How does God treat depression?

As a counselor, I talk with many people struggling with feelings of depression on a regular basis. Oftentimes, these people are Christians and their feelings of depression are amplified by an unnecessary guilt that Christians shouldn’t feel depressed. I believe one day, that will be true. When Jesus returns and we are with Him in…

Beautifully Broken

Have you ever had a day when you’ve felt just completely broken? Like nothing you do is beneficial or good, no one seems to appreciate or enjoy you, and you just make mistakes at every turn? Maybe you’ve felt that way for more than just a day – maybe it’s been a few weeks, months…

Attitude is Everything

I was sitting in a counseling session one day with a married couple. They were arguing, and I was listening, watching how they interacted with each other. I was hearing harsh tones, watching their body language fluctuate between aggressive gestures and then defensive, protective ones. They were both talking, loudly, but no communication was actually…

Just go to sleep!

Sleep is important. Adults need an average of 7-9 hours of sleep (uninterrupted) per night. Why is sleep so important? Regulating your circadian rhythm (your sleep-wake clock) underlies all mental health improvement. Our circadian rhythm is the master clock in our brain that tells our body's systems when to do what. It's connected to the…

Sometimes the Problem is Sin

A few months ago, my husband and I were taking a walk around the bay near us and I watched a fish jump and create ripples through the water. It was a common enough image, but it reminded me of what I’d read that morning. In the book of Joshua, there was a misunderstanding between…

So you want to lose weight…

It seems like even though the conversation here is about using nutrition and integrative medicine to support mental health, the topic of weight loss keeps coming up. Certainly, for many of the overweight and obese citizens of the world, doctors are emphasizing more than ever the need to get down to a healthy weight to…

Mental Health Support for Kids

Awhile back, someone following my Instagram @faithhopefood asked for a sort of guide to help her make food choices that would benefit the mental health of her children. I thought it was such a great idea, so here we go! If you've been with me for a while, you've read about the basics of how…