If someone wants to push back on seeing human beings in a positive light, there are a handful of verses they might quote from that pack a punch. A while back, I was talking about using a parts-based approach in Christian therapy with a fellow Christian counselor. She said something something like, “I really like… Continue reading Perspective II: Wicked or Wounded?
Author: A. C. Grace
Perspective I: Hermeneutics of Translation
I didn’t know what the word hermeneutic meant until I was in my late twenties. I started to hear the word thrown around in my graduate coursework with ancient languages, and gathered that it had something to do with interpretation. I had nerd-ed my way into a small group of students that wanted to pursue… Continue reading Perspective I: Hermeneutics of Translation
Translation II: From the Depths of Our Souls
There are many ways we could try to explore the depths of us that require some sort of translation process — the process of trying to connect with felt experiences that go beyond words (See Translation I for what I mean by “translation”). Some of my favorite access points include… (1) there’s the way of… Continue reading Translation II: From the Depths of Our Souls
The Depths of our Souls & Faith: I
If you enjoy podcasts or books that dip into the therapy world, you’ve probably heard of this thing called “parts-work,” or IFS. Most people are specifically familiar with IFS, which stands for Internal Family Systems theory. In short, this approach understands people to have “parts” of self that altogether comprise their internal world. These parts… Continue reading The Depths of our Souls & Faith: I
Translation I
Something a bit ironic here is that I’m trying to connect with the parts of us that feel deeply, the parts of us that are beyond words — and I’m writing about that on a blog with words… I didn’t know until I was in my thirties that there are parts of our brain that… Continue reading Translation I
Polyvagal Theory III
This is the last of three introductory posts that talk about what Polyvagal Theory is. For a head-knowledge overview, see Polyvagal Theory I. For a little more of a heart-perspective with personal examples, see Polyvagal Theory II. With a fuller picture of Polyvagal Theory from these first three posts, we’ll start to explore ways we… Continue reading Polyvagal Theory III
Polyvagal Theory II
Do you ever long for your heart to feel more grounded and safe in different relationships and circumstances? Wanting to find constructive ways to self protect rather than having your heart shut down or drive you to run away without consulting the rest of you? What we feel matters, and it certainly impacts how we… Continue reading Polyvagal Theory II
Polyvagal Theory I
Do you know the feeling of thinking you’ve just grown in self awareness or your faith, and then something happens and you react the same way you used to? As if you hadn’t read all those books, gone to those counseling sessions, or prayed and memorized verses to ground and encourage you? That’s been the… Continue reading Polyvagal Theory I