A note from Brandi:This guest post is shared with permission and reflects the personal experience, research, and perspective of the writer. It discusses faith-based mental wellness, emotional health, stress relief, prayer, Christian self-care, and spiritual growth. It is offered for practical information, encouragement, and education. It is not therapy, clinical advice, medical advice, spiritual direction,… Continue reading Unique Faith-Based Ways to Nurture Mental and Emotional Wellness
Tag: mental health
Grieving After a Suicide Loss
There Is No Right Way to Grieve This Kind of Pain When someone we love dies by suicide, the grief that follows feels different. It feels heavier, more complicated, more confusing. It doesn’t fit into neat stages or tidy timelines. Instead, it crashes over us in waves: shock, anger, guilt, sorrow, and sometimes numbness. And… Continue reading Grieving After a Suicide Loss
What Do I Say to My Kids
What Do I Say When My Kid Asks, “Why Did They Die?” One of the hardest moments as a parent comes when your child looks at you with wide, wondering eyes and asks about death, especially death by suicide. Their question is simple, but the weight behind it is not. As adults, we often wrestle… Continue reading What Do I Say to My Kids
Breaking Generational Silence
Suicide, Secrets, and the Stories We’re Finally Telling For generations, suicide has been treated like a shadow. It is a whispered tragedy, hidden behind closed doors, wrapped in shame, and carried in silence. Families didn’t talk about it. Churches avoided it. Communities swept it under the rug. And so the pain grew heavier, passed down… Continue reading Breaking Generational Silence
Mental Clutter and How to Clear What’s Weighing You Down
Mental Clutter and How to Clear What’s Weighing You Down We talk about decluttering our homes, our schedules, even our diets but what about the clutter in our minds? That scattered, heavy, swirling mental load that follows you from room to room, waking you up in the middle of the night, whispering, You’re behind. You’re… Continue reading Mental Clutter and How to Clear What’s Weighing You Down
Why August Is the Perfect Month to Reset
Why August Is the Perfect Month to Reset August has always felt like a pause. Not quite summer. Not yet fall. It hangs in that in-between space, asking us to slow down and pay attention—to the parts of ourselves we’ve been too busy to notice. Maybe you've been on autopilot—surviving the summer chaos, riding the… Continue reading Why August Is the Perfect Month to Reset
8 Years Ago: The Beginning of Change
8 Years Ago: The Beginning of Change A Journey of Faith, Fear, and Finding God in the Chaos 8 Years Ago Our Lives Changed, our world shifted in a way we never saw coming. Our youngest son had just turned three, and life felt beautifully ordinary—summer evenings at the ballfield, laughter echoing through the house,… Continue reading 8 Years Ago: The Beginning of Change
Learning to Love Yourself Again
Learning to Love Yourself Again There may come a point in your life where you look in the mirror and barely recognize the person staring back. You’ve been through too much. You carry invisible wounds. You’re weary, fragile, and maybe even angry with yourself. Maybe shame has wrapped itself around you like a heavy coat… Continue reading Learning to Love Yourself Again
Forgiving Yourself: A Path to Grace
Forgiving Yourself: A Path to Grace We often talk about the power of forgiveness—how freeing it is to release bitterness toward others. But what happens when the person you need to forgive is staring back at you in the mirror? Forgiving Yourself: A Path to Grace. Self-forgiveness can feel like the hardest form of grace… Continue reading Forgiving Yourself: A Path to Grace
Understanding Unresolved Trauma
Understanding Unresolved Trauma: Naming the Wound, Beginning the Healing Trauma has a way of settling into the hidden corners of our hearts, often unnoticed but deeply impactful. It doesn’t always come from one big, catastrophic event. Sometimes, it’s the accumulation of smaller wounds—a childhood marked by emotional neglect, a betrayal by someone we trusted, the… Continue reading Understanding Unresolved Trauma
Empowerment: You Are Stronger Than You Think
Empowerment: You Are Stronger Than You Think Empowerment isn’t about becoming powerful on your own—it’s about discovering the strength God has already placed inside of you. You were created with purpose, intention, and strength. Sometimes life just covers that up with trauma, doubt, or fear. In therapy, we work on peeling those layers back. We… Continue reading Empowerment: You Are Stronger Than You Think
Dear Amygdala
Dear Amygdala, You are not my friend, dear Amygdala. The emotions you project are not welcome. It has become clear that you are being used and manipulated. Past trauma is being stirred up, allowing old wounds to resurface and impact the present. Pain that should have remained in the past is now bleeding into new… Continue reading Dear Amygdala
The Body Keeps the Score
The Body Keeps the Score: How Unresolved Trauma Manifests Physically We often think of trauma as something that exists only in the mind—something we can push down, lock away, and move past if we just “get over it.” But the truth is, trauma doesn’t just live in our thoughts; it takes root in our bodies.… Continue reading The Body Keeps the Score
Be Unapologetically You
Be Unapologetically You The world will always have opinions about who you should be, how you should act, and what path you should take. But here’s the truth—you are not here to meet someone else’s expectations. Instead, you are here to be fully, unapologetically, and authentically yourself. Embracing Who You Are Being yourself doesn’t mean… Continue reading Be Unapologetically You
Not All Scars Can Be Seen
Not All Scars Can Be Seen Not All Scars Can Be Seen Scars tell stories. Some are visible, etched into our skin as reminders of battles fought and wounds healed. Others, though, remain hidden as they carve deep into our hearts and minds, shaping us in ways the world cannot see but are just as real.… Continue reading Not All Scars Can Be Seen
Emotional Self-Care Tending to Your Heart and Mind
Emotional Self-Care: Tending to Your Heart and Mind Life can be overwhelming, and in the midst of caring for everyone else, we often forget to take care of ourselves—especially when it comes to our emotions. Emotional self-care is just as vital as physical self-care. It helps us process feelings, release stress, and nurture our well-being.… Continue reading Emotional Self-Care Tending to Your Heart and Mind
The Importance of Little Acts of Kindness
The Importance of Little Acts of Kindness In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, kindness is a powerful force. And while grand gestures are beautiful, it’s the small, everyday acts of kindness that truly make a difference. A smile, a kind word, a simple act of generosity—these things may seem small, but they… Continue reading The Importance of Little Acts of Kindness
The Power of Small Breaks
The Power of Small Breaks: Give Your Mind a Moment to Breathe In a world that glorifies hustle and productivity, taking a break can sometimes feel like a weakness. But the truth is, there is nothing wrong with stepping away to calm your mind. In fact, it’s necessary. Your mind is constantly working—processing emotions, solving… Continue reading The Power of Small Breaks
Be Kind to Your Mind
Be Kind to Your Mind We often hear the phrase be kind to others, but how often do we practice kindness toward ourselves—especially our minds? The way we think, the words we speak to ourselves, and the care we give our mental well-being all matter. Your mind deserves kindness, too. Life can be overwhelming, and… Continue reading Be Kind to Your Mind
Not All Scars Can Be Seen
Not All Scars Can Be Seen Some wounds leave visible marks—reminders of pain, survival, and healing. But not all scars are on the surface. Some are hidden deep within, carried silently in the heart and mind. These invisible scars—of grief, trauma, betrayal, and loss—are just as real as any physical wound. The hardest part about… Continue reading Not All Scars Can Be Seen