Articles from the Week of May 10, 2024
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. HV
Interesting Quotes
Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without it, no other virtue can be practiced consistently. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.
Maya Angelou
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
Abraham Lincoln
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
Aristotle
Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?
Henry David Thoreau
Whenever you feel like criticizing any one… just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Judge tenderly, if you must. There is usually a side you have not heard, a story you know nothing about, and a battle waged that you do not have to fight.
Traci Lea Larussa, writer and illustrator
"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."
Nelson Mandela
Fascinating Facts
Three pigeons were awarded military medals in 1943 for their exceptional service in WW II. (Source: HistoryFacts.com)
Legos were created as a result of the Great Depression. (Source: HistoryFacts.com)
Oxford University is older than the Inca empire. (Oxford University began teaching classes in 1096. The Incas lived in the Andean region of South America from around the 13th century AD to the mid-16th century. (Source: InterestingFacts.com)
The largest volcano in the solar system, Mars’ Olympus Mons, is more than twice as tall as Mount Everest.(Source: InterestingFacts.com)
What percentage of cells in your body are bacteria? According to NeedtoKnowFacts.com, 90%.
All clownfish are born male.
There’s a good reason why both main characters in Finding Nemo are male, at least initially. All clownfish are born that way, and it’s only when a group’s dominant female dies or disappears that a male will develop into a female and become the new matriarch. All clownfish have the ability to turn female, and the change is permanent once it occurs. The transformation begins almost immediately after the dominant female leaves and starts in the brain before manifesting itself in the sex organs.
Counseling Articles
Can the Current Universities Be Saved? Should They Be?
This is obviously not a directly a counseling article, but since it is by the widely respected Victor Davis Hanson, and makes some very good points, I thought it might be of interest to some whom are parents with children approaching college age, or to those of you who counsel teenagers. It does seem that many of the elite universities are losing their luster, and that for many students approaching college, choosing a college that reinforces traditional values and prepares students for careers that are actually in demand is the wiser choice to make. And for many teens, choosing a career as a skilled tradesman may be wiser than a college degree.
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Why We Need to Read the Cass Report on Gender Ideology
Probably most of us do not have the time to read the 400-page Cass Report, even though these two writers from Breakpoint encourage us to. They, having read the entire report, conclude: “Contrary to the standard narrative peddled by trans activists, the report affirmed that so-called “gender-affirming care” is built on “shaky foundations.” Far from being settled, the evidence supporting the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex-change surgeries to “treat” gender dysphoria is “remarkably weak.” According to the report, most of the studies cited in support of social, chemical, or surgical “transition” were found to lack the quality required to reliably and safely guide clinicians and families in caring for gender dysphoric young people.”
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People Who Felt Lonely as Children Usually Develop These 13 Traits as Adults, Psychologists Say
Although this article was written in a lay publication it’s probably a good reminder for counselors, and if you shared it with clients, might spur some meaningful conversations. And if you work with children, you might be able to do some work to help them improve their relationships right now so those traits don’t develop or become longstanding.
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The Effect of Touch on Depression, Anxiety, and Pain: New Study
Studies have shown that non-sexual touch can produce substantial benefits for those experiencing depression, anxiety or pain. Although there are cautions about counselors touching clients, this can be something we can encourage spouses and parents to do. The article addresses a number of good questions.
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Eric Metaxas’ new book ‘Religionless Christianity’ warns hour ‘extremely late’ for American Church to resist evil
While not a counseling-related book, the caution in this book is probably something that all Christians should carefully consider. Read this brief article and see if you agree.
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Biden’s Title IX Rewrite Takes Aim at Parents Too
Something not recognized in the rewrite of Title IX rules is that schools must report parents who refuse to affirm a child’s gender identity to Child Protective Services for “child abuse.”
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Women More Likely to Have Certain Adverse Events With Antipsychotics Than Men
If you are a woman or a counselor who works with women this is important information for you to know. Women are more likely to have adverse reactions to first generation antipsychotics, and the percentage of women who had a serious reaction was significant. You may need to register to access this article, but registration is free and easy, and gives you free access to five articles a month.
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Will Changing the Term Obesity Reduce Stigma?
There is now a movement to distinguish between obesity (which will now be defined as an illness that changes the functioning of other organs), and other pre-clinical stages (which changes the structure of cells and organs, but not their functioning). The pre-clinical stages will now have a new name—"adiposity-based chronic disease (ABCD).” I’m not sure that will make a significant change in how overweight people feel about themselves or whether the general public will move to using the term “adiposity-based chronic disease.”
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Female prison guard on trial for giving gangster the ‘kiss of death’
You may have seen this headline in some international newspapers and wondered if this guard had some mysterious chemical on her lips. The reality is more mundane. She gave a kiss to a certain person, which was used as a signal to mobsters that this was the person they were to assassinate, which they promptly did.
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How to Align Your Career with Your Passions
One of the challenges for someone with ADHD is to find a career that is satisfying and challenging to them. This article by highly-respected ADHD specialist (Dr. Edward Hallowell) has some good suggestions for young people with ADHD who are selecting a career path.
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9 Ways ADHD May Strain Relationships
We’re all familiar with how a child with ADHD can often strain relationships with parents, but ADHD is notorious for increasing the rate of divorce in adulthood. Being able to understand these things objectively can help both parents and spouses respond to them in healthier ways.
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The Glorious Comeback of the Gap Year
Children mature at different rates, and children with ADHD often take a little longer than the typical child. Even though this is written for teens with ADHD, I think it could be relevant to any teen who is still unclear about his or her future direction. The article is good at clarifying why a gap year can be helpful, how to structure a gap year, and good sources of information.
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I Cried Out to the Name Demons Fear Most
I don’t know if you’ll be able to read this article if you don’t have a subscription to “Christianity Today,” but if you can read it I think you’ll find it fascinating. Jennifer Nizza was raised in a family that believed in the occult, and she became a New Age practitioner during her teen years and continued to function as such during her 20s. But over the years Jesus revealed himself to her, and she gradually became a believer. Fascinating story.
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Higher Risk of Infant Death Tied to Dual Cannabis, Nicotine Use in Pregnancy
When women use both cannabis and nicotine during their pregnancies, it increases the risk of infant death and also of an increase in several maternal illnesses. If you are aware of a young woman using both during her pregnancy it may be wise to let her know of this information.
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How to protect yourself, your money, and your tech from social engineering schemes
I know this isn’t a counseling-related article, but with this new threat, I wanted to include this article as a reminder to all of us. With the introduction of AI, social engineering schemes are becoming more dangerous, because with AI they can mimic the voices of family members and trusted institutions. Here is an article about the latest ways AI is being used and cautions to take.
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THE OVERPROTECTED TEEN
Parents who love their children often struggle with knowing how much to protect their children and how much to let them learn from experience. Respected child and teen counselor Mark Gregston writes about this issue and gives some practical advice for parents who are wrestling with this issue.
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Tremendous Win for Christian Schools
The U.S. Appeals Court in Virginia, considered one of the most liberal in the country, ruled that a Catholic school had the right to stop employing a teacher because he violated the religious code of the school. This was especially significant because he wasn’t a theology teacher, but some of the life choices he made violated the theological teachings of the Roman Catholic faith. Since this ruling was made by one of the more liberal Appeals courts, it is likely to have the effect of allowing Christian schools to consistently enforce their Christian faith on the teachers who teach there.
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Have a wonderful week or weekend!
Henry Virkler