children. Probably more studies should be done in various states on a limited basis before implementing a national pre-k program. Click here to read full article. 

How Music Affects Memory in Those with Dementia

Some of you have heard of stories of people with Alzheimer’s disease who are no longer communicative, who when they heard a song or a hymn from their past, suddenly start singing both the music and the words. We are now starting to understand this phenomenon. Apparently musical memories are stored in a part of the brain that is rarely affected by Alzheimer’s disease. And now programs are being developed to encourage those with dementia to become reengaged. For more information about this, see the following article. Click here to read full article. 

A New Solution for Long-COVID Brain Fog?

Up until now no effective solution for long-COVID brain fog has been found. This new treatment does seem to be promising. Click here to read full article. 

 Signs Of Autism Can Be Spotted Earlier Than Thought, Studies Say

In the first study, which looked at videotapes of very young children, researchers found that 89% of children who would eventually develop Autism Spectrum Disorder could be identified between 5 and 15 months.

In a second study researchers found that interventions given between 12 and 24 months did continue to show effects and could reduce the intensity of ASD when it appeared.

If you are interested in providing diagnosis or treatment of such children the article includes specifics of both what was used in early diagnosis and what was used in early treatment. Click here to read full article. 

A Gaian Interpretation of COVID and the World

Although you probably are not an advocate of Gaian theory, some of your clients might be. If you’d like a brief introduction to this theory, you can find it here. Click here to read full article. 

Another good quote to end this newsletter:

To talk well and eloquently is a very great art, but that an equally great one is to know the right moment to stop.

Mozart

I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s compilation of articles. Hope to see many of you at Aaron Norton’s webinar next Friday. He has always had some excellent insights to share.

Henry Virkler