Mental Health, Addictions, and Self-Care Menu
We see so many people suffering from addictions, abuse, trauma, and grief. Learning self-care is one way to allow oneself to heal and create new beginnings. How do you take care of yourself? Self-love, stillness, prayer, and mediation can be helpful for self-care.
Oneness Consciousness: Not Letting Our Emotional Wounds Define Us
by Dr. Michael Obsatz - May 2023
"We have all been wounded emotionally. Some of us have been hurt more than others. Emotional and physical abandonment cause wounds. We are wounded emotionally by our parents, caregivers, family members, friends, and strangers..."
Click HereWhy Are You Angry? Learn More
by David J. Decker and Dr. Michael Obsatz
"1 - Eight Types of Anger, 2 - Take the Anger Pre-Test, 3 - Take the Anger Index Self-Test, 4 -Consequences related to becoming punishing, explosive, and abusive - by David J. Decker and Dr. Michael Obsatz
Click HereOur Human Woundedness - How Do We Heal It?
by Dr. Michael Obsatz January 2023
"We realize that we were wounded by people who didn't know how to treat us. They couldn't love us because they weren't spiritually connected and didn't love themselves. Healing the wound is realizing the wound was never about you. It was about them, and their pain..."
Click HereCultivate Your Garden: Journeying Through Life With Few Expectations or Agendas
by Dr. Michael Obsatz - July 2022
"We travel through life from the time we are born until we die. We go many places, meet many people, and have a wide variety of experiences. Some of these experiences bring us joy, others bring us pain..."
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Thirst – God and the Alcoholic Experience
by James B. Nelson, book excerpts by David Tillman
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"“Spirituality is a response to her human sense of incompleteness – whatever form that response might take. Religion, on the other hand, is a communal expression of that response...
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The Quest for Maturity and Sobriety
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
I believe there is a crisis among many of America’s children. They live in a state of prolonged immaturity and self-aborption. Many of them are ignored, neglected, abused, and manipulated into becoming addicts."
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Paper on Alcoholics Anonymous
by David Tillman
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"Alcoholism is an unsanctioned illness in our culture. Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A) primary focus is to help alcoholics stop drinking and stay sober."
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Overcoming Shame Through Self-Love - video
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
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Mike talks about what shame is, how shame develops, how shame affects people, types of shame, what we can do about it now, and how we change it.
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Paper Written with Insights from “Aging” by Henri J.M. Nouwen
Paper written by David Tillman
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The book “Aging” by Henri J.M. Nouwen has expanded my formulation and understanding of my own aging process which reshapes my theology and practice of ministry.
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The Metaphysical Heart -- An Inside Job
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
"Oneness Consciousness comes from the Metaphysical Heart. It is a pervasive awareness of the inter-connectedness of all of creation."
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Self-Sabotage: Why Good People Hurt Themselves
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
"What is self-sabotage? It is when people who seem to have everything going for them engage in some foolish behavior that either kills them, hurts them, or gets them into trouble..."
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A Conflict Resolution Model
by David J. Decker
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT CONFLICT RESOLUTION: There is no guarantee that using the following model will necessarily lead to resolution of your conflict. This is especially true if you and the other person view each other as “enemies” and do not assume some good will in your relationship.
Click HereUnderstanding Your Shame
by David J. Decker
"The first step in beginning the process of overcoming your shame and moving beyond being a shamebased and “emotionally-stunted” person is to understand what shame is, where it comes from, and how it has affected and is currently affecting your life..."
Click Here9 Unique Ways To Beat Mental Health Problems
by Gwen Payne - August 2022
"If you’re struggling with mental health issues, you can improve them by changing your lifestyle. However, you must know that you’re not alone. In 2020, 26.3 million Americans used mental health services to boost their mental well-being..."
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A World After: Exploring the Changes Brought on By COVID-19
By Gwen Payne - October 2022
"For many people, the pandemic has been a time of great upheaval, and while some changes have been blessings in disguise, others have proven difficult to manage. Here's a look at some of COVID-19’s impacts on employment, family dynamics, personal health, and more..."
Click HereCycles of Living - From Abundance or Scarcity?
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
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"Dr. Michael Obsatz uses the “Cycles of Living” model below to look at the characteristics of the life of a person living from “abundance” and another person living from “scarcity.”
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We Have Overcome This Day
by Dr. Michael Obsatz - October 2022
"We have all been wounded emotionally. Some of us have been abused physically or sexually. Others have been shamed. Some of us have endured beatings. Others have been harassed and verbally abused. Many of us have experienced losses of loved ones..."
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From Trauma, to Trust, to Triumph video
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
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“A trauma is a damage to the mind that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event."
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Healing from Life's Trauma and Setbacks
by David Tillman
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"Judith Herman, in Trauma and Recovery, writes about the three stages of recovery from trauma"
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Self-Compassion as a Spiritual Practice: I am Not the Mistakes that I Have Made
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
"India Arie has recorded a beautiful song called "I am Light." One of the lines in the song is "I am not the mistakes I have made.... I am light.""
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The Four Life-Affirming Declarations of Interdependence
by Dr. Michael Obsatz - February 2023
"The world can seem like a scary and hostile place sometimes. Life has many ups and downs, gains, and losses. We are inundated by messages of who we are supposed to be, and what we are supposed to do. These four life-affirming declarations allow us to know who we are and understand how much we are loved..."
Click HereAvoid Sickness in the Home With These Simple Steps
by Gwen Payne - September 2022
"There are many ways your home can make you sick without you even realizing it. From invisible mold spores to lead in your water... So how can you tell if your home is making you sick? And more importantly, what can you do about it?..."
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See You Later, Navigator
by Dr. Michael Obsatz - September 2022
"The world can be a challenging place to live. Jesus told us to be "IN the world, but not OF the world." To be not OF the world means that one does not live needing earthly approval, praise, or validation..."
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Trustworthy Long-Term Consistent Mentoring
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
"Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey have written a book about childhood trauma called "What Happened to You?" One of the problems with early childhood trauma is that it changes the victim's brain chemistry."
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Children in Trauma: Abandonment, Abuse, and Forced Conformity into a Dysfunctional World
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
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"1. All children are born with parents who are imperfect, and who have had to cope with a world living out of scarcity, fear, and lovelessness..."
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Trust, Abuse, Disillusionment, Betrayal, Anger, and Forgiveness
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
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"Can we forgive Hitler? Or Saddam Hussein? What about mass murderers like John William Gacy of Chicago who killed over thirty young men and boys and buried them in his basement? Why is it so hard to forgive?"
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Human Shadow Awareness Offers Healing
by Dr. Michael Obsatz and David Tillman
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"From before birth, and through our lives, our human shadow develops, grows, and influences our daily lives."
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The Not Always Gentle Protective Heart
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
"Moore and Gillette describe four archetypes -- the lover, the warrior, the king/queen, and the magician."
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Some Different Styles of Communicating with Other People
by David J. Decker
"Some cynical people make the assumption that the goal in learning to handle your anger more effectively is simply to “make you shut your mouth and turn you into a wimp.” In fact, nothing could be further from the truth..."
Click HereSome Different Types of Intimacy in Partner Relationships
by David J. Decker
"There are a variety of ways that couples can be close in the context of a intimate relationship. No relationship has all of them. Look through the list below and pinpoint the types that exist in your relationship with your partner currently..."
Click Here4 Steps to Healing Fatigue for Parents of Special Needs Children
by Gwen Payne - August 2022
"This article lays out a concrete, step-by-step plan to help the parents of children with disabilities assess their fatigue and address the root causes of these issues in a sustainable way..."
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The Ultimate Shame-Buster: Overcoming Shame Through Spiritual Connection
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
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“God Don’t Make No Junk”
Shame is pervasive in all cultures. Shame is a feeling of unworthiness, incompetence, and self-hatred.
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The Five Things We Cannot Change – Video
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
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Dr Michael Obsatz talks about David Richo’s book, The Five Things We Cannot Change … and the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them. 1) Everything changes and ends, 2) Pain is a part of life,..."
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Paper on “Adult Children of Alcoholics”
by David Tillman
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"This is a recap, in outline form, of quotes and paraphrases from the book: Adult Children of Alcoholics."
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Recovery and Discovery
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
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"As a retired professor, therapist, and author, my life has been described by others as being very productive and meaningful over all. Many don’t know that there were times when I wondered if I would have the strength and courage to carry on."
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“The Wounded Healer” Book Review
by David Tillman
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"Here are some quotations from Nouwen’s “The Wounded Healer” that spoke to me."
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Loving, Creating and Letting Go
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
"David Richo, in his book, "The Five Things We Cannot Change," tells us that everything changes and ends. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross reminds us that every little loss we experience is preparation for our ultimate loss of leaving everything, of dying..."
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Using Buddies: Overcoming Chemical Incest
by Dr. Michael Obsatz
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"How did Robert Downey, Jr. become hooked on drugs? Some people wonder if his dad enticed him into drug use when he was very young. There are millions of young people whose parents use drugs, and want their kids to become “using buddies.”
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