WHEN HYPERCOMPETENCE FAILS US
By Amber Steffen, Communications & Design Summer often brings a different rhythm – travel, home assignments, teammates gone for extended stretches, a shift in pace as life around you slows down. (I don’t know about you but extreme heat means recognizing I’m just not capable of doing
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
Developmental Trauma
by Corinne Gnepf, LCMHC, NCC The previous articles in this series on trauma discussed what trauma is, how it affects the brain and the body, how it shapes our view of self and the world, and how it may impact our faith and trust in God. Today, we are turning to traumatic experiences that take [&hell
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
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
Advent Week 2: Unexpected Journeys & A Guided Imagery Exercise
“In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, h
Living (Involuntarily) on the Pedestal
by Corrine Gnepf, LCMHC, NCC “You are so brave!” How many times have I heard those words from people in my passport country when they found out where I used to live or now currently live. Sometimes the first comment was followed by “I couldn’t do it.” In that person’s mind I had re
HEART, SOUL, MIND, & STRENGTH
by Nick Steffen, LMHC, Pastoral & Clinical Counselor In the gospels, Jesus recalls the book of Deuteronomy when asked what the greatest command is. He instructs us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. While the conceptual understandings of these words may have shif
Let’s Talk About Anxiety, Shall We?
by Lisa Green, LPC-MHSP, Executive Director Let’s be honest, shall we? Anxiety is extremely prevalent in society today- and not just “out there” society, but among “us” as well. Globally, anxiety disorders are the mostly commonly diagnosed mental health problem, and the World Health Organi