Trauma Panel Discussion
FROM OUR CLINICAL TEAM AT OLIVE TREE COUNSELING CENTER We’re wrapping up our trauma series with an insightful panel discussion from our team of clinicians at Olive Tree. You’ve heard from them in writing, but we hope you’ll take the time now to listen to them share together from their wealth o
Secondary Trauma
by Susan Butler, LMFT, LPC There’s one more aspect to our trauma series that is particularly relevant to cross-cultural workers. Secondary trauma is “the emotional distress resulting from indirect exposure to trauma” (source) and as you might expect, it shows up more commonly among workers who
Trauma Doesn’t Affect Us All the Same
by Amber Goodloe, LPC “Trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you.” — Dr. Gabor Maté Last month’s article beautifully explained this quote; we may all go through traumatic experiences, but we will not all be traumatized by them
TRAUMA 101: The Brain and Body Remember What the Mind Forgets
By Nick Steffen, LMHC, Pastoral & Clinical Counselor This is the first of our series on understanding trauma, and we hope this will help those of you specifically working in (or with those in) cross-cultural ministry contexts. What We Mean When We Say “Trauma” ‘Trauma’ ha
Window of Tolerance
by Corinne Gnepf, LCMHC, NCC Have you ever wondered why a person (child, teenager or adult) reacted in a way that made no sense to you, or that seemed like it came out of nowhere without warning? Or why the reaction was much more intense than usual? People all around us react in “irrational” way
Transitions Part 2
Last month, we began our 2-part series on transitions as a cross-cultural worker by talking through the major different international moves workers face in their journey abroad. From the first move overseas, planned or unplanned moves on the field, to repatriating at the end of your journey overseas
Transitions Part 1
by Lisa Green, Executive Director, LPC- LMHC I wonder, what happens in your mind and body if you were to think: “I have to move.” (as in move house/country). Does that feel exciting? Do you get a pit in your stomach? A cringe, or shiver of longing? A mix of both? Transition is ubiquitous for [&h
I Feel Stuck: Dealing with Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors that Bother Me Too Much
by Tim Hibma, MSW, Associate Counselor We all have times when we notice thoughts and emotions and have no idea where they came from. We are made up of memories. Most of our memories are stored in our brains, but they are not available to our conscious mind. Our unconscious mind operates continuously
Getting Serious About Change This Lent
by Amber Nicole and Amber Goodloe, LPC “Over time, our hearts and souls, when left unattended, get messy. Lent invites us to deal with the mess. This is not about quickly cleaning things up and pretending they were never there, nor is it about ignoring the mess. Lent invites us to roll up our slee
Balancing Being a Servant & Steward
by Steve Scruggs, Psy.D. Many global workers have a strong desire to serve. They serve their Lord, their host nation partners, and their supporters through the work that they do. The Bible is full of references to serving and is perhaps most epitomized by the words of Jesus in Mark 10:42-45 (NIV): 4