Offered to those who live in the state of Michigan only
Counseling for Anxiety
Anxiety can quickly become overwhelming.
The worry can be hard to control, sleeping becomes difficult, work becomes harder, relationships can even become strained.
When you begin to feel this way it can seem confusing and overwhelming.
Reaching out to someone for support is an important step toward freedom from the constant fear and racing thoughts.
I know we can walk together toward that freedom and begin to loosen the grip that worry has over your life.
Counseling for Spiritual Abuse
Spiritual abuse is a term that is not used as often as other forms of abuse such as emotional, physical or verbal abuse. It is important to remember that when spiritual abuse is defined there is a spectrum of severity to be considered. Often times spiritual abuse can appear in subtle ways and in other situations it can manifest as a cult.
Here are some characteristics to consider:
- There is a misuse of Scripture; fear based leadership that requires obedience to the abusive system.
- Requirements for secrecy and silence about things that occur within the church system.
- Fear based messaging which results in skepticism of those outside the system. This can include teaching members to avoid books, Bible studies, materials from sources outside the group.
- Pressure to confirm in appearance and behaviors
- The system has its own language or terms that those outside the system would not understand
- There is often authoritarian leadership and a leader who can be very preoccupied with an appearance of righteousness
- The church, leadership or system does not welcome questioning or criticism of its practices – it suppresses alternative ideas
- There is a lack of freedom and conformity is emphasized instead
Spiritual abuse is often referred to in the context of Christian churches, but it can also happen in other environments including New Age and any other religious context. Spiritual abuse can also occur within a romantic relationship or home environment.
Regardless of the severity of the abuse it can negatively affect a person’s spiritual well-being as well as their sense of self.
Seeking counseling support to identify and process the abuse can help a person to move forward in a healthy way.