All Posts by dougl1kj

Becoming an Extraordinary Parent

By dougl1kj | Blog , Coaching

At Grace Wellness Center, our parenting coaches want you to thrive as a parent!  We believe you can thrive even with difficult children.  Are you ready to get started?  Listen to what one coaching client said about their experience:

For seven years, we have seen traumatic stress counselors, psychiatrists, family therapists and group therapists, without success. In the beginning of April 2014, I sought parenting strategies at Grace Wellness Center for my adoptive teenage daughter who has RAD (reactive attachment disorder.)  The strategies and encouragement have been exactly what my husband and I needed.  The coaching and time spent learning how to deal with ongoing situations has yielded great benefits for our family.  I would encourage any parent especially parents of children with RAD to give this avenue a serious try.

Gratefully,
Dana C 

Most of us agree that parenting is one of the most important jobs in the world, but do our actions back that up?  Many of us spend a great deal of time learning what we need for our careers or other areas of life, but how much time do we spend learning from experts in the field of parenting?  In our career, if it would help us advance, we would seek expert guidance.  In fact, that is how many of us got to where we are professionally.  What about in our parenting?  Are you willing to take a hard look at yourself as a parent and ask tough questions?  Are you helping your children be secure in themselves and confident in this world?  Could you use some help?  You only get one chance to parent your children, and our parent coaching program helps you do it right.

Psalms 127:3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

What is parent coaching?

When you decide to partner with a parent coach, you get an expert in the field of parenting to come along side you as you work towards your goal of thriving as a parent.  You will begin to believe in yourself as you work with your coach to examine your own life and the beliefs you have about parenting.  You will identify the things that have put unnecessary limitations on your success as a parent.

Nothing could be more important! 

To get there you have to begin the journey, let’s get started!

By Stephen Luther
Executive Director of Grace Wellness Center
Licensed Professional Counselor and Biblical Life Coach
www.thegracewellnesscenter.com
My Kid’s Therapeutic parent coaching group on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/890155804375744/
Grace Wellness Center on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/gracewellnesscenter

Integrated Wellness

By dougl1kj | Video , Wellness

Christian Counseling- A New Perspective

By dougl1kj | Blog , Counseling , Counseling and Therapy

The wounds of the heart are the subject of Christian counseling, but often as a church community we don’t give them the same weight as we do physical wounds. Imagine if I walked into church with a big open wound on my body, I would immediately be approached by several caring people who would offer help and healing. If I told them I didn’t want any help with my wounds and that preferred to just walk around bleeding on everything they would be shocked. While this might sound farfetched, our churches and our communities are full of people walking around with open wounds on their hearts and in their lives. They are choosing not to deal with the problem.

Through the eyes of Christian counselors these people are considered the “walking wounded.” They may have tried to get help, but people didn’t understand or rejected them. If their wound has been with them for a long time, they may have grown comfortable with the problem or may even believe it is normal. Many of us have become accustomed to just accepting the masks people wear. It is more comfortable to accept that people are ok than to dig deeper and get to the truth. The truth is, many in our churches and communities are the “walking wounded” who have put on a mask to convince us they are ok. Are you willing to see the truth? Are you open to what you will see? Will the love of Christ in you be enough to keep you from running? I suggest that it’s time we stop letting people walk around wounded and do something about it. We at Grace Wellness Center specialize in helping the walking wounded become healed and whole again through Biblically based Christian Counseling. Please take a few minutes to look at the outline of our philosophy on healing wounds. Consider having us come and present a seminar that will encourage people to take off the mask and deal with the problem.

The Process of Healing through Christian Counseling
Take off the MASK: We need to begin the healing process by being genuine and open about our pain.
Heal the WOUNDS: Just like physical wounds, emotional, spiritual and relational wounds need to be treated and healed.
Remove the TOXINS: Toxins are the false beliefs that result from unhealed wounds and a life of covering our pain with masks.
Replace with TRUTH: The Bible tells us we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” We need to examine our life under the light of truth and replace the false and destructive beliefs with those that are true and healthy. This is what makes Christian counseling different, we get to the root of the problem and allow the truth to set people free.

Do you know people who are hurting and can’t seem to break the destructive or avoidant patterns in their lives? Are their people under your leadership who just don’t ever seem to get it and are spiritually stuck? Is there ongoing and unresolved conflict within families or between members of the church?
Grace Wellness Center can walk with you on your healing path. To schedule a Christian counseling session or just to get you questions answered simply call (724)863-7223 or email us at info@thegracewellnesscenter.com

“Stay the Course” with the Help of Christian Coaching

By dougl1kj | Blog , Counseling and Therapy

Developing vision is central in the process when working with a Christian Life Coach.  We have to have a well defined vision, but if we don’t know how to get there, the vision doesn’t have much value.  That is one of the greatest benefits of Biblical coaching.  How many of us have had so many dreams go unfulfilled that we just give up on dreaming and decide it is best to just go with the flow?  Unfortunately, too many people accept this course and just let life take them where it will without any control over the direction.

Early in my career I was a wilderness therapist working with troubled kids on various wilderness excursions.  On one of these trips to Canada I was charged with training a new staff person while we navigated through complex networks of creeks and lakes.  On one particular day, after some training, I put the new staff in front with the students while I stayed in the sweep canoe.  After navigating through one lake, we needed to head to a small stream that connected us to another lake where we would camp for the night.  The vision was in place for this young staff person, he had to get us to camp.  He could see it on the map but when he looked for the stream, he couldn’t find it.  He knew where it was supposed to be but when he looked at that side of the lake, all he saw was trees and vegetation.   Even though I had confirmed his heading he didn’t trust it because he couldn’t see the stream that would get us where we needed to go.  He started in that direction but every few minutes he looked back and threw his hands in the air wanting to stop and change course.  My only response was to take my paddle and point straight ahead.  I was saying “stay the course.”  He must have needed this reassurance 20 times before he began to see the creek.  When he finally saw it he turned around with the most confused look on his face.  How could it have been there all along and he not seen it.  Had I not been there to encourage him to trust his heading and to “stay the course” who knows where he would have ended up.  You see, I could see the creek all along because I knew what to look for.  I had done it before and trusted the direction we were heading.

Sometimes life is like this example.  We have a vision of where we want to get but we can’t see how to get there.  We question ourselves and without a wise mentor or life coach we often change our course or give up on the dream and just accept staying where we are.  We get stuck!  Not knowing what direction to go in to reach our dream can be debilitating.  Did you know that if the Space Shuttle’s course is even a fraction of an inch off it will end up missing the moon by 13,000 miles?  Not knowing precisely what course to take to reach our dreams can land us just as far off course!

Christian life coaching not only helps you refine your vision but also helps you “stay the course” even when it doesn’t make sense or you can’t see where you are going.  A good Biblical life coach can do this because he has done it before, and knows how the process works.  In Life Coaching you are the expert on your life while the coach is the expert on the process.  With this partnership you can accomplish great things in your life and have the abundant life God always planned for you to have.

1 You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. 2You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. 3 That’s right – you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set.  Psalm 119:1-3 (The Message)

Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

Those of us at BiblicalLifeCoaches.com and Grace Wellness Center would like to come along side you, help you “stay the course” and help you make your dreams reality.  Contact us today to schedule your free consultation!

To get there you have to begin the journey, let’s get started!

By Stephen Luther

Executive Director of Grace Wellness Center

Licensed Professional Counselor and Biblical Life Coach