Tag: faith and mental health

Circle of Hope Counseling Services, End the Stigma

How to Show Up for Someone Struggling with Their Mental Health

barefootfaithjourney

Mental Health

How to Show Up for Someone Struggling with Their Mental Health

When someone you love is struggling, it’s hard to know what to say or even what to do. The truth is, showing up doesn’t require perfect words. It requires presence, compassion, and a willingness to walk alongside them. These are some ways you can Show Up for Someone Struggling with Their Mental Health.

Here are some ways to show up:

  • Listen without fixing. Sometimes the gift of being heard is the most healing thing you can offer.

  • Use simple encouragement. A kind text, a note, or a reminder that they’re not alone can mean the world.

  • Respect their pace. Healing is not linear. Patience and grace matter.

  • Offer practical support. Meals, childcare, errands. The small things often feel like lifelines.

  • Pray and stand in faith. If your loved one is open, let them know you’re lifting them up in prayer.

When we show up, we help carry the weight. And in doing so, we remind others that they do not have to fight alone.

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Circle of Hope Counseling Services, End the Stigma, Suicide Awareness and Prevention

Hope Beyond Awareness

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Hope Beyond Awareness

Hope Beyond Awareness: Carrying Suicide Prevention Forward

Closing Out Suicide Awareness Month

As Suicide Awareness Month comes to a close, it’s natural to wonder: What now? For the past 30 days, we’ve shared stories, broken down stigma, learned to recognize warning signs, and created space for conversations that save lives. But suicide prevention is not just a September focus. Honestly, it’s a year-round commitment.

Looking Back

This month, we’ve…

  • Shined a light on risk factors and warning signs.

  • Talked honestly about the role of faith, therapy, and medication.

  • Shared tools like journaling prompts and conversation starters.

  • Advocated for compassion over judgment, awareness over silence.

Each post was written with one purpose: to remind you that life matters, your story matters, and hope is always possible.

Looking Ahead

Suicide awareness doesn’t end when the month does. As we step into tomorrow, let’s carry forward what we’ve learned:

  • Keep talking. Make conversations about mental health part of everyday life.

  • Keep noticing. Stay aware of the people around you. Remember that sometimes a check-in changes everything.

  • Keep supporting. Be the safe person someone can turn to without fear of shame or judgment.

  • Keep hoping. Even when the road feels heavy, remember that healing and light are still possible.

A Final Encouragement

Psalm 30:5 reminds us: “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” If this month has stirred your own pain, know that your night is not the end of your story. There is still morning ahead.

💛 Thank you for walking through this month of awareness and prevention. May it not be the end of the conversation, but the beginning of deeper compassion, stronger communities, and lasting hope.

If you or someone you love is struggling, please call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You are not alone.

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Circle of Hope Counseling Services, End the Stigma, Suicide Awareness and Prevention

Recognizing the Quiet Signs

barefootfaithjourney

Recognizing the Quiet Signs

Recognizing the Quiet Signs: How to Notice Someone Who’s Struggling

Many folks who think about suicide don’t shout it from the rooftops. Their pain is quiet, hidden, or masked by “normal” behavior. Learning the subtle and overt signs helps us notice sooner and offer real help.

Common warning signs (quiet and obvious)

  • Withdrawal from friends, family, or faith/community activities.

  • Dramatic changes in sleep, appetite, or energy.

  • Loss of interest in things they used to care about.

  • Saying things like “I can’t do this anymore,” or “You’d be better off without me.”

  • Giving away valued items, writing goodbye notes, or sudden financial/legal preparations.

  • Increased substance use, reckless behavior, or sudden calm after long distress (this can signal someone has made a plan).

How to approach someone you’re worried about

  • Ask directly, kindly: “I’ve noticed you seem really low lately. Are you thinking about hurting yourself?” Direct questions don’t put ideas in someone’s head. Quite the opposite, they open the door to safety.

  • Listen more than you talk. Create space, reflect what you hear, and avoid minimizing feelings.

  • Validate and stay present. “That sounds unbearably hard. I’m so glad you told me.”

  • Offer concrete help. Sit with them while they call a crisis line, help make an appointment, or remove immediate means of harm (guns, pills, etc.).

  • If there is imminent danger: Call 988 (U.S.) or your local emergency number now.

When to involve professionals

If someone has a plan, intent, access to means, or has recently attempted, treat it as an emergency. Please don’t try to handle it alone. Reach out to mental health professionals, crisis services, or emergency services.

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Circle of Hope Counseling Services, End the Stigma, Suicide Awareness and Prevention

When the Darkness Whispers You are Too Much

barefootfaithjourney

When the Darkness Whispers You are Too Much

When the Darkness Whispers “You’re Too Much”

There are moments when the mind becomes a battlefield. When intrusive, heavy thoughts whisper lies that feel louder than the truth. For many walking through depression or suicidal thoughts, those whispers sound like:

  • “You’re too much.”

  • “You’re a burden.”

  • “The world would be better without you.”

These words sting, and they echo in the silence. But here’s the truth: those whispers are lies. And lies lose their power when they are brought into the light.

The Lie: “You’re Too Much”

The truth: You are wonderfully made.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

Affirmation: I am created with intention, and my presence is a gift.

The Lie: “You’re a Burden”

The truth: You are deeply loved and chosen.

“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Isaiah 49:16

Affirmation: I am loved beyond measure. My worth is not based on what I do but on who I am.

The Lie: “The World Would Be Better Without You”

The truth: The world needs you.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10

Affirmation: My life has purpose. My story matters. The world is better because I am here.

Speaking Truth Over Lies

The darkness often thrives in silence, but healing begins when we dare to speak truth out loud. Say the affirmations. Write down the verses. Remind yourself daily that you are more than the lies you hear.

If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, know this: you are not alone, and there is help. Speaking up is not weakness. It is courage.

💛Call or text 988. You are not alone.

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Circle of Hope Counseling Services, End the Stigma, Suicide Awareness and Prevention

You Can Have Jesus and a Therapist

barefootfaithjourney

You Can Have Jesus and a Therapist

You Can Have Jesus and a Therapist

Faith and Mental Illness: They Can Coexist

For too long, Christian communities have carried the weight of stigma when it comes to mental health. Some believe that if you have enough faith, you shouldn’t struggle with depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts. Others whisper that seeking therapy or taking medication means you don’t trust God enough.

But here’s the truth (brace yourself): you can love Jesus and need a therapist. You can trust God and still take medication. Faith and mental illness are not enemies. Actually, they can coexist.

Scripture and Support

The Bible is full of people who wrestled with deep despair. Elijah begged God to take his life (1 Kings 19). David poured out his anguish in the Psalms. Even Jesus wept in Gethsemane, overwhelmed with sorrow (Matthew 26:38). These moments remind us that being human means carrying burdens and that God’s love meets us in our suffering.

Seeking professional help doesn’t weaken your faith; it strengthens it. Proverbs 11:14 reminds us: “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Therapy is one of the ways God provides guidance, wisdom, and healing.

Breaking the Silence

Normalizing therapy and medication in Christian spaces saves lives. When silence and shame surround mental illness, people suffer in isolation. But when the church acknowledges the reality of depression, trauma, and suicidal thoughts, hope can break through.

Imagine churches where…

  • It’s as normal to pray for someone starting antidepressants as it is for someone having surgery.

  • Testimonies of God’s faithfulness include stories of healing through therapy.

  • No one is told to “just pray harder,” but instead reminded that God works through doctors, counselors, and medicine too.

Encouragement for the Journey

If you are struggling, know this: your pain does not make you less of a Christian. You are not alone. God sees you, loves you, and has equipped people to walk with you on this journey. Jesus is your Healer, and sometimes He works through the hands of a therapist or the wisdom of a doctor.

💛 During Suicide Awareness Month, may we be the church that chooses compassion over judgment, support over silence, and healing over shame.

If you are in crisis, please call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

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You’re Not Lazy, You’re Likely Burned Out

barefootfaithjourney

You’re Not Lazy, You’re Likely Burned Out

You’re Not Lazy, You’re Likely Burned Out

There’s a quiet shame that comes with burnout.

You’re exhausted, unmotivated, and things you used to enjoy feel like too much. And in that fog, it’s easy to label yourself: lazy, unproductive, failing.

But let’s tell the truth right here: You’re not lazy. You’re likely burned out.

1. Burnout Is Not a Character Flaw

Burnout isn’t a lack of willpower or a sign you don’t care enough. It’s a state of physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion after running too hard for too long without enough rest or replenishment.

Even Jesus took time away from crowds, needs, and demands. Luke 5:16 says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” If the Son of God needed rest, so do you.

2. How Burnout Shows Up

Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse. Honestly, it often sneaks in. Signs include:

  • Feeling constantly tired no matter how much you sleep

  • Struggling to focus or make decisions

  • Dreading things you used to enjoy

  • Irritability or emotional numbness

  • Physical symptoms like headaches, tension, or stomach issues

3. Why You Might Be Here

Burnout often happens when:

  • You say yes more than you say no

  • You’ve been in survival mode for too long

  • You’re carrying emotional pain without space to process it

  • You believe rest must be earned instead of given

4. The Way Out

Healing from burnout requires intention. You can’t “push through” burnout. Remember, you have to pause and replenish.

Steps toward recovery:

  • Rest without guilt. Give yourself permission to do less, not as an escape, but as a reset.

  • Reconnect to joy in small ways. Listen to music you love, sit in the sun, make a favorite meal.

  • Release what’s not yours to carry. Some burdens belong in God’s hands, not yours.

  • Refill spiritually. Spend time in prayer, read Scripture slowly, or simply sit in God’s presence.

5. Speak Truth Over Yourself

Replace “I’m lazy” with:

  • I’m tired, and I’m worthy of rest.

  • I’m healing, not failing.

  • I’m slowing down to walk in step with God.

💛 Gentle Encouragement

You are not lazy. You are weary and there’s a difference. One is a flaw of character. The other is a human reality. And God meets you in both.

He is not waiting for you to “get it together” before He draws near. He is near now. And He offers you rest. This is not just for your body, but for your soul.

Scripture to Carry:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

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When You’ve Been Carrying Too Much for Too Long

barefootfaithjourney

When You’ve Been Carrying Too Much for Too Long

When You’ve Been Carrying Too Much for Too Long

Maybe you didn’t realize how heavy it was until you finally put it down. The weight of responsibility. The pressure to hold it all together. The emotional load of caring for others, managing crisis, pretending to be fine. No wonder you feel tired.

God never meant for you to carry all of it alone.

There’s a deep kind of rest that comes from surrender. Not giving up—but giving over. The burdens you’ve carried silently, the pain you’ve minimized, the fear you’ve hidden. All of it is safe in God’s hands.

Let this be the day you lay it down. The expectation. The over-functioning. The exhaustion. Come back to yourself. Reclaim your energy. Release the need to prove, perform, or push through. You are allowed to be carried too.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” —Psalm 55:22

💛 If you’re navigating life’s hard places and need a safe space to heal, grow, or just breathe—Circle of Hope Counseling Services is here for you. We offer trauma-informed, faith-filled therapy for individuals, couples, and families.


📞 Reach out today to schedule your first session (KY residents only) or learn more: Circle of Hope Counseling Services.
You don’t have to walk this journey alone. Hope starts here.

 

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Scripture for the Stressed-Out Mind

barefootfaithjourney

Scripture for the Stressed-Out Mind

Scripture for the Stressed-Out Mind

When your mind spins with what-ifs and worst-case scenarios…
And your body tenses and your heart races…
When you feel like you should be okay but you’re anything but…

That’s when you need more than coping strategies.

You need truth.

Scripture Doesn’t Shame You—It Grounds You

Sometimes people quote verses like band-aids:

“Just trust God.”
“Be anxious for nothing.”

But those words can feel hollow when your brain is screaming and your nervous system is on edge.

Real Scripture isn’t meant to shame you. It’s meant to anchor you. To remind you what’s still true, even when everything inside you feels shaky.

7 Scriptures for a Stressed-Out Mind

📖 1. Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
→ When your thoughts spiral, God offers stillness.

📖 2. 2 Corinthians 10:5
“Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.”
→ You don’t have to believe every thought you think.

📖 3. Psalm 94:19
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”
→ God meets you in your overwhelm—not after it’s over.

📖 4. Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
→ You don’t have to earn rest. Jesus gives it freely.

📖 5. Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything… and the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds.”
→ His peace guards you—it doesn’t demand perfection.

📖 6. Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
→ You can stop striving. He is still God in the stillness.

📖 7. Romans 8:6
“The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
→ You can invite the Spirit to help calm your mind.

Speak It Out Loud

Don’t just read these verses. Say them.

Even if your voice shakes and it feels awkward. Even if your heart doesn’t fully believe them yet.

God’s Word doesn’t return empty (Isaiah 55:11).
Let it wash over the noise. Let it ground you again.

You are not crazy.
And you are not broken.
You are beloved—even in your stress.

💛 If you’re navigating life’s hard places and need a safe space to heal, grow, or just breathe—Circle of Hope Counseling Services is here for you. We offer trauma-informed, faith-filled therapy for individuals, couples, and families.


📞 Reach out today to schedule your first session (KY residents only). You don’t have to walk this journey alone. Hope starts here.

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When Your Thoughts Are Loud and God Feels Distant

barefootfaithjourney

When Your Thoughts Are Loud and God Feels Distant

When Your Thoughts Are Loud and God Feels Distant

Sometimes the loudest thing in the room is your mind.

You try to pray, but your thoughts won’t stay still.
Then, you open your Bible, but nothing sinks in.
You sit in the quiet, but it doesn’t feel peaceful—it feels empty.

And somewhere in the mess of mental noise, you begin to wonder:

Where is God? Why can’t I feel Him right now?

You’re Not Broken. You’re Human

When your thoughts are loud, racing, scattered, or intrusive, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed spiritually.
It might mean:

  • You’re overwhelmed

  • And exhausted

  • You’ve been living in survival mode

  • Your nervous system is activated and you can’t find stillness

This is not a lack of faith.

It’s a sign you need compassion not condemnation.

Faith Doesn’t Depend on Feelings

Your emotional experience does not measure the presence of God. He isn’t waiting for you to feel better to show up.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
—Psalm 34:18

Even when your thoughts are too loud to hear Him. He is still near.

How to Quiet the Noise (Even Just a Little)

You don’t have to force silence. You can begin with slowing.

Try one of these today:

  • Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 6

  • Speak the name of Jesus out loud—slowly, again and again

  • Listen to worship music instead of fighting for words

  • Journal one raw sentence: “God, today I feel…”

  • Go for a walk and notice one thing you see, hear, smell, and feel

These are not just coping tools. They’re invitations to reenter God’s presence gently.

Don’t Wait to Feel Holy to Reach for Him

God isn’t scared of your mess. He doesn’t need you to have the perfect words or peaceful thoughts.
He just wants you.

And He already promised—He will never leave.

💛 If you’re navigating life’s hard places and need a safe space to heal, grow, or just breathe—Circle of Hope Counseling Services is here for you. We offer trauma-informed, faith-filled therapy for individuals, couples, and families.

📞 Reach out today to schedule your first session (KY residents only). You don’t have to walk this journey alone. Hope starts here.

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Make Yourself a High Priority – Yes, You’re Allowed To

barefootfaithjourney

Make Yourself a High Priority (Yes, You’re Allowed To)

Make Yourself a High Priority – Yes, You’re Allowed To

When did taking care of yourself become optional?

Somewhere along the way, we learned to glorify selflessness at the expense of our well-being. We pour out until we’re dry, give until we’re empty, and say yes until we forget what a boundary even feels like.

But here’s the truth, friend: You matter. Not just the version of you that takes care of others. You. Your heart matters and your body. Also, your needs and your joy.

It’s time to make yourself a high priority—not because you’re selfish, but because you’re worth it.

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
— Mark 12:31 (NIV)

Do you see it?
That little phrase at the end: as yourself.
You can’t give what you don’t have. And you’re not being a better wife, mom, friend, therapist, or believer by constantly running on empty.

Prioritizing Yourself Is Not a Sin

In fact, it’s a holy act. When you care for your body, mind, and spirit, you honor the temple God entrusted to you. You live from overflow instead of depletion. You model to your children and your circle what it looks like to be whole—not hustling for worth.

Jesus Himself took time to rest, pray, eat, and step away. If He needed that rhythm, why do we think we’re the exception?

5 Gentle Ways to Put Yourself First (Without Guilt)

  1. Say “no” when you mean it. You don’t need permission to protect your peace.

  2. Rest without explaining. You don’t owe productivity to anyone.

  3. Ask for help. That’s strength, not weakness.

  4. Nourish your body. Hydrate. Eat slow. Breathe deep.

  5. Make time for joy. Do something this week just because it makes you smile.

📝 Try this: Schedule 15 minutes of “you time” today. Write it down. Honor it. Protect it.

💛 If you’re navigating life’s hard places and need a safe space to heal, grow, or just breathe—Circle of Hope Counseling Services is here for you.

We offer trauma-informed, faith-filled therapy for individuals, couples, and families.

📞 Reach out today to schedule your first session (KY residents only) or learn more: Circle of Hope Counseling Services.

You don’t have to walk this journey alone. Hope starts here.

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A Pause for LA – Honoring a Life, Raising Awareness

Brandi C

A Pause for LA – Honoring a Life, Raising Awareness

Before we continue with our journey, I need to pause. This is A Pause for LA – Honoring a Life, Raising Awareness.

Because life isn’t just about what happens to us—it’s about what happens around us. It’s about who we walk alongside. And sometimes… who we lose.

On June 19, 2018, my friend LA died by suicide.
Her absence left a silence that still echoes.

And while my blog series has been about the road through chronic illness, faith, and motherhood—I would be doing her, and so many others, a disservice if I didn’t stop to say this out loud:

Suicide is real. It’s devastating. And it’s not the whole story.

chatgpt image apr 20, 2025, 05 34 39 pm

🕯️ For LA

LA was light. She was fierce, funny, and loved deeply. Also, she was human, she struggled, and she mattered.

So, so much.

If you didn’t know her, you missed out on someone truly extraordinary. And if you did know her, then you know the hole her absence left behind.

I will not let her be remembered only for the way she died. LA deserves to be remembered for the way she lived.

💔 The Truth About Suicide

  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10–34.

  • Most people who die by suicide don’t want to die—they want the pain to stop.

  • Mental illness is not a character flaw or a moral failure.

  • Asking for help is not weakness. It’s strength.

  • Talking about suicide doesn’t cause it. Silence does.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
— Psalm 34:18

🧡 If You’re Struggling

You are not a burden. An you are not beyond help. You are not too broken.

Remember, you are loved.
And you are needed.
You are not alone.

Please, please reach out:

📞 Call or Text 988 – Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
💬 Chat online at 988lifeline.org
📱 Reach out to a friend, a counselor, a pastor—someone you trust.

You don’t have to carry this alone.

💛 If You’ve Lost Someone

To those who’ve lost someone to suicide:
There are no perfect words. No quick comforts.
But there is space here for your grief. And there is no shame in your sorrow.

Your person mattered.
Your grief matters.

And you are not alone either.

🕊️ Heartbeat Moment

We’ll continue H’s story soon. But for today, I just want to say:
If you’re hurting—talk.
And if someone crosses your mind—reach out.
If you see someone struggling—show up.

I believe in a God who is bigger than all of this.
But I also believe in a church, a community, a world that must rise up to meet the hurting—before it’s too late.

This post is for LA.
For the ones we’ve lost.
And for the ones still here.
For the hope that whispers: you are not alone.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
— John 1:5

💛 If you’re navigating life’s hard places and need a safe space to heal, grow, or just breathe—Circle of Hope Counseling Services is here for you.

We offer trauma-informed, faith-filled therapy for individuals, couples, and families.

📞 Reach out today to schedule your first session (KY residents only) or learn more: Circle of Hope Counseling Services.

You don’t have to walk this journey alone. Hope starts here.

 

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Mental Illness and Ending the Stigma

Brandi C

Mental Illness and Ending the Stigma

Mental Illness and Ending the Stigma

Mental Illness and Ending the Stigma. I am also not embarrassed to talk about my mental health journey. I have struggled with it since…well, for as long as I can remember. Does that mean I had a horrible childhood? Nope, quite the opposite. Does that mean I don’t love Jesus? Nope, I have a very strong relationship. It means I have a story.

I sometimes use my story, parts of it, to help others because I never want anyone to feel alone. You need to know that God sees you and captures every tear you cry (Psalm 56:8). With Him, you are not alone. You are enough, you are worthy, and you are loved by the King of Kings.

💛 If you’re navigating life’s hard places and need a safe space to heal, grow, or just breathe—Circle of Hope Counseling Services is here for you.

We offer trauma-informed, faith-filled therapy for individuals, couples, and families.

📞 Reach out today to schedule your first session (KY residents only) or learn more: Circle of Hope Counseling Services.

You don’t have to walk this journey alone. Hope starts here.

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