When people come for counseling they often share either directly or indirectly their longing for someone to listen to them and understand their situation. This is a real need for all of us. In addition, the most common presenting problem that couples mention is communication issues. You would think that people who know each other well enough to get married and especially those who have been married for some time would know how to communicate with each other. That is often, however, not the case. You would also think that people who are on the same page spiritually and have many things in common would know how to talk to each other respectfully. You would also hope that people who love each other would not seek to wound each others with ...

Counseling is designed to be a safe place for clients to speak honestly and confidentially with their counselor about issues troubling them. For many couples the safe surroundings of a counseling office become a place to air out gripes and differences with their spouse. Often the “he said, she said” pattern emerges with one spouse saying something negative or critical of the other and the other spouse retorting with something equally as hurtful. Often times this leads to escalation or “ramping up” the criticism as one spouse tries to top the other. “He said, she said” may be a normal part of the first session of counseling but is not helpful in future sessions. It is unproductive and destructive.

Dr. ...

Pikes Peak is 14,115 feet high in the Rocky Mountains making it one of 53 “fourteeners,” mountain peaks in Colorado above 14,000 feet. It is a popular tourist destination with over 500,000 visitors every year. Popular routes up Pikes Peak include hiking up Barr Trail, driving via the Pikes Peak Highway, or taking a ride up the Broadmoor’s Pikes Peak Cog Railway. For the real adventure-seeker, you could combine the Cog Railway and bike down with Challenge Unlimited- Pikes Peak by Bike. If you choose to drive, as most tourists do, you cannot help but notice the switchbacks (sharp bends) on the narrow road and the numerous steel guardrails at each curve. Why so many guardrails? They are there to keep you and your auto on...

Everybody wants people to like them. We want to be likeable and we want people to think the best of us. It’s human nature. What happens, though, when you want to be liked so much that you become a people-pleaser? What about when you can’t speak truth to people lest they not like you. Finally, what happens when you can’t say “no” to anyone lest they not like you? Are you that kind of person, a people-pleaser? A lot of people are. Here are some thoughts on the subject:

1. Jesus Christ

The most important voice we need to hear on the subject of people-pleasing is the voice of Jesus. Concerning people-pleasing, Jesus said, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false ......