Articles from the Week of January 3, 2025

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

“Better to have one friend of great value, than many friends who are good for nothing.”

Anacharsis (6th century B.C.), Scythian philosopher

It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

I hope you realize that every day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.

Juansen Dizon

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

C.S. Lewis

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.

Benjamin Franklin

The best friend is he that, when he wishes a person's good, wishes it for that person's own sake.

Aristotle You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it. Maya Angelou

Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”

Mary Anne Radmacher

“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit.”

Aristotle

Counseling Articles

The Top 8 Myths About Marriage

In case you haven’t already read this article, it’s quite good. And probably a good one to have some couples read together in session and discuss.

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How To Find Love When You’re An Introvert

Probably some of you have clients who are introverts. Many of those clients my have trouble negotiating dating, where today’s trends favor those who are more extroverted. This article has some very good suggestions for them about how to initiate friendships and dating in ways that are compatible with their personality style.

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The Speed of the Human Brain Compared to the Internet

According to a recent article in the magazine Neuron, the average download speed in a typical American home is 262 million bytes per second. The average download speed in your brain is about 10 bytes per second. However, your brain can do some other things that your streaming devices cannot do, such as think. (You probably won’t be able to read this article without a subscription to the New York Times.)

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Great American Family Network defies industry decline, sees double-digit growth with faith, family values

If you haven’t experienced the Great American Family television network, I encourage you to try it. The network has family-friendly programs and has experienced about 25% growth in the last year. Programs often include explicit references to faith in God. Some of your favorite actors and actresses from Hallmark are now regulars on GAF.

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The Shifting Ground of “Gender-Affirming Care”

I’ve carried several articles in recent weeks that questioned the scientific soundness of the “gender-affirming care” movement. This article summarizes well the various reasons scientific research no longer supports this approach.

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Britain on Legalizing Assisted Dying: Proceed With Caution

Great Britain’s Parliament is considering a legally-assisted dying bill similar to those in a few other countries. See this author’s reasons for suggesting caution. Although we don’t face that question here in the U.S. now, it is likely that it will be raised by some legislator in the future, so its wise to have thought about this issue beforehand.

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Sex experts reveal the naughty kinks set to explode in popularity in 2025 — from ‘edging’ to ‘multisensory integration’

You’ve probably heard of edging, but perhaps not of multisensory integration. Edging, as you may already know, is cautioned against by medical personnel as possibly contributing to sexual problems. However, if you haven’t tried multisensory integration this might be enjoyable to try, and you don’t even need to be kinky to try it.

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3 controversial Biden rule change proposals withdrawn ahead of Trump's inauguration

Although not counseling-related, these three Biden rule change proposals that have been withdrawn will probably be of interest to Christians. They include (1) already mentioned last week—no longer trying to change Title IX to include transgender males in female sports and private spaces, (2) Christian groups at public universities would continue to have the right to meet (Biden was trying to rescind this right), and (3) Christian employers who were opposed to contraception would not be required to include contraceptives as part of their medical insurance.

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Courage: The Risks You Take Shape Who You Become

A thoughtful article, and one that you might use with some clients as they face pivotal choices.

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JK Rowling Says What Everyone Is Thinking: A Year In Review

Another article that is not specifically counseling-related, but Rowlings comments make so much sense to most of us that they are worthwhile reading. And she’s certainly an example of the courage talked about in the above article.

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Why a college degree is a good thing — but not the only thing

If you do career counseling with young people, this might be a good article to file to use with some teens. It’s a good reminder that often a college degree can be helpful, but that there are many good careers that are possible with alternative kinds of training. And the Comments responding to the article are equally interesting.

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The world’s longest study of adult development finds the key to happy living

The Harvard Study is the longest study of adult development, and as you may know already, has found that strong and satisfying relationships had the longest and healthiest lives.

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Laughing Your Way to Bipolar Disorder Stability

The late Steve Propst had bipolar disorder and helped many with his regular columns. Here is how he used humor as one way he used to cope with his depressions. The article also includes a link to another of his articles (20 Ways to Add Humor to Your Life). Good resources for those who struggle with depression.

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Giving Kids Some Autonomy Has Surprising Results

This article is by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop who are the co-authors of the book “The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better.” The article is excellent, but it is in the New York Times¸ so you probably cannot read it without a subscription. If you counsel with teens it may be worthwhile to read the book. Here’s a few of the major points: (1) A survey of 4,000 Gen Z’rs said they did not feel prepared for adulthood. (2) Employers also said their young employees were poorly prepared to take on adult responsibilities.

Anderson and Winthrop say that it is important for parents to give children opportunities to develop agency in limited areas with guidance to help them develop the ability to take responsibility and initiative.  This gives them the ability to develop strategies to be successful in life and to become invested in what they’re doing. It does not mean lowering expectations or turning education into entertainment.

The authors also include important ways in which teachers can help children develop autonomy in their education and critical thinking, and the positive effects this has on schools.

If you counsel with young people and parents, this may well be a good book to invest in.

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Teen alcohol and drug use keeps declining

Good new on the teen front. Alcohol use and marijuana use is declining. The only opposing trend is that the use of nicotine pouches has increased significantly.

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Fentanyl Deaths Dropped Sharply in 2024—What’s Behind It?

Drug overdose deaths, 70% which have been from fentanyl overdoses, have dropped significantly in the past year. Part of this is attributed to the availability of naloxone, which if administered promptly, can be lifesaving, and part to the fact that China and Mexico have been curtailing the production and shipment of precursor products.

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10 steps to spice up your prayer life in the new year

For most believers, prayer becomes an important part of our lives. For some it occurs at specific points in the day, for others it occurs throughout the day, as well as at specific times. This author challenges us to something more: he recounts how Jesus sometimes spent one hour in prayer and encourages us to do this occasionally. He gives a suggested plan for spending one hour in concentrated prayer, perhaps once a week. See what you think of his proposal.

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The Winter Blues: 5 Exercises to Help Stave Off Seasonal Affective Disorder

Some of your clients may suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which usually affects people during the winter months (a small minority suffer from SAD that occurs during the summer months). Here is an article that describes five exercises (together with moving pictures showing how to do these exercises.

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Alcohol is ‘third leading preventable cause of cancer’ and should have warning label, says US Surgeon General

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, says that alcohol is the third leading cause of cancer and leads to at least seven cancers. He argues that it should carry a warning label like cigarettes. However, for that to happen it would require an act of Congress.

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Toxic Phones—or a Toxic Culture?

This article raises an important question: Is the rise in the use of smartphones the cause of the rise of mental health issues among our children and teens? The author argues that the increased use of smartphones among young people is unhealthy because it exposes them to a toxic culture. And he highlights three characteristics that, he believes, make our culture so toxic. I believe his comments are worth considering.

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Confronting the Toll of Hookup Culture

Hookups are defined by the American Psychological Association as “brief, uncommitted sexual encounters between people who are not romantic partners or dating each other.” This therapist talks about the fact that these kinds of relationships have become the norm for many young people, and the unhealthy psychological consequences of living in a hookup culture. Fortunately, she also gives therapists and parents some suggestions for how to provide a better alternative to the hookup culture.

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Closing Comments

Three days into the new year we have two terrorist attacks and one subway shove, and wars and conflicts in many countries and regions of the world, so I’d like to close this week’s news with a prayer for all of us.

Dear God,

We thank you for the many ways you have shown your love and watch care over us in this past year. Please fill us with your peace and help us remember that that same love and watch care will continue to surround us in this coming year. Amen.

May God bless you in this New Year!

Henry Virkler