Perspectives

SCG Staff Articles

What is EMDR Therapy?
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

What is EMDR Therapy?

“EMDR Therapy” might seem like a random assortment of letters, but to others it is an amazing treatment that can be used to heal trauma, depression, and anxiety (along with many other mental health issues). The “EMDR”, in EMDR Therapy, stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, which probably still does not mean a lot. To boil it down, any type of trauma can be defined as "a hurt or a wound" and often gets stuck in the amygdala and/or brainstem. The amygdala and/or brainstem are the parts of the brain that hold our “flight, flight, freeze, or fawn” responses.

Read More
Is Peace Possible During a Pandemic?
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

Is Peace Possible During a Pandemic?

And when those lonely, hopeless times come, and you feel weighed down by the darkness of this world on your shoulders, I encourage you to remember the promise of our faithful God who said "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

Read More
Finding Peace Episode 1
video Elizabeth Hirata video Elizabeth Hirata

Finding Peace Episode 1

Davidson United Methodist Church’s Reverend Jim Humphries speaks with SCG’s own Shannon White in the inaugural video in their Finding Peace series.

Read More
Managing Fear During a Pandemic
video Elizabeth Hirata video Elizabeth Hirata

Managing Fear During a Pandemic

SCG Staff Therapist Shannon White (NC Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Registered Play Therapist) shares helpful information about how the brain is wired to handle fear and what we can do to manage that fear without letting it control us in the midst of this global pandemic. This is especially helpful for parents of children or teenagers.

Read More
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

Let’s Play!

Play is a child's language for expressing joy, anxiety, frustration, fear, and above all, the true experiences of their lives. Play therapy, a tool used by therapists to encourage healing through the symbolic meaning and patterns of the child's play, has been proven to help children overcome a wide variety of behavioral symptoms and emotional difficulties. 

Read More
Discipline and Finding Your Balance as a Parent
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

Discipline and Finding Your Balance as a Parent

The most effective form of discipline and behavior shaping comes from positive reinforcement. Children should be given rewards, verbal praise and consistent privileges that match their compliance to reinforce the behavior that is desired.

Read More
A Closer Look at Bullies and Their Victims
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

A Closer Look at Bullies and Their Victims

Despite popular belief, the recent research finds that bullies are no longer traditionally the insecure, self-loathing group of people. Bullies tend to be confident, have high self esteem and have an elevated social status among their peers. Bullies often use their position of power to single out their peers for a variety of reasons.

Read More