By Nancy Virden (c)2023

Namely, if done well, talk therapy helps us to grow up. The hardest part is realizing we need help doing that.

The three-year-old in my house practices speech. He repeats sentences that adults say and has made tremendous progress in the last half year. About a year ago I said, “Can you say b-and-aid?” enunciating it for him. The shame on his face hurt my heart. He pronounced it as he could then, and I said “Good! We all need bandaids sometimes.” Never again will I question his speech. It is too important to him.

How did I know to not push it? Experience has taught me to recognize shame. Being mature emotionally led me to let it go. I did not have to “win”, I needed to protect his young heart. I know there are other ways to encourage speech besides calling someone out on it.

I did not always know these things. At the age of 14, I yelled at my little cousin who couldn’t read words well. The difference between then and now is that I’ve grown up.

We live in bubbles of our own making. Influences help us to design it, but by the time we are adults, we are responsible for what we continue to believe and how we act. We can all use a little help getting over our biases, strong opinions based on little facts, and character weaknesses. The trouble is we spend our energy defending our flaws instead of investigating them.

If you should choose the brave thing and go for talk therapy, find someone who is experienced, licensed, and has a good track record. If you are Christian, try to find a Christian therapist. I always recommend CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) specialists as they are statistically the most helpful.

-COMMENTS WELCOME

Today’s Helpful Word

regarding spiritual maturity: Hebrews 5:14

Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

If you are feeling suicidal, or concerned about someone who is, in the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or for a list of international suicide hotlines, go here.

If you are suicidal with a plan, immediately call 911 in the U.S. or go to your nearest emergency room. In the EU call 112. (For other international emergency numbers, go here ). Hope and help are yours!

Always the Fight Ministries (ATFM) has been displaying compassion for those fighting mental illness, addiction, or abuse since 2012. Nancy is the founder and voice of ATFM and openly shares her emotional resurrection from despair. NOTE: Nancy is not a doctor or a mental health professional, and speaks only from personal experience and observations. In no way is this website intended to substitute for professional mental or behavioral health care.

_{HOLY BIBLE, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION, COPYRIGHT © 1996, 2004, 2015 BY TYNDALE HOUSE FOUNDATION. USED BY PERMISSION OF TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC., CAROL STREAM, ILLINOIS 60188, PER BIBLE GATEWAY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://WWW.BIBLEGATEWAY.COM/}