If given the tools, understanding, and proper guidance, we all have the capacity to grow as individuals and to change our lives for good.  But even positive change is difficult because it requires a great deal of courage to challenge the old stubborn habits, negative self-perceptions and world-perceptions, and to do things differently–even if the new ways of thinking and acting are healthier for us.

Emotion is similar to the physical, mental and spiritual components of our being.  Different types of trauma, pain and illness can cause the mind to experience injury which requires healing.   Sometimes the natural process of healing is hindered due to the severity of the injury, the duration of the injury, or when the mind is trying to sort out and process multiple injuries.  When these types of injuries happen, our emotions can become “infected” and buried beneath other stresses and life problems.  Like with the body, we need to open the infected emotional wounds and clean them out so that the mind can heal itself. At New Hope, we are trained in several modalities of therapy to meet each persons specific needs.

It might seem like the guilt and shame from your past choices are so bad that you cannot imagine being free from them.  Those choices often feel like a ball and chain that you must carry with you to punish yourself; or as a way of paying penance for the wrongs that you have committed by continually  reminding yourself how horrible you are.   This has never been God’s intention for you. There is freedom from that overwhelming burden that you were never created to carry. He created you to be free and assured that freedom by covering the penalty for you.

All of the antipathy that you feel; the anger and pain that continually surges through your body as you recall the abuse, hurt, neglect, trauma and misunderstandings that others have inflicted upon you.  Why do you carry the resentment? To punish your offender?   Resentment and unforgiveness only punishes you and those closest to you, not the one who hurt you.  In fact, holding onto past offenses turns them into toxic waste and they slowly destroys you.  You can find freedom from the emotional burdens that others have put onto you.  Even if reconciliation is not desired, forgiveness is something that you do for yourself so that you can heal within, and grow unencumbered from the weight of what other people have inflicted upon you.

Pastors, ministers, and priests need to wear many hats in the ministry, from administrating events, to teaching God’s truth, to counseling the hurting. Our desire is to come along side pastors as a  source of referral for challenging, or long-term counseling care. It is our understanding that many ministers become side-tracked and burdened by an extremely high counseling load, particularly with long-term care, to the point of failing to carry out their other God-given responsibilities. New Hope Counseling can help you by taking on clients, providing counseling support to pastors themselves, and resource advice.