Author: Dominick Flarey

Christian Counseling Training Program: “Sick” Faith and Miracles and How Christian Counselors Can Help

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counseling Training Program : Christian Counselors Can Help People Have A Healthier Faith

“Thy will be done” was the final submission of Christ’s human nature to his divine nature and Father. He asked for the chalice to be passed but did not demand it. He accepted the outcome of his gruesome torture and death because he saw the will of the father before his own. He did not demand that a legion of angels slaughter the Roman garrison for his protection instead he meekly accepted his death as the will of the Father. Christ here portrays a healthy faith that is characteristic of a loving son who accepts the will of his father, realizing that no matter how bad things may get, his father will be with him during all trials and sufferings.  Christian Counseling should emphasize this submission of the will to clients.

With Christ as our ultimate paradigm, we too must accept the will of the father in times of need and despair. Too many times, Christians practice a sick faith that sees suffering and death as punishment for spiritual failures. This results in a probing questioning similar to those at the foot of the cross who demanded a miracle from Christ. “He could save others, but he cannot save himself” they proclaimed as they continued to mock him. How many times do Christians demand a miracle in times of suffering, sickness and death? How many times do Christians become angry at God because he did not produce a miracle for them but for someone else? The cynic proclaims, what good God would pick and choose among his people, but the true of faith, merely respond, “thy will be done”.

In the text, “The Unwanted Gift of Grief”, Dr.VanDuivendyk points out a very true analysis of sick faith versus healthy faith. He states that many see their relationship with God as a contract. In this contract, the faithful turn to God in time of need and offer prayer, sacrifice, and good deeds in turn for favors. This inferior faith attempts to manipulate God and put one’s will above the will of the Father. These individuals demand a miracle due to a contractual binding due to their illusionary ideals on prayer. While psychologically this falls under Kubler-Ross’ third phase of grieving-negotiating, one cannot deny that this type of negotiating results from a lack of good theology. Dr. VanDuivendyk points out that instead of a relationship of contract, one must have a relationship of covenant. A relationship of covenant believes that we are God’s people and he will always love us and guide us to our greater good. Through this covenant, good things and bad things in this temporal reality will result. In the end, we must accept both and carry our crosses, and accept this unwanted gift of grief. God will walk with us in the day and carry us in the night but in the end we must accept his will over our own. As spiritual children we may ask for favors, but in the end we must realize that not all prayers can be answered. Is this fair? Well ask Christ if he thought it was fair when he accepted the will of the Father and carried his cross for the salvation of the world. God does not preach from a pulpit, but through the Incarnation of Christ teaches through example.

Hence a healthy faith accepts the reality of miracles. A healthy faith prays with devotion and fervor.  

However, a healthy faith prays not only for favorable outcome, but also the ability to accept the will of the Father and to carry one’s cross. This is the example Christ showed Christians in the garden and this is the proper theological understanding of prayer and miracles during times of hardship.  if you want to learn more, please review the Christian Counseling Training Program.

By Mark Moran, MA

Stress Management for the Soul

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

A common trend in every workplace across the world is that due to the rise of stress levels stress management is becoming key to any career.   The first step to managing stress is to realize that there is a part of you that is always at peace.   Finding this inner bunker can be the hardest part.   Once you do, however, you will find peace and quite is only a thought away!   An article from the Huffington post by Russel Bishop goes into detail on how to find your peace.

A youth man with his hands on his head.
Stress can overcome us all if we let it.

Stress Management from within your Soul

The article, “Soul-Talk: Got Stress? Wake Up to Your Soul”, by Russell Bishop states

“Just as a GPS system in a car helps recalculate your route, GPS for the Soul will help you notice when you’ve gone off-course. And it will provide instant, on-demand feedback to help you course-correct.”

For the full article please go here.

Learning to reduce stress levels from within your soul might sound hard at first but given time you will learn to master this skill.    Once you have this powerful tool for stress management will be at your disposal.   After you have achieved inner peace, you will find that these stressors hold no power over you anymore!   If you would like to learn more about other stress management techniques please visit our webpage here.

Study finds meditation makes people happy and nicer

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

A study from UC San Francisco found that meditation made schoolteachers more relaxed, nicer and reduced their stress levels.   The teachers meditated using several meditation techniques. They focused on their memories, their feelings, and how to develop empathy for those around them.   The article is from Newsreview.com.

Using Meditation to be happier and nicer.

Teacher smiling
Happiness is key to success in any career.

It is interesting to read how daily meditation can improve relaxation, reduce stress and help with keeping a positive attitude.   One has to wonder how much nicer the world would be if everyone took a few minutes a day to meditate and learn to relax.    If you want to learn how to meditate or want to learn more, please visit our meditation website.

Creating your own Health Coaching Website

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Health Coaching can be a fun and rewarding profession.  Getting your name out there, however, can be a completely different story.   Many health care coaching professionals do not have the education to set up their personal health coach websites.   It can be an ordeal to just get the simplest of websites running without help.   Lucky for us Karen Brunet wrote an article for Healthcoachweekly.com on the subject.

Cartoon of a man sitting at his computer desk
Do Health Coaches need Computer Coaches?

Easy Tips to Create Your Own Health Coaching Website:

The article, “Do-It-Yourself Websites for Health Coaches”, by HealthCoachWeekly states

“You want a professional website that will help you grow your health coaching business. But you donʼt want the ongoing expenses of paying a webmaster.  And you donʼt want to spend frustrating weeks – or even months – trying to figure out how to put all the pieces together.  Is there a way to have it all?”

For the full article please go here.

Once you get become familiar with the software and the design of your website, you will be able to focus on health coaching.   By following the advice in the article, you should have your own health coach website up and running in no time!   If you wish to learn more about health care coaching you should visit our website.  

Stress Management for Students Facing Final Exams

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

As the season of spring starts to turn to the beginning of summer, students across the nation start to feel the heat.   Stress Management can help student relax as they prepare for their final exams.   An article from the Daily Sundial by Fredy Tlatenchi illustrates how some students are managing stress from their finals.

A picture of a blackboard with Final Exams wrote on it.
Test anxiety can cause a lot of stress.

Students use Stress Management.

The article, “Options for relaxing during Stress Awareness month”, by  Fredy Tlatenchi states

“With April officially being national Stress Awareness Month, preparing for the Spring 2012 finals seems almost ironic for the of students CSUN. Mastering the fine arts of scheduling, money management and learning when to relax will be a skill most freshman will need to have in order to survive the weeks and exams ahead. In a campus wide poll of 60 students, the following five places located within or around the CSUN campus were voted as the most relaxing for students and their wallets.”

For the full article please go here.

Now most of you might not be in college anymore but that does not mean you still do not feel stressed out because of exams.   Many professionals continue their education throughout their lives and need stress management techniques to deal with the added pressure.   If you would like to find out more about stress management please go to our site.

Where do Christian Counselors Stand in Battle Between Church/State?

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counselors Need to Defend the Integrity of Religious Freedom

With Health Care Law demanding religious employers pay for controversial birth control methods that contradict their religious beliefs, a battle between church and state has emerged.  On one hand the church calls for religious freedom, while on the other hand, the state calls for fair health compensation for women who want birth control.  I feel it is the duty of Christian Counselors to be defenders of religious liberty.  Regardless, the case continues to intensify and no compromise seems in the distant future.

Christian Counselors have a responsibility to defend the Church and religious freedom by the very nature of their counseling status.  If you are interested in Christian Counseling, please review the program.
As a certified Christian counselor, you will be able to help others understand their own problems better in the light of Christ.
Mark Moran, MA

5 Techniques for Better Meditation while Exercising

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Meditation is an excellent way to relieve stress and achieve inner peace.   It helps to relax us after a busy day or prepares us for a hard task.  Meditating is just like any other exercise and with exercise we have to use the right form.   The same can be said about meditation.  In fact meditation can be used during exercise as well to keep focused on the proper form.  In an article by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche from the Huffington post he writes about 5 ways for better meditation while exercising.

Young woman drinking water
Have you ever meditated during your exercises?

5 Meditation Techniques to Train our Minds and our Bodies

The article, “5 Tips for Running With the Mind of Meditation”, by Lodro Rinzler states

“When I began running, naturally I found myself applying the principles of meditation to my exercise. For me, this seems natural because running is a training of the body, and meditation is a training of the mind. Ideally, we do not have to decide which is better.”

For the full article please go here.

Through meditation we will be able to get more out of our exercise and not only strength our bodies but our minds as well.    If you wish to learn more about meditation and meditation techniques please visit our website.

Ethics of a Christian Counselor

Posted on by Dominick Flarey
A Christian counselor shares many of the same ethical standards any counselor or professional would have. This obviously includes respect of each person and their general welfare. It also includes confidentiality and a seal of silence.
In regards to sexuality, a counselor should use extreme caution when the person begins to compare him or her to a spouse or ex boyfriend or girlfriend. On the other side of the spectrum, a counselor should rediagnose one’s professional relationship if one starts to prolong sessions or find excuses to see the person they are counseling outside of the office. If such things occur, it may be wise to refer the person to another counselor. In addition to this, one should be aware of flirtations, personal telephone calls, touching, or any conversations with sexual topics.
Beyond these basic ethical standards, the basic paradigm of the counselor as a parent is critical. A parent is concerned with the well being of one’s children and gives them the best advice possible. If a counselor is able to keep this view and adhere to these standards, one has a less chance of entering into complicated situations. With this in mind, a Christian Counselor also goes beyond these standards and is obliged to give sound good Biblical advice. The ethics of God must always be presented for any situation. While secular counselors can give advice according to what they feel is best, a Christian Counselor is called to a higher standard.

Christian Counselors are hence called to a higher calling in that they have a spiritual and moral obligation to teach the Gospel of Christ. With such a high calling, they are liable before God as any other teacher, clergy member or parent in their counseling and teaching. Christian Counselors are called to a high vocation and with such a high vocation they have a high responsibility to provide not only counseling ethical standards but also Christian standards that pertain to counseling and life.
If you are interested in the Christian Counseling Program, please review it.  A certification in Christian Counseling can be earned by qualified professionals who complete the courses.

Should Grief Counselors Encourage Bonds Beyond the Grave?

Posted on by Dominick Flarey
The clash of metaphysics and empirical science the last two centuries has created two divergent
thoughts. One thought accepts an afterlife and the other denounces anything spiritual. Modern psychology as a science venerates the mind as a masterpiece of evolution while theology reveres it as a metaphysical organ that bridges the soul and the body. As Christian counselors and grief counselors, one will encounter two schools of thought concerning the deceased. One school emphasizing that visions are delusions or pathological conditions and the other school accepting the reality that bonds continue beyond the grave and our loved ones do and can communicate with us.

Grief Counselors and How They Should Deal with Continued Bonds of Clients

One agreement is certain between both schools of thought and that is that the Freudian view that attachments and bonds with the deceased is pathological is simply not true. Attachments are important and are never broken. One must readjust his or her life narrative without the loved one, but the importance of the bond continues. Whether one is from the metaphysical school of thought or the secular, one cannot dismiss this. Even the secular school would contend that the brain is helping the body cope with the loss and the cherishing of the bond as a memorial is healthy. From a metaphysical view though this bond is more than a mere memorial but an actual bond that is only temporarily broken and restored in the next life.
One may ask if these continued bonds with the grave ever pathological? The answer would be yes. Not all cases are truly metaphysical in nature. Some visions are indeed delusions and can even be pathological in nature due to complicated grief reactions. This is where discernment is very important and where faith must allow science to diagnose if any pathology is present. Regardless, metaphysical encounters usually bring peace and joy but sometimes can also bring sadness.
Some cases of continuing one’s bond remain in the realm of the five senses. Again some of these attempts to continue a bond are healthy and some are unhealthy. From a healthy perspective, many people keep various objects of a loved one or create a memorial. Some also begin various family traditions that honor the deceased. Yet despite these healthy continued bonds, others can form unhealthy bonds that become more like chains that imprison the living. These people become obsessively fascinated with objects of a loved one. Some individuals will cease to remove or touch anything of the loved one after his or her death. The person is unable to incorporate the event of death into his or her new life narrative. In these cases, one can on many occasions see a room of the deceased left completely the same as it was the day before the person died. The room becomes a “museum” for the deceased but in reality becomes a “mausoleum” for the living. In some extreme cases, the bereaved person may even wear the clothing of the deceased to help keep the connection at any cost. These severe cases represent an unhealthy example of a continued bond.

From this, I would contend that there is a benefit in continuing one’s bonds with the deceased. However inability to adjust to the new relationship with the deceased can cause pathological grief reactions that are not healthy. One must be able to move on to the next chapter of life. This does not mean the previous chapter of the story was not critical to the book, but it does mean, new chapters must be read to complete the entire book of life.
If you are interested in Grief Counseling Courses, click here.

Truth, Happiness and Morality in Christian Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

In Christian Counseling  it is important to point your spiritual children to truth–not necessarily happiness. When I say happiness, I mean subjective happiness. On numerous occasions, happiness poses as an illusion. While the initial feeling appears good, the ultimate ending is destructive. Subjective relativism proposes a variety of truths and what constitutes happiness varies with each person. While at the lowest level, happiness can correspond with individual like and dislike, happiness in its truest sense is an objective reality. It is objective in that it satisfies man’s every desire and end. What corresponds with this and leads to this?
Truth leads to happiness. This is what as counselors, one must lead their spiritual children too. Ultimate truth which is God and his moral law is the only way to the Beatific vision which is perfect happiness. While not correlating truth and happiness as one thing, we are pointing out that a certain way of life that corresponds with the source of truth and happiness which is God is necessary for man.
Socrates pointed out that for things to be done correctly, one must follow a proper

procedure. Shoemakers, sewers, and farmers for example all follow a certain way to produce their product. If they deviate from this, then failure is the end result. If they follow the procedure, then success and happiness follow. Socrates believed that there was a proper way of living as well. If we followed the proper procedure, then happiness would result.
Hence as a counselor, if we truly want to lead our clients to happiness, we sometimes have to state the truth even if it dampers their subjective ideals on what happiness is or what they think it should be.
If you are interested in the Christian Counseling Program, please review here.
To learn how to become a certified Christian counselor, then please review.

Mark Moran, MA