Pet Loss Grief Counseling Training Article on Legitimacy of Grief over Pet Loss

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Good article about the disenfranchised grief of pet loss.  Noone should be shamed for grieving a pet.  To some the loss of a pet is a huge thing to overcome.  Love has no barriers and for our pets, many of them are like family

The article, “Don’t Shame Me For Grieving My Dog’s Death”, by Lindsay Holmes states,

“U want to cancel bc ur dog back home died? Haha.”

A few months after I moved to New York in 2013, I learned that my beloved childhood yorkie, Sapp, passed away. I was supposed to go on a date that night ― my first one ever since moving to the city ― and I felt like I just couldn’t handle it.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review our Pet Loss Grief Counseling Training to learn more

Meditation Instructor Program Article on Calming Self Criticism

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

One of our loudest voices is our own.  We can be overly critical of ourselves at times.  We need to be able to calm ourselves and see ourselves as we truly are, in bad, but most importantly in good as well.  That sometimes involves not being so critical.  Yes, it is good to want to excel, but to much criticism can be a bad extreme.

Meditation can help us overcome ourselves and our criticisms.

The article, Try This Meditation Technique to Quiet Your Inner Critic Once and for All, by Michael Gollust states

“To develop more kindness for yourself, for your loved ones, even for people you can’t stand? Starting a practice of lovingkindness (known in the Buddhist tradition as metta), can help. The good news is you don’t have to be an expert meditator to try it; you can add it to your existing routine, or use it as an entry point into a new practice.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please review our Meditation Instructor Program to learn more

Pastoral Thanatology Program Article On Dying Well

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Dying well seems contradictory but it is true that since death is unavoidable that we must learn how to die gracefully and also in a dignified way.  Palliative care, as well as hospice can help those who are lucky enough to be in the position to experience it, but some individuals do not die as comfortably as they could, at least from a physical experience.  Albeit, some people depending on the nature of their death cannot, there are many who undergo many unnecessary troubles before death

The article, How to Die Well, by Jessica Nutik Zitter states

“I first met Stephanie in the Intensive Care Unit. She was an urgent admission — in shock, her blood pressure was almost unmeasurable. Over the previous month, the rate of cancerous fluid building up around her lungs had increased.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review our Pastoral Thanatology Program.

Christian Grief Counseling Program Article on Christianity and Grief

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Good article about how Christian hope can the grieving see that grief and loss are only temporary.  This is the nature of Christianity and its view of suffering. It does not seek to escape grief, but embrace knowing that it is only temporary and has merit on this earth

The article, Christian faith creates hope that alters grief, by Very Rev. John D. Payne states,

“An aerial view of Egypt might shed some light on the ancient Egyptian fixation with death. Running the length of Egypt for some 3,400 miles, from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea, is the Nile River. Only about a quarter of a mile on either side of the river is living green.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review our Grief Counseling Program, as well as our Christian Grief Counseling Program

Pastoral Thanatology Program Article on End of Life Care and Quality of Life

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Good article about the importance of end of life care as not only a service but an important ingredient for better life.  Qualify of life includes dignity in dying and end of life care can help others die with respect, comfort and the necessary care

The article ,Palliative Care is Vital for Improved Quality of Life, by Barbara Jones states,

“In a recent CNN debate about health care, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz claimed people confronted with life-threatening diseases who receive palliative care services were “essentially doped up with some drugs” and told “well, now is your time to go.”

We find these statements absurdly misrepresentative of the goals of palliative care.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review our Pastoral Thanatology Program

Spiritual Counseling Program Article on Building Better Habits

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Building Self-Discipline Helps Transform Bad Habits

It is not easy to end bad habits and consistently stick to better ones that will help to create a healthy life, especially if one struggles with a lack of self-discipline. However, there are some great tips available that can make the process go a bit more smoothly. What steps can one take to ensure that bad habits that are causing issues with one’s health are banished for good?

 Self-discipline is key to eliminating unhealthy habits

Some people seem to naturally have loads of self-discipline, never struggling to make healthy changes. However, as Forbes notes, this is a trait that is a learned behavior and there are some solid tips available for improving one’s self-discipline in order to banish problematic patterns. Improving self-discipline requires thoughtful decisions and adjustments that will set the stage for success, and making these changes can pave the way to ditch bad habits and form good ones.

Eliminate bad habits and replacing them with good ones does not happen overnight, and experts recommend that it is important to allow for mistakes. Sometimes the approach of making changes gradually and setting up mini-goals and rewards for hitting those goals can set the stage for long-term success. Slip-ups or mistakes are likely to happen at some point along the way, and setting aside feelings of frustration or guilt in order to focus on resetting and moving forward can be a valuable approach to creating lasting, positive habits and increased self-discipline.

Set the stage for success and healthier habits will follow

Another key tip for ditching bad habits is to get rid of temptations. If one is working on losing weight or eating healthier, it helps to clear out the junk food at home and focus on ways to avoid troublesome choices or bad habits while on the go. Some people can rely solely on self-discipline in avoiding the unhealthy temptations around them, but clearing out as much as possible can go a long way toward achieving success.

Huffington Post reinforces the fact that changing one’s environment can be key to building self-discipline and ending bad habits. A refrigerator full of fruits and vegetables rather than sugary treats or setting up a routine that naturally includes exercise rather than sedentary television viewing makes it easier to build good habits and strengthens one’s self-discipline by ensuring success.

Reflection and action together generate lasting results

As Inner Genius details, bad habits are often formed in order to combat stress, exhaustion, boredom, or something uncomfortable, and it is not uncommon for these bad habits to start out small and grow over time. Self-discipline alone may not be enough to do away with these ongoing challenges. However, it certainly becomes a key component to making lasting changes. The more that one can reflect on the reasons behind the bad habits and look to ways to eliminate their causes, the easier it will be to move forward with healthier choices.

People cannot necessarily wake up one day and eliminate all of their bad habits by utilizing self-discipline, but making a real commitment to change and focusing on one small step at a time can lead to success. Deciding to do the hard work of eliminating the obstacles creating challenges and prioritizing what actions will provide the best opportunity to create a healthier life will pave the way for lasting change.

Many people do well with setting up small goals and rewards to provide encouragement along the way and others find it key to clear out anything related to their bad habits that holds them back. Oftentimes the more that one focuses on positive change the stronger one’s self-discipline will become and the easier it will be to permanently ditch bad habits that are causing issues in one’s health.

 

By Henry Moore

 

Please also review our Spiritual Counseling Program and see if it matches your academic and professional needs

 

 

 

Pet Loss Grief Counseling Article on Losing A Dog

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

It is important to realize the pain of losing a pet, especially a dog.  When we lose a dog, it is like losing a family member for some.

The article, When Rover Dies: Why Your Grief Over Your Dog Is So Intense, by Frank McAndrew states,

“Your own pet is never “just a dog.”

My wife and I recently went through one of the more excruciatingly sorrowful experiences of our long married life: the death of a pet — the euthanasia of our beloved dog, Murphy. Losing a dog is hard enough; setting the time and date in advance and then counting down the hours that we had left with her was almost more than we could bear.”

To read the entire article, please click here

If you would like to learn more about pet loss grief counseling, then please review the program and see if it matches your academic and professional needs.

Meditation Instructor Program Article on Meditation

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Meditation is more complex than merely closing one’s eyes. The article below offers insight and information into the art of meditation.   It is very comprehensive and lists almost anything you have ever wished to ask about meditation from “what kinds of meditation are there?”  to “how can I learn to mediate properly?”   Types, techniques, health benefits and tools to meditating are all listed.

The article, “How to Meditate – The Ultimate Guide” by Jackie Miller states,

“Meditation means different things to different people. One things that most will agree on is that it has been around for a very long time and is a part of many religious traditions and beliefs. You may use a type of meditation to still your mind before an exam, or to stay focused on trying to keep calm.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review our meditation instructor program as well.

 

Meditation Instructor Program Article on Mediation and Children

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Good article about meditation and how important it is for children and how parents should make it something that is in their development.

The article, “Why Meditation Is The One Tool All Our Kids Need In Their Toolbox” by Emily Fletcher states,

“It is not news that stress is taking a serious toll on adults.

But what about the demands on our kids? If they are fortunate enough to be in the 80% of children in the US living above the poverty line, at the very least their stresses include learning how to navigate their bodies, their families, their social relationships and the pressure of an increasingly technological society.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review our meditation instructor program