Good Counsel 24

17/01/2026

Feeling Anxious ?
Hi friend,
If anxiety has been showing up lately — tight chest, racing thoughts, constant “what ifs,” trouble resting — I want to start by saying this clearly:

Anxiety doesn’t mean you’re weak, broken, or failing at faith.
It means your nervous system is trying (imperfectly) to protect you.

Our brains are designed to scan for danger. When stress builds up, that system can get stuck in overdrive — and no amount of “just calm down” or “pray harder” makes it stop. What does help is learning how to gently bring your body back to safety.

Here’s one simple, science-backed, faith-friendly tool you can try right now:

The 30-Second Grounding Reset
When anxiety spikes:

Put both feet on the floor and gently press them down.

Take a slow breath in through your nose for 4 seconds.

Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 seconds.

As you exhale, quietly pray: “Lord, I am safe with You.”

Name one thing you can see, one thing you can feel, and one thing you can hear.

This works because it tells your nervous system, “I’m not in danger right now.”
And when the body calms, the mind follows.

This isn’t ignoring anxiety.
It’s responding to it with wisdom, compassion, and trust.

If you’ve been living in a near-constant state of tension, worry, or emotional fatigue, learning a few tools isn’t enough — you need a framework, support, and practice over time.

17/01/2026

[Self-Test] Depression in Adults
Depression is an extremely common and serious mood disorder that impacts roughly 14.8 million adults each year. Here, learn how the symptoms of major depressive disorder may present in adults, and whether you show signs of being depressed.

When you have depression, you feel sad or deflated most of the day, for weeks at a time. Your sadness affects your performance at work, relationships with your friends and family, and even the things you used to love.

Women are more likely to be diagnosed with major depression than are men, but that doesn’t mean it’s not equally likely in both genders. It is a serious illness that requires swift diagnosis and treatment; depressive symptoms are a leading cause of su***de among adults.

Depression overlaps with ADHD in two distinct ways: as a separate, unique condition occurring on its own, and as a secondary condition triggered by the frustrations of living with ADHD.

Adapted from the Goldberg Depression Inventory (c. 1993). Not a diagnostic tool. If you have concerns about possible depression see a mental health professional. An accurate diagnosis can only be made through clinical evaluation.
Self-Test for personal use only.

I do tasks sluggishly. Cleaning the house is a slow plod – like walking through thick mud.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I feel sad and unhappy.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
I used to be high-energy, but now it’s almost impossible to get out of bed in the morning.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

In the middle of the night, I’m wide awake, even if I’ve gone to sleep only an hour or two earlier.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Even when reading a book that usually would interest me, I find myself reading the same paragraph over and over and then lose interest after a couple of pages.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Even deciding which socks to wear in the morning is proving difficult.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I think about how I might end my life.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I worry that my friends are hanging out without me, and that they don’t like me anymore.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I feel irritable in my skin all the time. It makes me constantly uncomfortable.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

My life seems set in stone. I feel stuck.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I don’t find pleasure or joy in life.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
I feel hopeless about my future.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Things that I used to finish in a flash – like washing the dishes – seem to take forever to accomplish.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I don’t feel full of life.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

My productivity has declined so much lately that I feel I will get in trouble or be fired by my boss any day.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Simple tasks that I used to do seem so hard to do lately.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

The scale doesn’t lie, but I can’t understand how my weight has changed so much without being on a diet.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Even when my friends extend a kind gesture or invitation, I feel sad.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

17/01/2026

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Test: RSD Symptoms Checklist
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is an intense emotional response caused by the perception that you have disappointed others in your life and that, because of that disappointment, they have withdrawn their love, approval, or respect. The same painful reaction can occur when you fail or fall short of your rather high goals and expectations. RSD commonly occurs with ADHD, and causes extreme emotional pain that plagues both children and adults — even when no actual rejection has taken place.

Rejection sensitive dysphoria is difficult for people with ADHD to describe, but all who have it agree that it feels awful. Indeed, the term dysphoria is literally Greek for “unbearable.” Often those with RSD hide these intense emotional reactions from other people, and feel ashamed of their vulnerability. The condition often triggers a profound and wide-reaching sense of failure, as though the person with RSD hasn’t measured up to personal or external expectations.

Could RSD be the cause of your strong emotional responses? Take the results of this self-test to a trained ADHD professional to discuss your options for managing symptoms.

Adapted from the work and presentations of William Dodson, M.D. Not a diagnostic tool. If you have concerns about possible RSD, see a mental health professional. An accurate diagnosis can only be made through clinical evaluation. Screener for personal use only.

Do you experience sudden, intense bouts of rage when your feelings are hurt?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Do you experience sudden, intense bouts of extreme sadness when you think you have been rejected or criticized?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Are you your own harshest critic?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Do you feel anxious in social situations because you assume that no one likes you?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Do you consider yourself a “people pleaser,” going above and beyond to get on someone’s good side?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Do you pass up opportunities or avoid starting projects because you’re afraid you’ll fail?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Have you been called “overly sensitive” or a “head case” because of your strong emotional reactions?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Do you dedicate more time than is necessary to a project or become perfectionistic to make sure your work has no mistakes (and is above reproach)?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Do you ever experience your emotions as a physical sensation, as though you’ve been punched in the chest or physically “wounded?”

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Seldom
Never
Do you feel shame about the “lack of control” you have over your emotions?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Before you were diagnosed with ADHD, were you told you might have a mood disorder?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Do you shy away from close friendships or romantic relationships, because you worry that if people “know the real you,” they won’t like you?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Do you assume the worst in commonplace interactions — worrying you will be fired every time your boss calls you in to her office, for instance?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Do you think that you cannot go on feeling this way?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Do you avoid meeting new people or trying new things because your fear of rejection and criticism is so strong?

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

17/01/2026

Depression Self-Test for personal use only.

My life seems set in stone. I feel stuck.

*Very Often
*Often
*Sometimes
*Rarely
*Never

I don’t feel full of life.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I don’t find pleasure or joy in life.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
I feel hopeless about my future.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
I do tasks sluggishly. Cleaning the house is a slow plod – like walking through thick mud.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

My productivity has declined so much lately that I feel I will get in trouble or be fired by my boss any day.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Things that I used to finish in a flash – like washing the dishes – seem to take forever to accomplish.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Even deciding which socks to wear in the morning is proving difficult.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I feel sad and unhappy.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Even when my friends extend a kind gesture or invitation, I feel sad.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

The scale doesn’t lie, but I can’t understand how my weight has changed so much without being on a diet.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

In the middle of the night, I’m wide awake, even if I’ve gone to sleep only an hour or two earlier.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I think about how I might end my life.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Even when reading a book that usually would interest me, I find myself reading the same paragraph over and over and then lose interest after a couple of pages.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I feel irritable in my skin all the time. It makes me constantly uncomfortable.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I worry that my friends are hanging out without me, and that they don’t like me anymore.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Simple tasks that I used to do seem so hard to do lately.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

I used to be high-energy, but now it’s almost impossible to get out of bed in the morning.

Very Often
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

02/01/2026

https://youtu.be/NYzjYuUyxG8

The light within you can never be extinguished.This inner source of power guides you through even the darkest moments of your life, allowing you to choose lo...

01/12/2025

Traumatic Dissociation

01/12/2025

Dissociation - It is not pathology. It is mind reintegration.

13/09/2025

https://www.thefp.com/p/nobody-has-a-personality-anymore-culture-internet-society

My generation is obsessed with treating every trait as a symptom of a disorder: You’re not shy, you’re autistic; you’re not forgetful, you’ve got ADHD, writes Freya India.

08/03/2025

The past is one of the steps to live Now. Embrace the present.

Is there a life chapter you can’t seem to let go of ?

A time when, for whatever reason, life seemed more magical than it does now?



Many of us see nostalgia as a rosy, beautiful sentiment––a way to cherish the past.



But what if romanticizing the past is the #1 reason you’re not creating incredible memories and experiences today?



Tony Soprano, in one of the most iconic lines ever spoken by a fictional character, said that “remember when” is the lowest form of conversation.



As in…

“Remember when life was easy in college?”
“Remember when I had that great relationship?”
“Remember when my business was bringing in tons of money?”


Looking back is wonderful when it fuels gratitude and inspiration. But when we idealize the past in a way that dims our enthusiasm for the present, we unintentionally hold ourselves back.



Because here’s the truth: no matter what you’re nostalgic for, you weren’t merely happier back then.



You were also growing, stretching, navigating challenges––just like today, only in different ways.



And when we pine for some past chapter, we’re not simply missing those times. We’re telling ourselves that nothing in our lives now can compare.



Nostalgia often highlights the beauty while gently blurring the struggle. Yet when we see the past with clarity, we recognize that the magic of life isn’t locked in a previous chapter.



It’s here. It’s now. And it’s yours to create!



Every time we shift our awareness from “what was” to “what’s possible”, we open the door to new extraordinary experiences.



I promise: your best days aren’t behind you. They’re waiting for you to step forward with courage, vision, and an open heart.

24/01/2025

Coordination exercises for active brain

Selected by James R. Doty, the author of ‘Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything.’

21/01/2025

From fears to safety and responsibility.
Your clients come to you because they feel scared; tormented by their past, crippled by fears that hold them back, triggered by their daily lives.... and uncomfortable in their own skin.

They're scared of how it feels to be them. And, when they reach out, they are reaching out from a place of bravery, hoping that they will get relief.

Then, they come in to see you; they get good psycho-education from you, become more self aware and begin naming their emotions.

As time goes on, those initial fears soften.

And then, you get to the core of the pain...
together, you begin to uncover the root of their fear.
"I am unlovable"
"I'm stuck, it's never going to change"
"I'm alone and scared"
"It's my fault that ___"
"I'm unwanted, I don't belong anywhere"
---
Beliefs start emerging; beliefs on safety, worthiness, belonging and responsibility.

And it is then that your clients face themselves on a new level. And, you get to hold them on a new level.

You start seeing how their fears are rooted in emotions that were never processed, stories never heard, need that gone unmet, or experiences that needed witnessing.

It is then that you get to take your clients on a deeper journey.

A place to face their innermost selves;

the little girl who cried herself to sleep hearing her parents fighting,
the boy who desperately sought his dad's approval, only to be met with rejection,
the teen who felt shame for his confusion around his sexuality
and the college student who felt like a misfit and never full belonged anywhere, since.

These experiences leave our clients with beliefs carved on their heart.
--
Our job is to slow down, identify their beliefs, and provide therapy that heals the core of the fears.

Our clients come in with one kind of fear, and leave therapy having resolved deeper layers within themselves.

We help them meet the parts of themselves that have been shoved away for years, and guide them on a therapeutic journey.

Here's what healing looks like:
In place of fear......there is okay-ness to be in their skin....there is more capacity and energy to engage in life....there is more interest and joy in connecting with others.

- Esther

18/01/2025

Worrying works, how it works.

Constant anxiety can create stress and may be a sign of a mental health condition. Learn the signs and how to deal with constant anxiety and worry.