Kate Motaung

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. [...]

Life is full of adverse circumstances that can cause a person to feel anything from minor stress to crippling panic. Adverse circumstances can be related to finances, social interactions, work, marriage/family dynamics, life transitions, grief/loss, or health issues, to name a few. Stress Inoculation Training (SIT) is a practical type of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy created by psychologist Donald Meichenbaum. The purpose of Stress Inoculation Training is to help a client build resilience during adversity by learning coping skills to manage [...]

Have you concluded that you are in an abusive relationship? Below are the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder in the DSM 5. This is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition) that psychiatrists and therapists use to diagnose mental illness. Traits of Narcissism Look at the criteria below and see if you are currently with someone who has these traits. Grandiose sense of self-importance. Exaggerates achievements and talents; expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate [...]

Family rifts often arise from unconscious causes, creating deep divides that can last for years. Even minor disagreements may escalate due to miscommunication or differing values. For instance, political views have torn apart families, and such conflicts have become more common than one might think. Some studies show that over 25% of adults experience family estrangement in the US alone. Family rifts can often arise even when the warring parties initially had no intention to hurt or disappoint the [...]

How well do you know yourself, your personality? Do you understand how you naturally react when it comes to emotions? Do you lean toward suppressing your emotions or letting them out in ineffective ways? Our thoughts determine the ongoing course of our lives. We all know the difference between positive and negative thinking. Normally, our thinking is more negative, human-centered, and egocentric. Positive thoughts are by far first-rate compared to negative thoughts; however, how does positive thinking relate to [...]

When we go through difficult times, we can deal with that in either a healthy way or an unhealthy way. For instance, if you’re feeling slightly anxious, you can decide to go for a walk or talk with a friend. On the other hand, you could also decide to use food to soothe or comfort yourself, which can feel good in the moment, but it has many negative consequences down the line. Similarly, if you’re struggling with emotional, social, or [...]

Grief is a fundamental part of our lives and affects us in ways that can rock us to our core. We tend to view grief as a reaction to death or loss of relationships. However, grief is far more pervasive than that and affects every major and even minor change in our lives. Yes, we grieve the deaths of friends and family, people we know or look up to, our pets, and the loss of relationships. We also grieve [...]

The ability to regulate our emotions and control our impulsiveness is key to our mental health and overall well-being. Our emotional regulation, vulnerabilities, and impulsiveness are affected by our biology (developmental and physical), upbringing/childhood, social environment – both supportive or unsupportive, culture, health – physical and mental, life events, stressors, self-care, personality disorders, trauma, and grief. Some of us are born more emotionally vulnerable and impulsive than others, and we all may respond differently to the same situations. When our [...]

One of the more challenging ideas to understand in the Christian faith is the concept of freedom. The apostle Paul wrote that, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, NIV) This freedom is from sin and from the behaviors, attitudes, and mindsets rooted in it. Codependent behavior is one set of patterns that many people need freedom from. [...]

Shame is one of the greatest weapons that the Devil uses to keep us from feeling worthy and achieving God’s plans for our lives. John 10:10 (NKJV) says, “The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and destroy.” Satan lies to us using shame as one of his most devastating tools to keep us stuck in toxicity, bad behaviors, addiction, and a life filled with regret. Shame Brings Condemnation Shame attacks our identity and is a blackmailer, forcing [...]