Showing titles in Counseling

Questioning our faith and spiritual beliefs, while leaving the familiarity of our religious homeland, can be excruciatingly painful. Loneliness, isolation, and fear of rejection - from God and others - can give rise to shame, guilt, anger, and sadness. In Religious Refugees, therapist and ordained pastor Mark Karris explores this disorienting faith shift through the lens of cutting-edge psychological research, theology, philosophy, and, most importantly, the real world experiences of those who are going through - and have gone through - this arduous and confusing journey.

God delights in transforming lives. In Broken into Beautiful, singer and songwriter Gwen Smith's first book, she tells the real-life stories of women with shattered dreams, shameful secrets, and damaged souls and the God who makes them beautiful again. Each chapter features a compelling personal story coupled with relevant biblical teaching and application. Listeners will meet women wounded by infidelity, abortion, widowhood, abuse, and other tragic events, only to discover the joy of being restored by a loving heavenly Father.

In Helping Teens with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression, Roy Petitfils gives parents, pastors, and youth leaders the knowledge, courage, and tools they need to step in, make a difference, and be the presence of Christ for teens in crisis. Roy Petitfils knows what it's like to be an addicted, depressed teenager, filled with self-loathing and desperate for help. He describes himself at high school graduation as by far the largest person in his hometown and yet feeling as though he were "stuck in Harry Potter's invisibility cloak". 

You are bored or stressed or hurt. Something is hard in life and you want a break. What do you grab for that you hope will protect, soothe, and comfort? Whatever it is - shopping, overeating, drinking, drugs - promises relief, but never delivers. Instead, you are left feeling empty, anxious, guilty, and wanting more. In CCEFs Breaking the Addictive Cycle: Deadly Obsessions or Simple Pleasures?, David Powlison shares that God made us for rest and pleasure, not for an obsessed and unsatisfied life.

For a woman, marriage is a bridge upon which she desires to safely walk. If that bridge has ever fallen through, she thinks twice before bearing all her weight on it again. In How to Fight for Your Marriage Without Fighting with One Another, Dr. Raymond Force walks couples through our proven, 2-step process to rebuilding trust in their relationship. Our 2-step process is biblical, refreshing, and enjoys over a 70 percent success rate with couples in need.

We all experience deep and painful loss at some point: the death of a loved one, the end of a marriage, the sting of betrayal, the collapse of a dream, the tragedies of financial calamity. In the aftermath, we can feel mired in our pain with little hope for brighter days ahead. In Healing After Loss, Dr. Gregory Jantz unpacks key tools and step-by-step strategies that will help you recover hope in God’s plan for you.

In this book, Rebecca Davis exposes the systematic Scripture-twisting that enables predators and cripples believers. With meticulous biblical scholarship and unflinching clarity, she examines the doctrines that protect the wicked while condemning the righteous.

Are you carrying emotional wounds you’ve never fully faced? Anger Polyps uncovers the hidden toll of unresolved trauma and suppressed emotions. Like clusters of sealed pouches buried deep within us, these “anger polyps” form from unprocessed grief, pain, and disappointment. Left unchecked, they can lead to destructive behaviors, damaged relationships, and a growing disconnection from God, others, and even ourselves. With empathy and spiritual insight, Jason reveals how these dormant emotional triggers can transform into volatile fuel for bad decisions and sabotaged relationships.

We are all sexually broken. And we are all invited to participate in the love, forgiveness, and healing of Jesus. Have you ever experienced the fear and shame that follows the vortex of graphic movies, erotica, promiscuity, or porn sites? You may think you’re alone and feel like hiding. But you’re not alone—and there is hope and healing.

For Christians, particularly those in vocational ministry, the stigma surrounding mental illness and mental health often creates an atmosphere of secrecy where the enemy's lies reign. Julie Busler understands the pain of mental illness and has learned that trials not only humanize us but increase our capacity to be used by God. In Joyful Sorrow, she invites us into her own journey where a mental breakdown took her from being a missionary to a suicidal patient. With vulnerability and grace, Julie demonstrates that even in the sorrow of mental illness, joy can coexist.

What do you do when it feels like God isn’t there―when the state of the world, our own suffering, or the struggles of those we know suggest that God is absent? When you’ve experienced soul-crushing silence from heaven, despite your fervent supplications? Looking at Habakkuk, Job, David, and Jesus, as well as reflecting on his own experience of deep suffering, Adam Mabry examines the art of lament―how to cry out to God in desperation from a place of faith and hope. At the end, there are practical suggestions for what you can do to keep faith even in times of darkness and doubt.

Sex is such an intimate topic historically wrapped in shame and when someone shares they were sexually abused, we may not know how to respond. With recent #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements, we are learning just how many men, women, boys, and girls have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a...

Are you your own worst enemy? Are you your biggest critic? Do others believe in you, but you find yourself filled with doubt? Do you sabotage the success you long for? Do you turn to addiction to make you feel better? You are not alone. Many people do the same. Why? The answer, in a word, is shame.

Sexual assault is an invasive event of traumatic evil. You were victimized, and now you are suffering. Whenever sexual abuse occurs, love is not part of the equation. Rather, the perpetrator uses power, domination, and control to injure innocent victims. In CCEFs Sexual Assault: Healing Steps for Victims, David Powlison gently leads those who have been wounded sexually to a deeper relationship with God—beyond the pain—with biblical action steps.

Pastors and counselors regularly minister to people whose marriages or families are in crisis. Tempers run high and feelings are brought low when a marriage is hurting or a family is in disarray. Pastors and counselors need practical, biblical help in order to connect their theological training to the reality of modern messy relationships. These how-to training manuals provide relevant, user-friendly equipping for pastors, counselors, lay leaders, educators, and students, enabling them to competently and compassionately relate God's word to marriage and family life.

Stages of the Soul is about making tangible spiritual progress. It’s about truly understanding - understanding like you’ve never understood before - that you are deeply loved. Author Nancy Kane walks you through five stages of the soul’s journey toward embracing God’s love. This book will help you see more clearly how the Lord tenderly guides us to greater wholeness, holiness, and love.

The wreckage of addiction lies scattered around too many people - from the one who is or was addicted to those in relationship with that person. Age-old culprits of drugs, alcohol, and gambling are joined by newer addictions, such as food, prescription medication, shopping, pornography, and technology. Left unaddressed, addiction devastates lives now and makes it difficult to see a positive way forward. For anyone struggling with an addiction, attempting to live in recovery, or seeking to understand the mind of an addict they love, Dr. Jantz's newest book is a lifeline.

Are you having suicidal thoughts and feelings? Perhaps you are convinced that life is not worth living. Your life seems hopeless, like a black hole with all love, hope, and joy sucked out. In CCEFs I Just Want to Die: Replacing Suicidal Thoughts with Hope, David Powlison describes the various reasons you might be feeling hopeless and explains that God is not surprised or put off by your hopeless feelings.

In this unique look at a one-year journey through counseling told from both sides of the couch, Sandi Brown―the founder of St. Louis’s largest Christian radio ministry, JOY FM―and her counselor, Dr. Michelle Caulk, walk through Sandi’s therapy journey, answering the question, “What do I do when I know God loves me, but I don’t like myself?” Healing Out Loud captures many of the insecurities the modern woman faces in her walk with Christ. Brown and Caulk’s combined voice creates an accessible path for listeners to face their vulnerabilities with biblical insight.

Women of all backgrounds, with a special resonance for Black women and women of color, will discover a safe space to find their voice, receive healing, and walk toward transformation. Through her professional expertise in trauma recovery, the biblical story of Hagar, and the lived experience of her own painful stories, Dieula Magalie Previlon delivers a message of unshakeable hope.