Hannah McKinnies

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Repairing Heartache: How to Heal After Relationship Grief

By | | Christian Counseling, Family, Grief, Relationships

Now what do I do? What happens when the people closest to you break your heart? What happens when your spouse betrays you? What do you do when your children ignore or demean you? What do you do when your friends forget about you? What happens when your life derails from the careful way you’ve worked, planned, and built it? Relationships of all types can grieve without anyone dying. Grief is loss, not necessarily death. “Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the […]

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Forgiveness and Letting Go

By | | Abuse, Christian Counseling, Relationships

With many in the country celebrating Lent and looking forward to Easter, it is a good time to talk about forgiveness. Forgiveness is more than just a word; it is an action. Understanding Forgiveness Clinical Perspective: Forgiveness is not condoning the offense or excusing the offender. It is a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment, anger, and vengeance toward someone who has harmed you, regardless of whether they deserve it. It’s about freeing yourself from the grip of the past. Faith-Based Perspective: In our Christian faith, forgiveness is a core principle. It is a Godly attribute that humans

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The Lost Art of Conversation

By | | Couples Counseling, Family, Personal Growth, Relationships

Relationships Take Work Relationships may not be a job, but they are a form of work. Relationships can be fulfilling, but they can also be a source of pain. When developing healthy relationships, certain aspects must be tended to for the relationship to be considered healthy. What if, while forming these relationships, certain foundations were not built effectively? How can I blame someone for something they were never taught how to do effectively? What is the point of a conversation? What is a conversation designed to do? What makes conversations so crucial to relationships? What happens when people cannot have

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You Are Not Alone: Using Faith and Mental Health to Draw Strength

By | | Christian Counseling, Depression, Grief, Mental Health

“Lonely” is defined as being without company or cut off from others. “Alone” means being separated from others—without aid or support. (Webster’s Dictionary) At different points in my life, I have felt both of these things deeply. I’ve sat in rooms filled with people—family, friends, coworkers—and still felt like no one truly saw me. I’ve walked through seasons where I was surrounded but still felt isolated, like I was in a fog that no one else could penetrate. If you’re feeling that way right now, I want you to know: you are not alone. I know what it’s like to be in

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Self- Harm Behavior and the Importance of Building Relationships as a Coping Skill

By | | Depression, Grief, Mental Health, Pre-Teen and Teen Counseling

“I just want the pain to stop.” This phrase has been said by those in not only physical pain, but mental and emotional pain as well. With physical pain, it can be easier to seek help from a medical professional, but what do people do when they are in mental and emotional pain? When those that are in this place feel hopeless and worthless, they may also feel another emotion such as numbness. When people get to this level of feelings, they may engage in self- harm or self-injurious behaviors. While engaging in these behaviors may relieve stress or anxiety

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How Expectations Stole Christmas: Managing Family Expectations During the Holiday Season 

By | | Anxiety, Christian Counseling, Family, Relationships, Stress

“Gifts, Gifts Gift, Gifts” The famous character the Grinch from Dr, Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas offers a picture of holiday stress. As depicted in the book, the Christmas season brings about a variety of emotions (Seuss, 1957). While the Grinch’s solution was to stop Christmas from coming altogether, many couples may relate and feel emotions ranging from elation, and joy, to stress and grief showing that the season can be an overwhelming time.  Common Sources of Holiday Tension  Managing Family Dynamics and Schedules – The holiday season fills calendars with parties, concerts, parades, shopping, and travel plans. The

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