Death causes us to be angry because it comes into our world like an unexpected slap in the face. As one researcher said, “Death is a social disease, like V.D. It is not polite, not well-mannered.”[1] King Solomon concurred: “No man has authority to restrain the wind…or authority over the day of death” (Ecclesiastes 8:8). When death enters our social circles or … Read More
Dealing with Guilt and Shame
Written by BCC Counselor Jin Taek Chung We have all dealt with guilt and shame at some point in our life. The effects of unresolved guilt and shame in our lives can hold us back and weigh us down. So, how do we make sure we are dealing with it appropriately? The way our culture views guilt and shame differ … Read More
When You Are Discouraged: Fight for the Truth
Discouragement. That’s what I see so often: heavy shoulders, general sadness, and anxiety all mixing together. On top of the specific circumstances and problems each person is already facing, discouragement spirals us into believing lies. Believing the Lies These lies are not new, or ones that can be easily shrugged off. They are lies that we have believed for a … Read More
How to Help Teens Fighting Depression
This article is filled with references and resources to help you as a counselor or parent explore the root issues that can lead to your teen’s depression.
This is not a comprehensive, all-inclusive list, but it will prime the pump in asking the right questions to discover what your teen is believing, doing, and feeling. It will lead to some good conversations that will help your teen to balance their life in a more holistic approach.
One area affects the other, and when even one area is out of sync, it hurts the whole and affects the emotions negatively.
How to Help Teens by Asking for Help
Written by BCC Counselor Mark Johnson. There are untold numbers of events in our teens’ lives that cause a crisis: having a brush with law enforcement, tragedies such as death and suicide, betrayal, gender confusion, and so many more.
As parents or grandparents, we look around and ask, “Who can help? How am I supposed to provide my teen help, and how do I get help? Where do I turn?”
How to Help Teens by Listening Well
Written by BCC Counselor Colleen Ryan. “You’re not listening to me!”
“Why don’t you ever listen to me?”
“How come you don’t put down your phone and listen to me!”
Sound familiar?
We live in a culture where there’s so much noise and so many distractions that we are losing the art of listening. We are losing the art of being present and being engaged with thoughtful conversation with those that we are with.
How to Help Teens Learn to Control Their Anger
Written by BCC Counselor Jerrod Tillotson. It can be difficult to know how to express strong emotions appropriately, especially when the strong emotion happens to be anger. In many instances, it seems that it can be more acceptable to be depressed than angry.
But this is something we all experience. Anger is difficult to define, as it can vary in severity from mild irritability to a violent fury.
If you’re a teen in conflict, how do you deal with anger and conflict? Do you tend to explode on others or do you implode, quietly seething, ruminating, eventually burying it away?
How to Help Teens with Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors
Incidences of teen suicide are on the increase in many countries around the world. Teen suicide in the United States is not an exception to this.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-24 according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They’ve also reported significant increases in emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts during the summer of 2020 and winter of 2021.
While many blame Covid restrictions, lockdowns, virtual education, and the elimination of normal social activities, no one factor can be connected to the increase.
How to Help Teens Understand the Consequences of Pornography
Written by BCC Counselor Jim Lang. Most teens in 2021 think porn is no big deal.
In fact, porn is not a big deal to the majority of today’s culture. It’s everywhere and readily available. The world we live in has normalized it. After all, porn has been around since 1896, so what is the big deal anyway?
It has been looked at, shared, and laughed about for a long time. Could the world be right that porn is no big deal?
