Perspectives

SCG Staff Articles

The Shadow
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

The Shadow

Why do we spend our time “entertaining” ourselves with these awful tales of terror, death, and manipulation? What is enjoyable about using our rare free moments disturbing our mental peace? We seem to use these moments of sanitized fear to safely explore our own, albeit mostly far less violent, darker sides.

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What is so Special about Pastoral Counseling in a Pandemic?
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

What is so Special about Pastoral Counseling in a Pandemic?

To say that the last 14 months have been difficult would be a redundant understatement.  It has been rough and the whole world knows it.  A June 2020 study of more than 5,000 Americans reflected that forty percent of adults in the United States reported higher levels of mental health issues and/or substance abuse.

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Help Me, I’m Trapped!  Boundaries While Social Distancing
Elizabeth Hirata Elizabeth Hirata

Help Me, I’m Trapped! Boundaries While Social Distancing

If you have been social distancing for more than a week, the “snow day” mentality has likely worn off for you—that feeling that we all get when we get a day off for the weather, as if it’s a day out of time, lost to work and given over into fun and adventure.  For the last few weeks, we have been hit with the sobering reality that these days are long and we are not quite sure when they will end. 

For almost everyone, this has strained our coping mechanisms.  While most folks are feeling grateful for their loved ones, those same folks seem to be ready to pull their hair out on occasion, at the seemingly boundaryless environment that social distancing has created.  In the spirit of coming out of these trying days with our familial relationships intact and perhaps even stronger, let’s look at some ways we can observe healthy boundaries while keeping ourselves physically safe:

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