Real Connections Counseling

12/26/2025

The first real connection. God with us.

Emmanuel.

Christmas means God chose to be here.

With people.
With families.
With real, everyday life.

In our homes.
In our relationships.

Moments that makes sense. Moments we question.

From all of us at Real Connections,
we’re grateful for the people we get to walk with and the connections that matter most.

Wishing you a Christmas marked by presence, love, and togetherness.

Be the We.
— Real Connections Counseling & Coaching 

12/24/2025

A Real Conversation About Real Connections

Monique and I joined Dr. Debra Dantzler on the G33ky Clinicians Podcast, and it was a really good conversation. Easy. Honest. And fun!

Deb brings a sharp clinical mind and a clear business perspective without losing the human side of the work. She’s also a dear friend, which made this time with her all the more enjoyable.

We talked about slowing the work down.
Why time matters in therapy.
How connection builds resilience.
What it looks like to integrate counseling and coaching without losing depth.
How faith and story shape the Real Connections way.

We’re glad this episode is releasing during the holidays. This season asks a lot of relationships.

Watch it now. Hope you enjoy it. Reach out to us and ask us about how we coach relationships of all kinds for couples to business relationships. And talk to us about counseling when things get hard. The Real Connections way just works.

Watch here:
https://youtu.be/k22sSvaRgKg

If you host a podcast or platform that values real conversation and relational depth, we’d love to join you.
Deb, thanks for having us. Merry Christmas to the G33ky Clinicians community.

🎉 Live Now! Just in time for the holidays, join us for a heartwarming and insightful episode of the G33ky Clinicians Podcast featuring Rick and Monique Elgersma from Real Connections Counseling and Coaching.

Discover how their Real Connections System brings story, faith, and relationship together to create deep, lasting transformation. Whether you're navigating your own healing or walking with others in their growth, this episode is a gift of wisdom, connection, and hope.

💬 Tune in as we discuss:

Long-form therapy and why time matters

Building resilience through connection

Integrating coaching and counseling

Healing relationships with faith and narrative

📺 Watch now: https://youtu.be/k22sSvaRgKg

💛 From all of us at G33ky Clinicians, Happy Holidays and thank you for being part of our community!

12/18/2025

Alyssa, our grief counselor is speaking on grief in July 2026 at Aloha Summits & Deeper Diving Retreats, Summits & Adventures, LLC! Come join us in Kauai! For those interested, please visit www.alohasummits.com for more info!

Our Aloha Summits are on the beautiful islands of Hawai'i with other MHP's where you can earn APA, ASWB, and NBCC approved CE credits.

12/17/2025

This video explores the tension between accomplishment and chronic pain, and the quiet harm caused when disabled lives get reduced to “inspiration.” It challenges the idea that strength must always perform and argues for a more human way of honoring achievement, struggle, and shared pursuit without turning people into motivational props.

12/15/2025

No one is self-made.
That story sounds strong, but it isn’t true.

Every ounce of growth I’ve experienced has had other hands in it, people who showed up, stayed consistent, and refused to let me settle. Most recently, that person has been Denise at Farrell’s Extreme Body Fitness. She has pushed me beyond what I thought was possible and reminded me that greatness is rarely born in isolation.

This life isn’t about proving something on our own. It’s about people who see more in us than we see in ourselves and are willing to walk with us until we get there.

So here’s the real question:
Who has been part of your story?
Who has pushed you to greatness?

Watch this video, and then go be part of someone else’s story.

Be the person who shows up.
Be the one who pushes.
Be the reason someone doesn’t quit.

Farrell's Urbandale

12/10/2025

Watch, follow, and discover more trending content.

12/09/2025

FALSE AS FIRELIGHT, TRUE AS A SCAR
A story of grief by Rick Elgersma

A TV show
one story stitched from smoke and electric firelight
false as hell,
cheap as the glow of a screen pretending to be sunrise,
and yet it carved something truer
than half the sermons I’ve survived.

Funny how a man can march through
a lifetime of triumph and tragedy,
Full of the weight of both in his chest,
shouting at heaven,
whispering to the dark,
and then stumble into truth
through a script someone else wrote
for someone else’s ghosts.

But there it was
the lesson I never asked for:

Demons move faster than rainbows.

They cut across the mind with no warning.
They slip past every guard a man builds
and remind him of the wounds

Don’t give a damn about your theology,
don’t pause so you can lace up courage
or call it faith.

They sprint.
They swallow.
They hunt with the memory of every wound
you ever tried to bury under good intentions
and cheap grace.

And still
sure as s**t
that story, false as firelight
rang right in my bones
from the raw center of a man
like a middle finger raised to the sky
in the kind of honesty
God never flinches from.

Because sometimes
the truest things in a man’s life
show up wearing the lies
flickering on a screen,
accidentally holy,
and somehow
exactly
what his story needed.

11/27/2025

11/27/2025

Ready to transform your connections into real results? Discover how authentic partnerships and real conversations can help you manage chronic pain and build a life that works. Watch our latest video and join the movement!

👉 Remember to like, comment, and subscribe for more insights and support!

🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realconnectionscounseling

🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pain_hub_by_real_connections/

🔗 YouTube:

🔗 Chronic Pain Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist…

11/27/2025

May thanksgiving be in your hearts, may you find time to reflect on the good things in your life, good friends and family, and blessings that have fallen on you this past year.

11/23/2025

Families grow stronger when they face challenges together. I see love, resilience, and teamwork every day as we support each other through chronic illness. We build deeper connections and discover new strengths with every honest conversation and caring gesture.

If you support someone with a chronic illness or live with one yourself, you belong to a community that lifts each other up. Share your story or tag a friend who inspires you. Let’s celebrate the power of connection and hope.