Mental Health
Posted on December 5, 2025
by Rita Burley, LISW
The holidays promise joy and celebration, but for many, December brings loneliness, stress, and grief. Whether you’re searching for meaning or simply trying to cope, your mental and emotional well-being matters. This season can stir pain—but it can also offer healing, connection, and hope. Here’s how to navigate it with care.
Lutheran Family Service News
Posted on September 9, 2025
by Dreena Wertz, LPC
Meet Dreena Wertz, LPC, a mental health therapist serving clients in and around the Aberdeen community in South Dakota, and throughout the state via telehealth.
Church Worker Wellness
Posted on August 27, 2025
by Rev. Nathan Grewe, tLMHC
In schools today, children carry with them more than just backpacks and pencils. Many walk into classrooms with invisible burdens. These burdens could be anxiety about home life, pressure from peers, confusion about their emotions, or spiritual questions that bring doubt or confusion. As adults who care deeply about their well-being, parents, teachers, pastors, and church workers, we long to give them tools to thrive in the face of life’s challenges.
Mental Health
Posted on July 27, 2025
by Ruth Barz, LMHC
Why is it important to set boundaries with our children? Do we really need boundaries in a Christian marriage? In the sequel of a two-part article, we look at some practical ways to set boundaries in relationships and parenting, and how to handle it when others don’t like the boundaries you set.
Mental Health
Posted on July 14, 2025
by Cassie Beltz, LMHC
If you have been anywhere on social media lately, you have likely run across an influencer talking about their ADHD or Autism diagnosis. The increase in awareness of these mental health diagnoses has led many to ask, “Do I have ADHD?” or “Am I on the autism spectrum?”
Godly Living
Posted on June 17, 2025
Do we look at things from a worldly perspective or from an eternal perspective? From a worldly perspective, we have only worldly things to depend upon. However, God does not disappoint. When we take a step back and reconsider our outlook from an eternal perspective, often our attitude changes to be healthier and more resilient.
Mental Health
Posted on April 9, 2025
by Rita Burley, LISW
Meet Rita Burley, LISW, a mental health therapist serving clients in person in Fort Dodge and Carroll, IA and throughout the state of Iowa via telehealth. With more than two decades of experience, Rita has a special interest in working with farmers, farming families, and rural communities.
Godly Living
Posted on March 20, 2025
by Rev. Jonathan Conner
Paul is shining the blazing light of God’s Gospel promise in Jesus into his darkest moments and encouraging us to do likewise. He confidently asserts, “We KNOW” (not “hope, wish, or think) of God’s goodness and of his certainty in His saving actions, clearly displayed in the resurrection of Jesus and its implications for us.
Mental Health
Posted on March 3, 2025
by Rev. Jonathan & Katy Crawford
Perhaps you’ve been asked, “Are you giving up anything for Lent?” There is a tradition in the church of individuals choosing something to abstain from during the 40-day season. This year rather than each of us choosing something individually, our congregation is joining together in giving up (or reducing our use of) screens.
Mental Health
Posted on February 16, 2025
by Jamie McWade, LMHC
Have you ever had one of those moments where you relived a painful memory? Your whole body could feel it. One therapy that has shown a significant impact in dealing with painful memories is EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), using eye (or other) movements to help process memories that continue to haunt us.
