negative marriage

Evaluate your Marriage

By Mike DeMoss | April 22, 2022

How is your communication with your partner? Is it where you want it to be? Could it be improved? Do you ever feel like you wished you could talk about deeply held beliefs, thoughts, or feelings with your partner, but feel it’s pointless as it often ends up as a misunderstanding or an argument? Don’t…

marriage during covid

Marriage and Covid19

By Mike DeMoss | November 19, 2020

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 virus is putting a tremendous strain on even some of the best marriages. Being stuck in a limit space, working from home and struggling financial security all add up to stress and strain on marriages. There are somethings that you can do to help improve your marriage if the…

covid and relationships

Marriage During Covid19

By Mike DeMoss | July 7, 2020

Marriage Counseling and the Pandemic It’s no secret that since the outbreak of the pandemic marriage stress has risen and sometimes pushed to the breaking point. Being forced to be closed in your home for extended periods of time with your spouse during the virus can be a significant challenge. Even the best marriages can…

depression child

Dealing with Depression

By Mike DeMoss | May 13, 2018

The experience of depression has been referred to as a heavy darkness. Others have described it as falling overboard in a rough ocean and struggling to keep your head above water while treading without a lifejacket. In Jeff Olson’s “When Hope Is Lost”, he quotes Charles Spurgeon as likening depression to “the horror of a soul…

bipolar disorder

Bipolar Disorder

By Mike DeMoss | April 1, 2018

Help, I’m married to a spouse with a bipolar disorder! Being married to a spouse with bipolar can be a very difficult challenge. Often a marriage where bipolar is present can be described by the offended spouse as being on an emotional rollercoaster. Many marriages can be serious jeopardy when the disorder is present in…

marriage therapy

Couples Therapy

By Mike DeMoss | May 16, 2017

Couples Therapy – Gottman method As a couple’s therapist, I believe the Gottman Method is one of the most effective methods in helping couples in conflict. A great deal of research has gone into what helps couples have a meaningful relationship and what most often leads couples to split apart. The Gottman’s indicate that there are…

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Brain-Body Parenting – Part 2

By Deborah Pettitt | July 23, 2024 |

Chapter 2 of “Brain-Body Parenting” by Dr. Mona Delahooke introduces the concept that every child has a unique brain and body platform which requires an individualized approach to parenting. Dr. Delahooke emphasizes the importance of co-regulation and relational safety, suggesting that children thrive when they feel safe and connected. The chapter goes into how a…

Managing Behaviors or Understanding them

By Deborah Pettitt | June 17, 2024 |

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about Polyvagal theory (click on the link if you would like to read it). Today I would like to expand on my first blog and discuss managing behaviors as opposed to understanding behaviors. Dr. Dana has written extensively on this subject in the book “Polyvagal Exercises for…

Trauma and Hospitalizations

By admin | May 22, 2024 |

The Center uses play therapy to aid children’s work through traumatizing events. Recently we experienced a child close to our family having been hospitalized for an extended time. This made me wonder if hospitals ever use play therapy to help children during hospital stays. I came across a journal article titled “Play Therapy as an…

Favorite Family Quotes – Part B

By Deborah Pettitt | May 8, 2024 |

I thought this week I would just share part 2 of my favorite family quotes, hopefully you will enjoy them as much as I do:                 “Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there any more.”― Robin…

Parenting your child

By Deborah Pettitt | February 16, 2024 |

This week I would like to focus on a book by Dr Brie Turns-Coe “Parent the Child You Have, Not the Child You Were”.  Dr Brie is a therapist at Family Christian Counseling Center who has extensive experience working with children and families. In her book she gives help to parents in understanding and responding…

Trauma and the Polyvagal theory

By admin | January 23, 2024 |

In our treatment of children and adults that have experienced trauma we have come to see the importance of the polyvagal theory in understanding triggers and responses that occur in daily life. These triggers are autonomic responses based on earlier experiences. A young child may find the touch of a parent frightening because he/she was…

ChatGBT

By Deborah Pettitt | December 28, 2023 |

Imagine a teenager who does not want to talk with his parents about an issue turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to seek help and understanding. I was just reading about students using chatGBT in place of a therapist.  A recent example of this is the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) support chatbot, which recommended weight…

Spotlight on Mike DeMoss

By admin | December 1, 2023 |

Mike DeMoss is a great resource for men whether they need in depth therapy or just to connect with someone to help them through a rough spot. Mike has backgrounds in corporate business, church ministry and counseling. He has been married for 48 years and understands that marriage takes work to be successful. He and…

Beyond Behaviors

By Deborah Pettitt | November 13, 2023 |

I have recently become exposed to the work of Mona Delahooke, PhD who has written two books. Both are about dealing with children’s behaviors. (Beyond Behaviors and Brain Body Parenting.) I will be writing a series of blogs about the valuable concepts that she details. In work with children recovering from early trauma I quickly…

The Center and the NMT Model

By Deborah Pettitt | September 13, 2023 |

Deborah Pettitt, the director of the Center has been certified in Phase I and Phase II of Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neuro-sequential Model of Therapeutics. Dr. Bruce D. Perry is a prominent psychiatrist and neuroscientist known for his work in the field of childhood trauma and its impact on brain development and mental health. He is…