Christian Counselor Directory Blog

Meet Alyssa! She is a faith writer and is sharing with us her story of motherhood. She will be welcoming her 1st baby boy this month. Whether you identify as a woman of faith or not, her story has many common thoughts and feelings that many new moms don’t dare to share. This blog normalizes all of them and encourages new mothers to step fully into this journey! Analin F.

Read full blog here: https://www.florecerfamilycounseling.com/post/a-new-mom-s-journey

We all go through many changes in our lives, some intentionally and some unintentionally. While a lot of changes are out of our control (such as a family member passing away or losing your job), there are some we can plan for. If you are planning a change in your life, whether it is getting rid of a bad habit, pursuing a dream or goal, or making a lifestyle change, it’s helpful to know what the process of change looks like so you can recognize where you are in the process and learn how to move forward well. Read full blog here: https://www.florecerfamilycounseling.com/post/the-process-of-change

Being a parent can be one of the most stressful roles in life. According to one UK study, 68% of women and 57% of men with mental health problems are parents, and anxiety is the most common one during pregnancy and after giving birth. Having to care for little humans takes so much time, energy, and resources that it can be difficult to pay attention to your own needs, and recognize when you need to be cared for. But if you don’t take care of yourself, you will have very little to give to your kids.

Most of us struggle with anxiety at some point, and we know firsthand how much it can impact our own lives–but we don’t often think about how anxiety affects those in our circles. Since anxiety makes us focus inward, we may think that we are the only ones suffering from our spiraling thoughts. But if we don’t get our anxiety under control, it can wreak havoc in our relationships with those we love the most. Read full blog by pressing on this link.
https://www.florecerfamilycounseling.com/post/can-anxiety-ruin-relationships

There is no question that stress and anxiety run rampant in our society. Specifically here in the U.S., we have the highest rates of anxiety on the planet. And on top of the normal, everyday stressors of life in America, we now have the added stress of a global pandemic. It’s no wonder that stress and anxiety don’t only affect the adult population– they are hitting teens hard as well. Read full blog on the link.

Have you ever planned a trip for business or ministry and then said, “While I’m there, I may as well take a few extra days and visit some sites in the area?” Combining vacation time with business travel is common. But what about combining vacation time with reflection time and personal growth?
One solution might be a vacation for self care. Engaging in down-time activity to give your body rest is one thing, but evaluating and discovering new ways of improving your mental, emotional, and spiritual status can take vacation to a higher level. Especially if your job or ministry is in people helping business, the everyday wear and tear and built up stressors can be weighing much more heavily than you, or even people in closest relationship to you, can recognize.
A number of years ago I discovered a model of personal debriefing for Christian missionaries that has helped thousands find new vitality and meaning for their work. The Le Rucher model of debriefing is a guided 5 day rest, for personal reflection, sharing your story, and finding new perspectives from God. Not only for missionaries, this is a proven method for all leaders to assess events of life and ministry in a safe, confidential, and supportive environment. It is a structured progression through stressors, associated losses, adjustments, and recovery of hopes and dreams. The result is fresh vision and energy for re-engagement.
My wife and I benefited as participants in this model ourselves. I also trained and became a certified debriefer in the model. I now offer the debriefing as a package with a stay at our Blue Rock Bed and Breakfast. More is described at http://bluerockbnb.com/healing/debriefing.htm . I encourage all Christian pastors, missionaries, ministry or business leaders to consider this for making the most of your next vacation or rest time. These five days of debriefing is a perfect way to begin a several month sabbatical or scheduled down time.
Call us or email to schedule a time for debriefing in Lancaster County Pennsylvania.

Level Up Parenting is a group designed to help you connect and better understand your children. The group consists of week 1 - Video lesson on a parenting skill; week 2 - video lesson showing you an activity you can do with your child to help them learn more about topics from emotional intelligence to social relationships; week 3 - live online Zoom parent meeting (which will be recorded) where questions are answered and parents can share and find support; week 4 - blind bag family adventure activity (a surprise activity to do as a family).

The idea behind this group is that it can be done on your own time, at your own pace since schedules are tight as parents. It is hard to find time for yourself or catching up with other parents. But as parents, we are always doing the best we can and it is nice to have a place to voice our wins, concerns or bounce ideas off one another.

Join our waitlist by visiting www.level-up-life.org and click on contact us or join waitlist.