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How to Nurture a Positive Body Image

How to Nurture a Positive Body Image

Kate Motaung2024-10-29T12:08:20+00:00June 9th, 2023|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development|

Of all the people you live with and encounter daily, there isn’t anyone who you need to put up with as much as yourself. You are constantly with yourself, experiencing the various sensations of bodily existence such as the sun on your skin, how laughter wells up within you, or the feeling of a satisfying meal in your belly. A healthy or positive body image is essential for enjoying yourself and appreciating what your body can do. What is body image? The term ‘body image’ refers to how you perceive your physical appearance. That relates to your skin, hair, weight, height, facial appearance, and any other physical characteristic of your body. This perception of yourself is influenced by the interaction of several complex factors such as your thoughts about your body, the messages you received about your body while growing up, and how the culture you’re in represents bodies and perceives beauty. When you have a positive body image, you are satisfied with your body and accept as well as appreciate it. On the other hand, a negative body image is when you’re not happy with your body and dislike one or more attributes about yourself. A positive body image may look like seeing yourself as you are most of the time, as well as accepting your body and feeling comfortable in it even when it may depart from broader societal beauty standards. Having a positive body image doesn’t mean you always feel good about yourself or that you’re happy with every part of your body. It does mean that on most days you are happy and feel confident about how you look, and you appreciate what your body can do more than you lament what you can’t do. Nurturing a positive view of your body. A person can have [...]

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Seasons Change: Navigating Boundaries and Life Transitions

Seasons Change: Navigating Boundaries and Life Transitions

Kate Motaung2024-10-29T12:09:04+00:00April 29th, 2023|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development, Relationship Issues|

As much as the beginnings of relationships are important, it is essential to recognize the value of endings. Embracing conclusion makes room for our relationships to flex with the Father’s purposes that flourish in new seasons and in burgeoning relationships. When we allow ourselves to process boundaries and transitions and exit one period of our lives, we are better equipped to enter the next. Although adapting to newness presents its own challenges, accepting the end imparts the grace needed to trust God, regardless of who or what flows with us from one season to the next. The abiding Presence of the Holy Spirit strengthens and sustains us through turbulence associated with transition and change. Reconfiguring boundaries and traversing transition feels awkward and uncomfortable. We may not know how to shift boundaries as seasons change in our lives, but we cling to the promise of Jesus to be with us always. Relational changes involve creative conversations, first with the Lord in addition to communing with our hearts before we share with others. The Holy Spirit will illuminate our path with the Word of God, giving insight and instruction on what to say and when. He is the brilliance of the Father, the relationship genius who knows every human heart and how to navigate it. We can rely on Him to guide us through uncertain times, so that we honor God, ourselves, and others as our lives and relationships undergo transition. Here, Jesus expertly makes all things new, and causes them, including seasons of transformation, to work together for good and ultimately His glory (Revelation 21:4; Romans 8:28). Metamorphosis affords the grace to embrace imperfection in the secret place while being perfected by the Spirit of Christ. Through Jesus’ finished work, we learn to extend what we have received to evolve, [...]

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Humanity’s Common Denominator: Navigating Suffering and Loss

Humanity’s Common Denominator: Navigating Suffering and Loss

Kate Motaung2024-10-29T12:09:13+00:00April 25th, 2023|Featured, Grief Counseling, Individual Counseling|

People everywhere grapple with suffering and loss, whether or not they have a relationship with God. Whether they ponder it as an abstract concept that affects those on the other side of the globe or become intimately acquainted with it in their personal experience, they all experience a measure of soul pain. The questions surrounding the evils of the world can cause people to turn toward or away from God. Suffering will dangle a question mark over our thoughts, puzzling us about the why, who, how, and the how long. In whatever context we encounter it, suffering can vex and challenge us concerning God’s intention for the earth and humanity. The suffering we observe and encounter in life finds its roots in Genesis 3. The first humans gave in to the enemy’s temptation, undermining the image of God. Adam and Eve bit the serpent’s bait. A momentary decision elicited a world of consequences that they didn’t anticipate. The result was the corruption of all of the human race and its history by sin. The Scriptures reveal that God had a plan to redeem and restore all that had been lost and forfeited in the Garden. It eventually culminated in Jesus, the Son of God who paid the price for the sins of His people – past, present, and future – to bring them back to the Father. That same Savior predestined us, His followers, to do good works, filling us with His Spirit to accomplish them. The Comforter has equipped us to extend the kingdom of God. With the Holy Spirit’s leadership and guidance, we have the privilege to serve God, to the end that the Father’s will be fully done on earth, even as it is in Heaven. Suffering and Loss: Making Sense of the Senseless Whether or [...]

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Story and Song: Reframing the Narrative of Trauma and Shame

Story and Song: Reframing the Narrative of Trauma and Shame

Kate Motaung2025-01-17T12:59:50+00:00April 25th, 2023|Featured, Individual Counseling, Trauma|

The Bible, in all of its sixty-six books, is one cohesive story. When we pan its view, we see that narrative unfold in pieces. Where each of the smaller, individual stories intersect, Scripture’s song releases bits of reflection. In totality, the image impressed within our mind’s eye is the story of Jesus. In Him, we follow the Heart of a Father, Friend, Faithful confidant, and more. Existing eternally, yet presiding over time, He is the one who simultaneously was, is, and is yet to come. In wisdom and creativity, He blends the rough edges of our shame stories into the pages of Scripture’s existing arc. He grafts us in, enhancing its drama and depth with the personal highs and lows imposed by trauma and pain. Without the parts of our past and present that we consider despicable and shameful, its view would be incomplete. For, it is in mercy that the Love of the Father, the Glory of the Son, and the Brilliance of His Spirit spins the yarn of a tapestry that is only complete when woven with His, ours, and those that preceded us (Heb. 11:40). Looking through this lens offers us an opportunity to take heaven’s view. The writer of Hebrews describes “a great cloud of witnesses,” who faced some of the same sordid challenges we encounter (Heb. 12:1). Although our Sunday School lessons or children’s Bible narratives may have glossed over the imperfections, adult eyes re-reading the Bible often capture another story in the scroll. Take King David, for example, who emerged from a family where he was scorned by his brothers and dismissed by his father. That didn’t deter God from anointing him to be king of Israel, in his youth, long before he engaged in a laundry list of wounds and offenses. Wrestling, [...]

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Proactive Ways to Deal with Stress

Proactive Ways to Deal with Stress

Kate Motaung2024-10-29T12:09:29+00:00January 13th, 2023|Coaching, Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development, Professional Development|

You know what it feels like when you do not or cannot manage stress properly. And it is blatantly obvious when others let stress influence them. Not being able to deal with conflict constructively, not listening properly, battling to solve problems, struggling to stay positive – and that is just at home. At work, illness and time off drop your productivity even lower than the reduced performance stress was causing you to achieve. In this article we'll discuss some proactive ways to deal with stress. It is far better to find proactive ways to deal with stress by paying attention to two factors that can make a big difference: how the environment you are in causes stress, and how you manage that stress. Everyone’s environment creates stress points for them; tackling them means you look at coping mechanisms and management techniques aimed at reducing these stress points. The other side of the same coin is to look at strategies that will help put you in a stronger, more agile frame of mind. This is a more comfortable place to be where our heart rates and blood pressure are not elevated and where we feel confident. How to understand stress. Now, before we dive in deeper it is important to define stress: Stress is our experience of being confronted with a stressful situation – also known as stressors. This will look like an unpredictable piece of bad news, a work deadline, or an upcoming bill payment. These stressors are factors that cause us to experience stress. The expectation your spouse has of you to remember your wedding anniversary and celebrate it in a way that shows you considered them when you planned it, maybe a stressor that is interpreted as stress. Stress is experienced when we see upcoming threats or [...]

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How to Quit Smoking: 6 Steps to Permanent Smoking Cessation

How to Quit Smoking: 6 Steps to Permanent Smoking Cessation

Kate Motaung2024-10-29T12:09:38+00:00January 11th, 2023|Chemical Dependency, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Cigarettes have integrated themselves into many long-term smokers’ daily lives. But almost everyone who smokes eventually wishes they hadn’t and feels highly motivated to act. However, figuring out how to quit smoking frequently falls short of desire in the end. When there is activity, it frequently is ill-planned and fleeting. Even though many people desire change, they struggle to implement and maintain the change. Because of the difficulty of learning how to quit smoking, this can be very frustrating. What is cigarette cessation? The act of quitting smoking is referred to as smoking cessation. Successfully stopping smoking can be both a common and challenging goal because it can be both addictive and destructive to one’s physical health. Some techniques are supported by science to improve your odds of successfully quitting smoking, even if smoking cessation may be challenging to sustain. 6 Tips to Help You Stop Smoking Thirty-four million American adults, or 13.7% of all adults, currently smoke cigarettes, and sixteen million people in the country suffer from a smoking-related illness. Smoking is the number one avoidable cause of illness and death in the US. Each year, more than 480,000 Americans pass away from smoking-related illnesses like heart disease and lung cancer, and more than 41,000 of these fatalities are attributable to secondhand smoke exposure. The following techniques can help one successfully quit. 1. Set smart goals. The best methods for stopping smoking entail deliberate thought and action. What do you wish to accomplish? Never again, starting right now? smoking down steadily with time? You might be able to discern your intents and coordinate your efforts if you make your goals clear to yourself. The following inquiry is one that I believe is essential for achievement. Do you want to give up? Be truthful to yourself. If you gave [...]

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Are You Ready for Marriage? Tips for Discernment

Are You Ready for Marriage? Tips for Discernment

Kate Motaung2024-10-29T12:09:55+00:00December 8th, 2022|Featured, Individual Counseling, Premarital Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Deciding if you are ready for marriage requires some thought and assessment. To be able to provide an answer, you must first have a solid understanding of who you are. As you think about this, here are some things to consider. Ready for Marriage? Aspects to Consider Relationships Think about the relationships you have currently. These do not need to be romantic relationships. How do you behave toward your mother, father, and siblings? Do you frequently find yourself losing your cool with them, perhaps resorting to using rude or sarcastic language to get your point across? In light of that, what kind of remarks would they make about you? How you interact with members of your family is predictive of how you will behave toward a potential mate. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. – Ephesians 4:31, NIV Attitude and behavior Your attitude and the way you behave can be indicators of your readiness. Are you positive or pessimistic? Do you ever consider other people’s perspectives, or do you always insist on doing things in a particular way – your way? Are you able to maintain your composure in difficult situations? Are you patient? You can better prepare yourself to be a husband or wife in the future by cultivating the fruit of God’s spirit in your life. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23, NIV Money and finances Considering how you approach money and finances in your life is important. Surveys report that almost half of couples argue about money, so having a clear understanding of your ideas on the subject now can foster a healthier marriage [...]

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How to Stop Stress Eating

How to Stop Stress Eating

Kate Motaung2024-10-29T12:10:04+00:00November 24th, 2022|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development, Weight Loss, Women’s Issues|

You had a stressful day at work. Nothing went the way it was supposed to. You’re finally home when you see an email. You ignore it only to be met with another problem at home. You feel the tension rising and you instinctively reach for that bag of chips in the cabinet. Crunching away, you finally start to feel better after stress-eating to your way to the bottom of the bag. Maybe you respond differently. You spent the day at the hospital with a loved one only to come home exhausted and frustrated from the day. You know you should eat something, but you just can’t muster it, so you skip dinner completely. What is happening? How are both of these scenarios linked? It could be stress eating. There is no shortage of stress, especially in recent years. People are finding all sorts of ways to cope. According to the American Psychological Association, twenty-seven percent of adults say they eat to manage stress while thirty percent of adults report skipping a meal due to stress. With so many people struggling with their eating habits when they feel stressed, we must understand what it is and what we can do about it. What is stress eating? Upon first look, it may not make sense to pair skipping meals with overeating. But the two are connected more than you think. Stress eating, also referred to as emotional eating, is a pattern of eating as a coping mechanism to make you feel better, often in stressful situations. When people use food to suppress negative emotions such as sadness, loneliness, stress, or fatigue, it can be considered stress-eating. How does skipping meals fit in? When you experience stress, the body has a surge of adrenaline that triggers the fight-or-flight response. This hormonal response can [...]

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How to Build Self-Esteem

How to Build Self-Esteem

Joanna Kucherera2024-09-25T09:04:22+00:00November 3rd, 2022|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development|

Self-esteem is the opinion we have of ourselves, and the value we place on ourselves. It is shaped throughout our lives and is impacted by all of our experiences, both good and bad. Self-esteem is not stable and might fluctuate or dip at certain points as we go through seasons of growth. Sometimes our self-esteem can change by the day or even by the hour. Our self-esteem is directly linked to the choices we make, our motivation, the types of treatment we accept from others, our confidence levels, and our mental health. Self-esteem can be improved and built up. Doing so will help us to be happier, more resilient to criticism and adversity, bolder in our choices, and more decisive. There is no quick fix to building self-esteem and it should be approached as a long-term goal. What does low self-esteem look like? Sometimes low self-esteem is fairly obvious in people, but most of the time adults who have low self-esteem tend to mask it with certain behaviors. This is because living with poor self-esteem or a negative self-image comes with feelings of shame and fear. Over time, this masking behavior may result in us developing false personas that we hide our negative self-image behind. The Imposter The Imposter is the person who appears grounded, content with their life, and possibly thriving in their career. However, below the surface, they are battling a crippling fear of failure and perfectionism and might be experiencing burnout. They are often competitive people, deriving temporary satisfaction from “winning” and gaining the upper hand. The Rebel A common masking behavior is to act as if others’ opinions do not matter, and that their criticisms or opinions are of no consequence. In truth, The Rebel is deeply affected by others’ opinions but is also angry [...]

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Tips for Forgiving Family Members

Tips for Forgiving Family Members

Cyndi Kay Green2024-09-25T09:06:55+00:00September 14th, 2022|Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues, Spiritual Development|

Cultivating a healthy relationship with family members can be difficult. Growing up in a big family often leaves a person feeling like they were the least favorite. These feelings can sometimes lead to relationship problems between siblings. Forgiving family is one of the toughest things we can do to follow God’s instructions about forgiveness. We don’t always want to be the ones to initiate the process. Forgiveness within the family dramatically improves the way a family functions. By employing forgiveness the dynamic of the family can become positive and uplifting, creating a healthy home environment for everyone. Even if the family has evolved to having adult children forgiveness will create a positive atmosphere during family get-togethers. This positivity created by adult children will lead to a healthier atmosphere for aging parents. How do I start showing forgiveness to my family member? Understanding the result of forgiveness comes from spending time with God. It is important to allow God to prepare your heart and mind to seek forgiveness. Allowing Him to lead you in this process is the key to obtaining true forgiveness. God’s love for us is based on forgiveness. He forgave us for sins so that we may be found in right standing with Him. We don’t always intentionally do something that hurts others. Regardless, we are still responsible for seeking forgiveness. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32, ESV Praying is the best way to understand how God wants you to approach the person. It will also help in understanding how to speak to them in a way that will be uplifting. God wants us to live in harmony. He intended for the His children to walk together in love. Sometimes you need help to understand [...]

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