Kate Motaung

A popular series of books has been written to help expecting and new parents navigate pregnancy and the early milestones in their child’s life. When you know what to expect and what is typical in a given situation, you know what to look out for, how to make sense of your journey, and the right questions to ask. In the same way, there’s great benefit in getting a heads up about what to expect in the first year of [...]

It might be hard to hear, but the combination of codependency and narcissism in a relationship makes for a toxic dynamic that damages both parties in the long run. In this dynamic, the narcissist believes they are owed love, loyalty, and devotion while not offering much in return. The codependent partner, meanwhile, spends all their energy desperately trying to make the relationship work, often at the expense of their own happiness, desires, and needs. This is a simplified explanation [...]

In today’s age, society tends to look at the digital landscape. It’s an environment where artificial intelligence surrounds our teens with false promises of connection. It also gives way to the growth of false understanding and false solutions. This can happen while undermining psychological well-being in subtle, yet profound ways. These deceptions go beyond the surface level of screen time concerns. It presents itself as helpful yet creates damaging dependency. Mental health for teens now intersects with AI beyond [...]

When identifying what makes for a healthy mind, we could look to any number of psychological theories for an answer. However, each theory varies in what it believes are the core components of what makes one’s mind healthy. Some theories focus on emotional awareness, while others focus more on flexibility of thinking. Before modern psychological theories were created, the Bible spoke about how to have a healthy mind. Philippians 4:8 tells us to think about things that are honorable, just, [...]

Sometimes, the small things can be indicators of bigger things to come, and what seems innocuous can turn out to be problematic later. Signs of an anger issue might be small or subtle, but they shouldn’t be ignored. When the space shuttle Challenger had an issue with small rubber O-rings (simple circular seals around the diameter of a coin), it led to disaster for the entire crew. Similarly, anger can overthrow a person’s life, causing a lot of damage. [...]

In elementary school, you could walk up to someone on the playground and ask, “Do you want to play?” and by the time the bell rang, you’d have a new friend. In college, proximity did most of the work for you. Because you lived, went to school with, and sometimes worked alongside people on campus, you naturally grew into friendship with them without much effort. But there comes a point in adulthood when you realize that friendships don’t come as automatically [...]

Guilt and shame have been a part of the human experience from the dawn of man. After both Eve and Adam ate the fruit in the Garden of Eden, one of the first emotions they felt was described as what we know today as shame. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” (Genesis 3:7, NIV) Because sin entered the world, [...]

Understanding a mother with borderline personality disorder can be immensely perplexing due to her unpredictable behavior and lack of consistency. She lacks the emotional tools to provide stable parenting, and whereas to other people, she may seem like a kind, likable, normal person, at home, it is a different story. At home, the borderline mother tends to be a whirlwind of unpredictable reactions, unable to provide solid emotional rapport to her child. One moment she may be loving, empathetic, [...]

What are cognitive distortions? Everyone uses cognitive distortions at some time while trying to make sense of life events. Cognitive distortions are known by other names such as faulty thinking, mistaken beliefs, core beliefs, and thinking errors. Cognitive distortions are a person’s misinterpreted perceptions that support their personal belief system about themselves, others, and the world around them. In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a personal belief system is a deep-lying acceptance of ideas that are usually rooted in a [...]

For many women, the signs of bipolar disorder have never been explained to them in a relatable way. From the outside, your life may look steady; you go to work, care for your family, and keep up with responsibilities. Yet, inside you might feel like you’re living two different lives. One version of you is full of energy, ideas, and confidence. The other version struggles with sadness, fatigue, and doubt. Moving between these extremes leaves you wondering why things [...]

Are you codependent? If you have any of the following traits, you may be struggling with codependency. Excessively relying on and prioritizing the needs, emotions, and well-being of others over your own Feeling the need to “fix” others Enabling other people, even when they do hurtful things to you or others you care about Depending on others too much for your own emotional needs Being afraid to stand up for yourself Inability to set healthy boundaries with others Having [...]

Knowing how to create healthy boundaries is as important as recognizing the need for those boundaries in the first place. Boundaries are the foundation of healthy relationships that guarantee both parties’ needs, wants, and safety are ensured. They provide rules of order and a blueprint that the relationship should be built from. Galatians 6:5 (NIV) says, “For each one should carry their own load.” Boundaries establish respect, care, and security, as well as prevent dependency, unfair dynamics, and toxicity. [...]