Birds on a Wire Counseling, LLC

 Happy New Year from Birds on a Wire Counseling. 

 Joy and Peace this Christmas -- With so much going this time of year,  I was beginning to feel frustrated - I just could not settle my mind and focus - have you ever experienced this?  However; My frazzled mind kept going to two words - joy and peace. Christmas time words that we see and hear so often in December.  We sing: Joy to the world Sleep in heavenly peace All is calm, All is bright Peace on earth goodwill towards men  Oh, tidings of comfort and joy We give and recieve: Christmas Cards and greetings that bid us Joy and Peace during this season. But, what about this joy and peace we hear about so much at Christmas? Do these words ever seem meaningless in this chaotic world we live in.   Even the world that Christ was born into was chaotic and harsh.  There was little peace.  He was born into our messy world - literally - he was born in a manger - in a stable - an animals food trough in a barn.  And since his birth, it seems the world ...

  Welcome to Birds on a Wire Counseling. The beautiful view from the couch in my office.  

  Welcome to Birds on a Wire Counseling See the Contact page for Birds on a Wire Counseling's New Address

Have you experienced a time in your life that was so distressing it literally took your breath away? Full of fear, panic, anxiety or grief;  you felt as if you were drowning in the crisis and cares of life.  And there is God,  He sees you fighting just to breathe...and He reaches down into the deep waters and rescues you.   2 Samuel 22:17

  Be Happily Married It was our wedding day, the very day I had dreamed about since I was a little girl.  I wore a beautiful wedding gown chosen just for this dream come true and I carried a parasol covered in daisies, my favorite flower.  My heart was filled with joy and anticipation as I walked down the aisle to become Mrs. to my knight in shining armor.  That day was thirty-eight years ago and I still have my wedding gown, my parasol, and my knight in shining armor.  People don’t talk much about marriage these days and for many the subject is accompanied by pain; the pain and disappointment of divorce, broken families, loneliness, parental abandonment, and other issues that we find uncomfortable.  Sometimes it is the pain of our parents marriage, and often it’s the pain we have experienced in our own relationships.  For these reasons many have decided that there is not enough value in marriage to pursue one, and too often couples have placed the...

Hopefully we are making our way out of the worst of the COVID19 pandemic and putting much of it behind us.  It definitely has been trouble for nearly all of us in one way or another; for some, it’s been quite the trial and our faith has been tested.  Looking over the past six or more months, what new joys have you discovered? How has your endurance grown? What strengths do you now find in your character that were not there a few months ago? Some might wonder if this is really over or will this virus make a turn for the worst? If so, have the joys you have discovered and endurance you have grown in given you hope that with God you are now much better prepared for whatever the future might hold? Take a few minutes to journal your thoughts.  “...whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in ch...

During this Time of Crisis The world has abruptly and without warning found itself in a crisis.  It’s easy to find ourselves confused and in a panic.  Many of us are still in shock or denial over the sudden changes and empty store shelves.  Negative, scary, and worst-scene scenarios demand to plague our thoughts.   While we cannot control what is going on around us, we can know that our Heavenly Father is faithful and in complete control of our circumstances.  I invite you to consider taking this time as an opportunity to strengthen your faith in God and your relationship with your family.   What you can do: Take the necessary precautions.   Take the necessary precautions needed to insure the health of your family.  I encourage you do to this balancing necessity without panic. Recognize and acknowledge your emotions .   It’s ok to feel sad, afraid, angry, or disappointed.  Allow yourself to feel what you...

I will: Listen Help you discover what you feel Discuss steps with you Help you learn to choose Provide support for change You Can:  Actively participate in the process of counseling Express Emotions in a Safe Place Think about things from a new and less critical  perspective of yourself. Have open and honest discussion about the  positives and negatives in your life. What could Happen: Attain Emotional Balance Lessen Anxiety and Stress Relief from Depression Increase Your Self Confidence Aquire Greater Connection to Yourself Better Understand who you are Increase Creativity Increase Assertiveness Trauma Resolution  Healthy Boundaries Increase Effective Communication Skills Build Healthier Relationships Practice Self-Care

Welcome to Birds on a Wire Counseling.

Have you cried all night? Have you drenched your couch with tears? Are your eyes weak with sorrow? Are you faint? Are your bones in agony? Is your soul in deep anguish? Do you ask, "How long, Lord, how long? Know this-- The Lord has heard your weeping. The Lord has heard your cry for mercy. The Lord accepts your prayer. And just as God delivered David from his enemies, God will deliver you. Psalm 6  

Psalms 139   For Moms (and Dads) Who Worry (Insert your child's name in the blanks) Psalm 139 1 Lord, you have seen what is in ______'s heart. You know all about ________. 2 You know when _____ sits down and when _____ gets up. You know what _________ is thinking even from a distance. 3 You know when ______ goes  out and when ________ comes back home. You know exactly how _______ lives. 4 Lord, even before _______ speaks a word, you know all about it. 5 You are all around _______. You are behind _______ and in front of __________. You hold ________ in your power. 6 I'm amazed at how well you know _________ . It's more than I can understand. 7 Is there anyplace ________ can go to get away from your Spirit? Where can _______ go to escape from you? 8 If _______  climbs to the sky, you are there. If ______ goes underground you are also there. 9 Suppose ________  were to rise with the sun in the east and then cross over to the west where it sinks into the ...

As a nation, over the past two months or so we have been very focused on the importance of women.  I would like to take a minute of your time to discuss the importance of men, in particular, the importance of a father.    Charles Francis Adams was Abraham Lincoln's ambassador to Great Britain.  In his journal he noted, "Went fishing with my son; a day wasted."  As awful as that sounds, have you been there?  Your stuck going to the zoo or the water park with the family.   You have so much work that needs to be done at the office.  You have phone calls that need to be made, proposals to write, meetings to plan.  The oil in the car needs changing, your garage needs cleaning.   You feel frustrated with the pressures of life.                                        Hang in there, dad, your time at the zoo is more valuable than you realize...

Do you struggle with negative thought patterns?  Faulty thinking that can get you caught in a downward spiral and often lead to hopelessness. Cognitive Behavior Therapy: - looks at what is true vs. what is imagined. - is the first step is to confronting the truthfulness of our thoughts and beliefs. - addresses the hopelessness of our faulty thinking. Automatic thoughts are the thoughts that we cannot seem to control.  Negative Automatic Thoughts or "NATs" may be swirling around our mind.  These automatic thoughts are rooted in our core beliefs.   When someone you know doesn't greet you in the store as you pass them, if your Core Belief is " If people really knew me, they would think I was a weak, uninteresting person."  Your Negative Automatic Thought may be, "She must not like me, she didn't even smile at me." The truth is she didn't notice you because she was in a hurry to pick up a few groceries before her children come home from s...