LMFT (TN), M.Div, MA Rachel received her Master's of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Belmont University. She has worked as a chaplain with children and adults. She is ordained clergy in the Disciples of Christ (DOC). She has over ten years of non-profit experience working with trauma survivors and women [...]
YOU ARE NOT ALONE by Becki Porter-Harmon MA, BCC, LPC This statement is not being used here as a comment that ET is with us, nor that a higher power surrounds us always. No, ‘You are not alone’ simply means that whatever you are going through is, on some level, a shared experience with other human beings. The thought [...]
Caregiver Burnout and Elder Abuse By Reverend Juanita Stokes, MA, LPC, NCC, MARS Licensed Professional Counselor March 2022 Awareness may help us to be proactive in responding to Elder Abuse. According to the US Department of Health & Human Services, about 1 in 10 Adults over the age of 60 are abused, neglected, or financially exploited! Elder abuse can affect [...]
Japanese Methods of Quiet Therapy: Self-Reflection, Mindfulness, Values and Meaning, Balance and Gratitude by Stephanie L. Shaefer, Ph.D., L.P.C. Japanese Methods of Quiet Therapy have been shown to have positive short-term and long-term benefits in Japan since the 1800’s. Can they be used effectively and ethically across cultures? Nature therapy, the soothing power of nature, forest therapy and walking, has been [...]
The National Council for Behavioral Health (September 2021) reports that “70% of adults have experienced some type of trauma at least once in their lives.” This is a staggering statistic! It is one that warrants more of our attention to better understand the impacts of trauma and what we can do to heal. What is trauma? Trauma is not [...]
Kristen Benson is one of CPC’s newest additions. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020, graduating as a Stephen A. Cohen Veteran’s Network Scholar, with a specialization in military and veteran behavioral health. She is currently working on a Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) certification through the Beck Institute and a Masters of Business [...]
My last assignment to receive my MS for counseling was to write a reflection paper using a metaphor for pastoral counseling. My metaphor was “inspiring the truth-sayer within.” The truth-sayer is a metaphor reaching deep into antiquity. Plato used the Allegory of the Cave to show how painful it can be to accept someone bearing the truth. In Frank [...]
This is not an essay about having too many possessions, knowing when to stop acquiring things and deriving happiness from a “less is more” philosophy. That topic has been covered by Arthur Simon in his thought-provoking book, “How Much is Enough? Hungering for God in an Affluent Culture” and is worth reading. Rather, this article poses some questions having [...]
In kindergarten we learn about our five senses, but what is becoming more popularly known is that we have additional senses that are equally important to how we move through the world. Spending so much time with our children at home can draw our attention to how our child(ren) is oriented to the world. Virtual learning also asks of children [...]
May you be filled with Loving Kindness. May you be surrounded by Loving Kindness. May you know the source from which all Loving Kindness comes. May you live with ease. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be safe, peaceful, and free from suffering. May you be strong and confident. WHY LOVING KINDNESS MEDITATION? Especially [...]
