To provide emotional comfort effectively, we must first ensure that the person feels their emotions are safe and validated. Once their emotional response is validated, they can receive the comfort or assistance we offer. In this article, we are going to be integrating all the things we’ve explored up till now using “VCR” and some practical support options, as well as the power of prayer.

“I learned that it's important to stay connected with supportive people, especially during tough times, and to find better ways to handle difficult situations without shutting myself off from the world.”

Sozo? Never heard of it…

We’re often skeptical of things that seem both new and unknown—but Sozo is neither of those things. It has helped many people over many years, and we are thrilled to be able to offer it to you!

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning here in the MacEwen house. I’m enjoying breakfast and coffee with my wife, laughing about the crazy dreams we had last night and talking about our wonderful dreams for the day ahead.

And then… my phone rings.

Everyday, our society is becoming more and more burnt out and evidently craving rest—yet we still struggle to embrace opportunities for rest when they are presented to us.

I know what you’re thinking. You probably haven’t even heard the word “sabbath” since your Sunday school teacher taught you about the Ten Commandments. But maybe that is exactly the problem. Many of us haven’t thought about the Sabbath (let alone kept it “holy”) since grade school. It is like we think, at some point in world history, the practice of sabbath stopped being important.

For the most part, I’m an open book and feel comfortable sharing my thoughts and life experiences. But when it came to writing a blog post discussing my faith and spirituality, this gave me pause—not because I’m uncertain of my convictions, but because of the legacy and reputation attached to the terms “Christian” and “Christian counselling.”

I’ll be as clear as possible about what I believe and what I mean when I use the term “Christian counsellor” …