http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org . . . looking at life from a new perspective Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:52:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Counselors are consistently trained throughout their course work and then in their internships to empathize with the client. Indeed, it is essential for a counselor to develop this skill if he or she desires to connect with the client at a therapeutic level. But empathy is not limited just to ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2008/09/08/the-relationship-of-empathy-to-forgiveness/ When you grow up without parents you tend to appreciate those who lovingly serve as substitute or surrogate parents.  I was blessed to have several aunts and uncles who served in that role.  Earlier this month, I said goodbye to an aunt with whom I was especially close as a ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2008/07/27/the-goodbye-of-alzheimer%e2%80%99s-disease/ If you have a real love for learning how to walk in wisdom you might be called a philosopher.  Our English word philosophy comes from two Greek words, philos and sophia, which mean love and wisdom. A philosopher then is one who is a lover of wisdom. Of course, to ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2007/07/09/philosophy-knowledge-wisdom-important-concepts-for-christian-living/ When I was a young man “fundamentalism” was a term that conservative believers claimed with pride.  Oh sure, the term had it’s enemies in the form of liberals and modernists who really didn’t believe much of anything. But fundamentalists believed in the “fundamentals of the Christian faith”. Sad to say, ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2007/05/21/fundamentalism-a-term-to-reclaim/ If you’ve been feeling stressed out lately I invite you to spend a few minutes today thinking about the effect increased adrenaline may be having upon you physically, emotionally and spiritually. Man is a tripartite being and while there is plenty of emphasis on physical health and exercise today we ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2007/05/07/addicted-to-adrenaline-a-recipe-for-stress/ At this writing, only a week has passed since we were all reminded of the terrible depravity that can surface from members of the human race.  Of course, I’m referring to yet another horrible school shooting, this time at Virginia Tech.  This time the killer set a new record as ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2007/04/23/virginia-tech-my-opinion/ According to Erik Erikson, one of the primary psychosocial stages of adult development is generativity. He stressed productivity and caring is a task that every adult needs to accomplish if they possibly can. But why?  In laymen’s language productivity translates into work. Most of us at some time or other ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2007/04/16/generativity-versus-stagnation-for-adults-only/ My favorite poem is Robert Frost’s, The Road Less Traveled. In it he explains an individual’s movement toward a certain identity by setting forth the concept of choice. We all have to choose what we are going or not going to do with our lives. Many times our first ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2007/04/09/the-road-less-traveled-a-developmental-issue/ What is more frustrating than traveling in a car only to find oneself stalled by the side of the road due to mechanical breakdown?  It’s important to us to be able to get from point A to point B in order to move forward in life.  The counselor encounters many ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2007/04/02/its-about-not-getting-stalled/ For visitation to work parents need to acknowledge that their children now have two homes.  It is important to help children feel safe and comfortable in both homes and to make the transition from one home to the other as smooth as possible. Endeavor to make visitation a normal part ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2007/03/27/visitation-dos-and-dont-after-divorce/ Expect that a child’s adjustment to divorce could take a while.  Some emotional or behavioral reactions can last for months or even a year or more while other reactions are more temporary. Infants and children:  This age group may display problems in sleeping, eating patterns or fussiness.  If these problems continue ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2007/03/19/warning-signs-associated-with-divorce/   Following the divorce of their parents children often find themselves facing two primary challenges. How children successfully navigate through these challenges will determine the degree of adjustment accomplished after the divorce. One factor that appears to significantly affect children’s adjustment is the exposure to parental arguments.  When parents fight in front ... http://www.newperspectivecounseling.org/2007/03/12/post-divorce-challenges-for-kids/