Articles from the Week of May 30, 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
“The sage does not hoard. The more he helps others, the more he benefits himself.”
Lao Tzu
Words
“In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit."
Anne Frank
“Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.”
George S. Patton
“Receive with gratitude; share with generosity.”
DANNA FAULDS
Fascinating Facts
3D printer constructs stunning data center hands-free in 140 hours
The largest building yet constructed by a 3-D printer is a 97-foot Data Center in Germany, which includes 6,600 square feet of interior space. The walls are composed of a concrete-like material extruded by the printer. For more about this amazing construction and a picture of the building, see the article.
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Mother Wins 62-Mile Ultramarathon While Breastfeeding Her 6-Month-Old Baby and Starting 30 Minutes After Rivals
This amazing Canadian mother ran 62-mile marathon six months post-delivery, only taking breaks to breast-feed her child.
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Talk About Devotion to Work!
Here is a TV show of a CBS news anchor who voluntarily continued to host her show two hours after her water broke!
Click here to access video
Mensa welcomes youngest-ever member, Joseph Harris-Birtill, a toddler from the U.K. who "loves a challenge"
This 2-year-old youngster read his first book aloud at 1½ years old and now, in his second year of life, has learned morse code, the Greek alphabet, and is interested in the periodic table. He was recently inducted into Mensa, the international organization for extremely brilliant people.
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Counseling Articles
In the Battle of Stories, Christians Have More to Offer
This title may not seem to have much to do with counseling, but if you read it to the end, I think it makes a very good point. Just think of the people you have counseled or read about, whose lives were in shambles, but because of the work of Christ, were completely transformed.
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Why A ‘Goldilocks’ Approach to Regulating Homeschoolers Is Best
The recent case in Connecticut where a stepmother kept a son virtually imprisoned for 20 years until he set the house on fire to be rescued, brought the public’s awareness the importance of having some way of monitoring homeschool parents and all family situations. This article discusses thoughtfully the difficulties of setting up systems that protect the rights of parents but also ensure that children and even adult children receive adequate care.
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New Study Finds Lasting Effects of Divorce on Kids
What makes this research so important is that it followed 5 million children (1 million of whose parents divorced) into adulthood, and the various impacts it had on those individuals. There certainly are times when divorce is needed, and we could not remove the right to divorce from American citizens, but I think this research underscores the fact that, when we can help individuals work out marital issues, it is often much better for both the children and the adults involved.
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Why Do Married-Couple Households Experience Fewer Hardships than Other Households?
This study researched various kinds of households—married couples, cohabiting couples, single-parent families, and singles. It found, not unsurprisingly, that married couples, even though they experienced challenges, experienced fewer hardships than any of the alternative kinds of households.
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‘Legal Morphine’ — The Rise of Kratom and 7-OH in the US
Kratom use here in the U.S. has skyrocketed in recent years, and it is sometimes recommended to ease the withdrawal from opioid use disorder. Some of you who do substance abuse counseling may have clients who raise the question of whether Kratom would be a good option to use in breaking an addiction. Here is an article from Medscape Psychiatry that discusses that issue.
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LSD for Anxiety and Depression: Worth the Trip?
Phase 3 of trials on using LSD in treating anxiety and depression are just starting. Some earlier Phase 2 trials found some reductions of both anxiety and depression on some rating scales, and no significant cautions, but the results of Phase 3 trials will be more compelling. Whatever the results of this research reveal, professionals say that LSD should not be a standalone treatment: it should be accompanied by counseling.
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Novel Accelerated Theta-Burst Stimulation Protocol Shows Promise for Treatment-Resistant Depression
This new treatment for treatment-resistant depression has shown promise. However, the treatment would require an investment of some patient time—a couple hours of treatment per day for 15 days. For some patients with disabling levels of depression that isn’t responding to other treatments it might be worth considering.
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Broken Heart Syndrome Deadly, Especially for Men
Broken Heart Syndrome, technically known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, occurs after the death of a loved one or a divorce. Although 83% of those who experience it are women, when men experience broken heart syndrome it is 3 times as deadly as in women. It is thought to be caused by a surge in stress hormones, causing one portion of the heart to become enlarged so that the heart no longer beats normally.
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How a Bipolar Diagnosis Can Reshape Your Identity
Here are several short quotes from people who, after learning that they have bipolar disorder, found that this discovery has shaped their identity. For most of them, learning what they have, and accepting it, has changed them in positive ways.
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5 Small Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Mood Episodes
Here are five easy ways for those with bipolar disorder to minimize (I’m not sure if it would be wise to promise that they would totally prevent) mood episodes. But these lifestyle changes would be easy to implement by bipolar patients. The list was compiled by a former editor of bphope.
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How Working Long Hours Changes the Brain
This article reviews some of the findings from the research from South Korea mentioned last week, but it also includes research on other medical problems caused by overwork and concludes with some suggestions to help people achieve a work-life balance. It might be helpful information for some clients.
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Sexual Abuse Runs Rampant in Public Schools
Apparently adults who sexually prey on children in public schools are often allowed to quietly resign, and then frequently seek employment at other schools and continue their behavior. This article explains why this happens and legislation designed to stop it.
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More Darwinian “Just-So” Stories from the Age of AI
Don’t be fooled by this headline, this is a worthwhile article to read. In many schools and colleges the theory of evolution is taught as an established fact to our children and young adults. But the reality is, as this article notes, that there are at least four serious problems confronting those who want to believe the Darwinian theory that we descended from earlier life forms.
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Harvard Prof Known for Research on Honesty Fired over Alleged Data Fraud
In a rather ironic twist, a Harvard professor (one of their most highly paid faculty members at $1 million dollars per year) known for her research on honesty and ethical behavior has been stripped of her tenure and fired for publishing fraudulent research in multiple articles.
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Overlooked cells might explain the human brain’s huge storage capacity
We’re still not positive about how the brain remembers things, but a new theory suggests that memories may reside in special cells called astrocytes, rather than in the 86 billion neurons that comprise the brain. This article explains.
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Obesity and the Brain: A Vicious Cycle of Cravings, Inflammation, and Cognitive Decline
If you have a client who is struggling to find the motivation to curb their eating, this article clarifies that allowing oneself to become obese not only has harmful physical consequences, but that it changes our brains and our ability to think, feel, and make decisions.
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Do Christians who die by suicide go to Heaven? NT Wright weighs in
Many believers have Christian loved ones or family members who have died by suicide and may wonder whether they will see their loved ones in heaven. Respected theologian NT Wright answers this question and gives his reasons why he believes that we shall see these departed believers again. The respected speaker John Piper agrees.
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Porn Habit vs. Porn Addiction: Is There a Difference?
Another good article from Celebrate Recovery. The author discusses the difference between the person who occasionally views porn (a porn habit) and the person who has become addicted to porn. It ends with a thoughtful caution to the person who believes it’s not a big issue since they only view porn occasionally and aren’t addicted.
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Court-Ordered Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Improved Broad Range of Outcomes in People with ‘Serious Mental Illness’
Some have raised questions about whether court-ordered mental-health treatment for people with serious mental illness is effective. This research study found that it produced significant improvement for many people.
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I hope you enjoyed these articles. Please have a wonderful week!
Henry Virkler