Why Do Veterans Need Drug Abuse Counseling?

Do Our Veterans Need Better Drug Abuse Counseling?

The article, “Substance Abuse Continues to Be An Issue for Vets” by LFN states

“The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that alcohol use remains high for the 30 million veterans in the U.S. Twenty-three percent of male veterans admit to regularly binge drinking, as do 14 percent female veterans.”

For the full article please go here.

As you can see there is a need for more drug abuse counseling within the armed forces.   These brave men and women sacrifice themselves for the good of the country.   They help us everyday, don’t you think it is about time we help them?   Become a substance abuse counselor and help start the road to recovery.
If you are interested in becoming a drug abuse counselor and would like to learn more please visit our website.

New Year Resolutions That Reflect Spiritual Mastery

Christian Counseling and New Year Resolutions

Secular society confuses true change with superficial change.  Christians realize that true changes stem from the core of one’s being.  Christian Counseling hence urges people to find true meaning in their New Year Resolutions that go beyond the mere breaking of bad habits to true spiritual regeneration.
Yes, to quit smoking, diet, or work out more are great things that Christians should encourage, but when these things are the only things we notice, then we are truly spiritually in danger.  When we look to improve ourselves, we need to look not just at the surface but at the deepest part of our souls.  We need to realize that while quitting smoking may be great, it is even more important that we stop certain vices that are destroying our soul.  Maybe we use the Lord’s name in vain, not attend Sunday service, Mass or Liturgy, or maybe we do not give God enough prayer.  Maybe its a vice of lust, sloth, pride, or envy that dominates our being?  A thorough examination of conscience should be made at New Year to identify the weaknesses in our spiritual armor to work towards cultivating the virtues that contradict those vices!
In addition to inwardly working on ourselves, we may find ourselves in a position to allow our inner spiritual beauty to bloom in the early Winter, as we perform more spiritual and corporal works of mercy.  Have we been sitting on the sideline too long while others suffer?
In this way, we should take each New Year as a chapter in our life to cultivate a particular Christian virtue.  Each year we should attempt to master a different virtue in an attempt to become more Christ like.  While many New Year resolutions fade into the cold month of February, let us remain in prayer with Christ, and continue with fortitude on any spiritual resolutions we may make.
These are the resolutions that matter most for they will follow us into eternity.

If you are interested in Christian Counseling Courses, please review the program.  For those who want to learn how to become a Christian Counselor, one can review our program and discover the various courses that are required for certification.
The process on how to become a Christian Counselor first requires a competent background.  One should have a ministry or pastoral background.  The second element is taking the courses.

Mark Moran. MA

How You Can Grow Your Counseling Business Online!

Gain A Following For Your Counseling Business With Social Media Marketing

There are many benefits to employing social media marketing strategies. Social media allows you to instantly communicate with a broad customer base, and interact with them to generate interest in your products, services, and overall business. This article provides valuable guidance on utilizing social media marketing strategies successfully. Use these tips to make your counseling business more successful.
Keep in mind that Facebook fan pages are for businesses and personal pages are for individuals. If you mix up the two then you are putting yourself at risk of being deleted. While it is a good idea to be a bit personal on your fan page it is important to separate the two.

A man with a clipboard taking notes
Starting up a counseling business can be hard. Follow these tips to get your name out there!

A certain video does not need to go viral for your counseling company to succeed. On the other side, going viral does not mean your company will have a standing success. The more important thing to focus on is creating a steady, returning customer base that recommends your services on experience. Going viral may seem nice at first, but such things can die out just as quickly and leave you in over your head.
While having various ads on social media sites, you should definitely have a few special deals for your business. This will give your potential buyers incentive to click on your ad. By having specials on your ads, and only on these ads, the customers feel slightly more obligated to go there and see what your business has to offer.
If you are using social media to promote your product and you have written a blog post, have it posted to your Facebook page as well. This way, everyone that is on your friends list has access to your blog post. The same holds true for other social network sites.
The headline above your prepared media should immediately grab the reader’s attention and give them a reason to stay. A proper “reader callout” is a core puzzle piece, and if done incorrectly can cost your counseling company customers and profits. Find a way that touches each reader individually, while also not becoming so complex that it causes them to lose interest in the media.
People primarily use social media sites for fun, and if you can find a way to make buying from you entertaining, they’ll be much more likely to purchase something. For example, offer a discount on your products to anyone who follows your page, but make the discount they get a mystery. Some followers might save only 5%, while others get a huge discount. People will encourage their friends to see what results they get, and you’ll build up followers in no time.
One great idea for the content on your social media pages is to put up some great videos. If you have a video that people find especially funny or informative there is a chance that your viewers may pass these around to other friends which can increase the viewership of your page dramatically.
Some larger companies have helped their employees bond and come together through successful social media marketing. It can link employees from all over the world to one site and help build a team of connected workers even though they may never meet in person. This will also expose you to all your employees’ contacts if they share content from the company social site.
Maintain a positive perspective regardless of what others post on your page when using social media marketing. Being positive is essential to making your customers feel good when they visit your page. If they feel good, they are more likely to share your page or revisit to see what deals or promotions you may have running.
Twitter is a great way to market your company on the world wide web. However, make sure that you don’t just throw out information without saying “please” and “thank you”. Manners are very important so customers don’t feel that you are being pushy or disrespectful. Be polite when talking about your company and giving out information.
As this article has shown, there are many benefits to employing social media marketing strategies, and there are many different ways to use social media. Social media marketing could be the extra push your counseling business needs to obtain the success you have been seeking. Apply the advice in this article, and see what social media marketing can do for you.

Post Holiday Depression and Grief Counseling

Grief and Depression After the Holidays

With all the excitement and mystery of Christmas on its way out, many are left with cold weather, wrapping paper, smashed boxes and a withering tree at the end of the driveway.  Grief Counselors may find themselves counseling many people towards ways to rediscover balance and a normal routine again after the Holidays.  Part of the blame is society.  While society turns Christmas and the holidays into a capitalistic endeavor that begins after Thanksgiving dinner and ends the day after Christmas, people are left with an emptiness.  Spirituality and a true understanding of the holidays extend the values well into January with the feast of the Epiphany.  Yet, the mainstream materialistic dominance in society dictates policy for the most part and people are left with little if anything to look forward to after New Years.  Some people are more resilient and some people may even welcome a return to the normal life, but for some it is a hard transition.

Rheyanne Weaver from empowerher.com writes about post holiday depression in her article, “Post Holiday Depression: Why Are You Feeling So Low After the Best Time of the Year?”

“Though some people dread having to see their family around the winter holidays and don’t enjoy Christmas shopping and the colder weather, others feel more depressed after the holidays are over, since they have to go back to the same routine, among other haunting realities.”

To read the entire article, please click here

If you are interested in learning more about grief counseling, please click here

AIHCP

Christian Counseling Certification Program: The Epiphany is Little Christmas

Christian Counseling Certification Program: Christmas Season Has Just Begun!

Secular society begins and ends Christmas season to early.  The corporate greed hopes to bring in sales as soon as the last bit of Turkey is gobbled up and once the spending spree and the last return is complete, closes up shop and all sounds of Christmas.  This backwards mentality is not the true season of Christmas.  A Christian Counseling Certification Program should emphasize that the Christmas season extends well into January.
In the Western Church, the season of Christmas extends to the feast of the Epiphany or the adoration of the wise men.  This feast is usually celebrated on Sunday within the first two weeks of January.  In some traditions, this feast was also known as Little Christmas and family members would again unite and give small gifts to each other.
The reason why was simple, this is the day Christ received the three gifts from the Magi which illustrated to the world that the child Jesus was divine; The manifestation of the divine is the primary principle of this feast.  In the East, this manifestation is known as the Theophany or the Baptism of Christ.  Both are different moments in the life of Christ, but both point to his divine nature.
So while many people rush to take down the Christmas tree and other decorations, Christians understand that the idea of Christmas extends for a few more days to celebrate the Logos becoming flesh.  Let us all acknowledge this and continue to show the same Christmas spirit in the following winter months.
If you are interested in learning more about Christian Counseling Courses, please review the program.
Mark Moran, MA

Reducing Stress with these Stress Management Tips.

Great Ways Of Reducing Stress Before It Affects You

Stress doesn’t have to control your life. No one needs to live in the constant state of stress that so many people have come to accept as normal. There are changes that you can make, starting right now, that will dramatically alter the amount of stress in your life and the effects of it. Keep reading for ways that you can get started.
You will need to start saying no instead of doing too much. In today’s society, many people are trying to do too many things and dealing with high expectations from themselves and others. When you can’t do something or don’t want to, just refuse politely. “No” doesn’t mean you are cruel, it simply means you won’t subject yourself to stress, solely to please others.
One easy way to reduce stress is to disconnect yourself from the outside world for a while. Turn off the computer, turn off the phone, turn off the TV and just sit and read a book for a while. The people who need to get in touch with you can wait for you to check your voice mail.
Go for a routine checkup to the eye doctor if you feel like your vision is causing you to feel strained during the day. Purchasing a pair of glasses or contacts can help a great deal in reducing the pressure and stress that you feel when at work or reading at school.
Breathe deeply from your abdomen. This gets more oxygen to your brain, so that you feel relief from stress quickly. Many adults breathe from their chests, which causes shallow breathing that almost invites stress. Place your hand over your navel and visualize breathing from there and watch how much more relaxed you feel.
Hanging out with friends is a great way for you to improve the way that you feel at night. Instead of sitting home, where you may think about things that could cause you stress, go to a friend’s apartment. This will loosen you up and make you feel more at peace.
To calm down a stressed friend or family member, try giving them a piece of candy. Studies have shown that sugar gives our bodies a momentary relief from stress. Candy can help diffuse a situation when stress levels are at their highest, and will give your loved one a chance to get some perspective.
One great way to deal with stress is to be sure that you are not projecting your stress upon somebody else and taking them down with you. This is important because you need to deal with your own stress yourself and not assert blame on anybody if they are not responsible.
Try to surround yourself with an environment that is very comfortable. Sometimes, you will need to adjust the temperature in your home or apartment, as oppressive conditions can lead to increased levels of tension. Make sure that you feel at ease when you are at home to eliminate excess strain.
To reduce the amount of stress hormones in your body, find ways to laugh! Laughter has been proven to be one of the best defenses the body has against stress. Try keeping a few funny jokes, pictures, or videos on-hand so that you can look at them when you’re feeling burnt out. You’ll be surprised at how much better a little laughter makes you feel.
A great tip that can help you keep your stress levels down is to become aware of things that trigger your stress. Once you become aware of what makes you stressed out, you’ll be much better at handling your stress and avoiding it when you feel like you have to.
When dealing with stress, any type of hobby can be a great relief. An active hobby like video games, can help take your mind off your and give you renewed perspective, when you come back to your issues. A more passive hobby like gardening can help you reflect on, analyze and then, resolve some of your problems.

Woman reading to a boy
Reducing stress can help you lead a happier life!

Persistent headaches are one of the more common symptoms of stress. That’s why we often refer to an undesirable experience or task as a headache! There could, of course, be other underlying problems that are contributing to headaches but stress should certainly be investigated as one of the more logical culprits.
Form strong relationships. Many times, those who have a support network of family and friends feel less alone and can handle their stress better because they have other people to count on. It’s easy to feel stressed when you think you’re all alone, so reach out to friends and family and make those bonds stronger.
This article has shown you a lot of wonderful ways to start eliminating or reducing the amount of stress in your own life. Don’t let it stop there. Make sure that you pass this information along to anyone else you know, who is struggling with stress on any level.
If you want to learn more about stress reduction then please check out our website.

Children and Coping in Grief Support

Newtown Kids and Coping in Grief Support

Grief support is sometimes easier on children.  Children and Coping in Grief support is different from adults.  The biggest concern during this grieving period is that adults understand that children cope differently and to allow them to express themselves.

We need to take our time and give special considerations when dealing with child grief.   Many concepts that seem trivial or not important could mean a lot to them.
If you are interested in learning more about child and adolescent grief, then please click here and please remember to remember the children of Newtown in your prayers.
AIHCP

Christian Counseling Program: Predictions Come and Go, But Christ Remains a Constant

Christian Counseling Program: Christian Counselors Need to Guide People Away From Secular Prophesies

While predictions of the end of world will continue to circulate (even after 12-21-12), the message of Christ remains constant.  While people put their faith in ancient pagan societies, or the prophesies of those whose gift is not from God, Scripture leaves all that is needed.  St. John, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote the Book of Revelation.  While the book is full of symbolic meaning, everything a Christian needs to know about the future is recorded in this book.  Christian Counselors need to direct their spiritual children away from anything else not from God.
It is true, God does send prophets to help us understand the Book of Revelation and the end times, but God does not want his children continually worrying about the end.  He wants us to live a holy life today and not worry about tomorrow.  How many Christians, who are urged by sinful curiosity, seek the advice of mediums or other fortune tellers?
Christ is very clear.  He states that only the Father knows the day and the time when the world will end.  So while throughout the centuries we see people expecting Christ to return,, whether in the year 1000 AD or 2000 AD or in the form of some obscure native prophecy, Christians should take heart and not lose sleep over doomsday prophesies.  Instead they should focus on today and try to become better Christians so when the day does ultimately come when Christ returns in all his glory, then we will be prepared and not taken off guard.
If you are interested in learning more about AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Program, then please review it.

Mark Moran, MA

Christian Counseling Education: The Incarnation: Divinity on Earth

Christian Counseling Education: The Divine Element of the Incarnation

In the previous blog, we reviewed for Christian Counselors and other members of the faithful the central importance of the Logos becoming fully human.  In this segment, I would like to delve deeper into Christ’s divine nature.  This is the second piece of the puzzle to the central dogma of the Incarnation.  If Christ is only a man and not divine, then our religion is just a social philosophy on life without any true redeeming value.  Christian Counseling must emphasize both the divine and the human elements of Christ.

The Logos Became Man But Retained His Divine Nature

The phrase above is key.  The apostles and early Church emphasized that Christ was also God.  The Apostles and Nicene Creeds all emphatically exclaimed this doctrine.  Unlike the modernists and followers of Bultmann, there is no mythical language in these creeds but concrete statements of faith.
The Incarnation loses all spiritual value if Christ is merely a man born with the spirit of God.  Instead as Scripture and later the Church councils definitively proclaim, Christ retained his divine nature while adding upon a human nature.  Or as St. John so poetically writes, “The Logos became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us”.
Hence Christmas is not just the birth of a holy man or prophet who displayed the spirit of God but actually is the Logos Who has fused his nature with Jesus Christ to become both God and man.  Doubters and those without faith can deny the truth, but Christians are blessed with the gift of faith to see beyond the mere eyes of Jesus.  The believer understands that beyond those eyes is the King and Creator of the universe.

Heresies Against the Divinity of Christ

There are many heresies against the divinity of Christ.  From mere atheism and agnosticism to formal religions such as Islam and Judaism which formally reduce Christ to a mere man.  However, the most alarming heresy against the divinity of Christ and the miracle of the Incarnation stems from within.  Since the late Nineteenth Century, a Modernist movement has swept within the Church.  Amazingly, priests as Alfred Louisy and George Tyrell were among the first Catholics to deny the divinity of Christ.  These early modernists were condemned by St. Pope Pius X in his encyclical, “Pascendi“.  His holiness openly called these priests, wolves in sheep clothing and boldly stated, it is time to show the world who these men truly are, men who are badly disguised.
The modernist movement was far from just a Catholic event, it spilled into every venue of Christianity.  Rudolph Bultmann arrogantly defiled Scripture as he attempted to demytholize it. Obviously, Christ’s divinity was among the first to go in his ungodly enterprise.  Following in this great heretics wake, were supposed scholars who attempted to define what was ‘true’ and what was ‘false’ in the Bible.  This group became known as the Jesus Seminar.  There quest was for the historical Jesus and not the Jesus of faith.  As Christians we all know there is no such division for the Jesus of history is the Jesus of faith–Emmaneul–God is with us!
The current field of Christian theology continues to degrade as Process Theology, Liberation Theology, and various teachings of Paul Tillich continue to corrupt students on college campuses but Christians understand the true nature of the Incarnation and during Christmas, they give adoration to the Godman.
In the meantime, let us all offer up reparations to Christ’s Sacred Heart for these blasphemies, especially as enemies of faith bombard us with sacrilegious billboards that cry to Heaven for justice.  Let us ignore these pagans and focus as the shepherds did on the soon to be born King, who is our God forever and ever.

If you are interested in Christian Counseling Training, please review the program

Mark Moran, MA

Education Program in Christian Counseling: Christ Through the Incarnation Became Fully Human

Education Program in Christian Counseling: The Incarnation as the Cornerstone of Christianity.

The central theme of Christianity is Christ and the historical event known as the Incarnation.  Without this event, Christianity would be merely a social philosophy without any theological and spiritual meaning.  Christian Counselors must emphasize the centrality of the Incarnation as the cornerstone of our faith.

Christ Became Man

Emmanuel, means “God with us”.  The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became fully human to redeem us.  If the Logos did not become fully human, then the Redemption could not happen because man required a fellow man to offer to God an atonement for our sins.  Only a God-man could accomplish this and hence Jesus Christ.

Heretical Ideals Against the Humanity of Christ

The Church and the Apostles understood the natures of Christ.  The apostles realized he was both God and man.  The early Church would face heretical propositions that would attack Christ’s humanity and divinity.  The earliest confusion regarding the Christology of Christ and his human nature occurred in the first centuries.  The Gnostics contended that the Logos did not take upon a true human form but was merely a phantasm or a spiritual form.  Other groups later would deny this but reduce Christ’s human nature to a shell without a human soul.  The Monophisites contended that Christ had one nature and his body was an incomplete shell.  This was fiercely condemned by the Church at the Council of Chalcedon and Constantinople in the Fifth Century.  Later, a compromise attempted to dilute the true human nature of Christ by accepting a human nature but making it still incomplete by denying a independent human soul that existed side by side with the Logos.  This was also condemned.  The most convincing statement came from Pope Leo at Chalcedon when he boldly stated, one person, two natures.  In that, the Church accepted the idea that the Logos became flesh and while retaining his divine nature, fused the human nature with it in perfect harmony.  This confirmed a true representation of the Incarnation.  One person, two natures, two wills, but one God.  Hence, when we worship the human nature of Christ, we worship the Logos.  When we worship the Logos, we worship the human nature of Christ as well.  This is why at the Council of Ephesus, Mary was proclaimed ‘Theotokos” and not “Christokos” because Mary while not the origin of the Divine element of Christ, was nevertheless the mother of the person of Christ and in that was the Mother of God.
From this, we clearly understand that the Church has ardently defended the full human nature of Christ.  Why?  Because if Christ is not fully human and born as any man, then he cannot represent mankind as it’s High Priest.

Christ Lived As Any Man

Through this gift of Christmas, the Incarnation, Christ lived fully as a man  (except as Paul says, in sin).  In this, he not only redeemed us, but taught us how to live.  He endured every temptation, suffered and dealt with everyday things we all encounter.  He served as a perfect paradigm for humanity and instead of judging us from a far away throne,  he instead lived and walked in our shoes as a compassionate and loving God.  Only Christianity and its truth gives its people a God who suffers with us!  This suffering was not inherent or deserving of the Trinity, but an open gift, where the Trinity, allowed the Second Person to open himself to us in such a special way; a special way that allowed him to become vulnerable to our rejection but also open to our love.  This is an amazing miracle from God and it is accomplished through his gift of Jesus Christ.
Christ is Born, Glorify Him!
If you are interested in learning more, please review our Christian Counseling Courses and see if they can help you bring Christ to others.  Also please review our education program in Christian Counseling that leads to certification

Mark Moran, MA