Amanda Lindsey

Why Music is Good for Us I have to admit my bias: I am a marching band mom. Yes, one of those. I am also the mother of a teen with ADHD and Anxiety. I used to play the flute in middle school. I have admitted all of my biases, let me explain why I love music and why it’s wonderful for our brains. The Pacific Symphony’s website states “Studies have shown that engaging with music can lead to increased [...]

What does this even mean? Counselors often hear “I just want some peace!” from clients. While this sometimes happens with our male clients, most often it happens with our female clients, especially those over forty. But why? Usually, it’s because they have reached an age where the children are grown or are grown and out of the house, the husband has been working for many years by now, leaving her alone during the day and things just have not [...]

Are you looking to learn how to combat the post-holiday blues? You are about to read through a step-by-step guide through which you get rid of this degrading situation entirely. The aim of this article is to help one understand such feelings and give a number of simple and practical tips for feeling better and getting through the new year with a fresh and positive outlook. So, let’s get started. Understanding the Science Behind Post-Holiday Blues Why do we [...]

Spending the holidays when you are single doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are some practical tips and uplifting advice that will help you embrace the season, find some joy, and make it meaningful. Holidays have long been considered a time for love, family, and connection, which may make being single rather challenging. Sometimes, you can’t help comparing when the world outside seems to be focused on couples and families. However, there are times when being single during the [...]

Sometimes something is so broken, so off track, that fixing it is just not realistic. Through my years as a practicum student, intern, life coach, and now also a professional counselor, I can think of a handful of these cases that have come across my desk during those years. There are times when life is so chaotic that refreshing or restarting is the only option. I am not talking about instances of DV, that is a different subject. What [...]

Communication is a skill that all humans need to navigate life and relationships. There are conditions in our lives that can hijack our communication and hold us hostage to a mindset that disrupts connection instead of facilitating it. We see this when exploring the nature of codependency. Codependency is the state of being mutually reliant. For example, a relationship between two individuals who are emotionally dependent on one another. Codependent relationships are often characterized by dysfunction in which one [...]

When a child leaves for college, feelings of empty nest syndrome can be overwhelming. The house suddenly feels quieter, and one’s daily routine has changed. It is okay to feel sad or uncertain about this change. If you are in this situation, you may be wondering how you are going to align with the new normal and what to do with the extra time and space. Worry no more because this is exactly what this article will help you [...]

We think that growing old is something to be sad about. In years past, our society has led us to believe that growing old means you are doomed to a life of knitting and porch rocking with a cat in your lap. This is so far from the truth. Growing old is a privilege and inspiring. When you have raised your children and are enjoying life without the demands of parenthood, you find yourself in a place of learning [...]

Living a godly life as a single mother can be difficult. You may feel lonely, defeated, unsure of what to do or how to accomplish something. You can feel that things are unfair and become sad or angry. All of these are valid emotions that single mothers feel. Single mothers experience a day-to-day life of having to be mother and father, the one who makes all of the decisions and who does all of the work. Decision fatigue can [...]

If you have ever had to work your way out of debt, especially if it is a large amount that takes time, you have probably felt a little hopeless at some point. It can be an overwhelming feeling when the credit score just sits and sits in the same spot or even worse, takes a dip because we’re focusing on paying off other bills or we have an emergency come up. What can you do to work your way [...]

In the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, a show about the lives of four older women who live together in Miami, there’s one episode called “Who’s face is this, anyway?” that has some interesting dialogue about growing old and losing your charms. Blanche Devereaux, the character that defines herself by her sex appeal and looks faces something of a crisis after she attends a reunion with her sorority sisters. It turns out the years haven’t been kind to Blanche, [...]

Therapists are asked on a routine basis about the best personal development books to help people in their therapy journey. The recommendations are as varied as the counselors are because different books speak to different counselors. Each counselor will have a book that speaks to their heart, especially in the Christian counseling field. There are thousands of books about psychology, self-improvement, self-help, personal development, and every issue you can imagine from ADHD to Zelophobia (the fear of jealousy). While [...]