Anytime you become aware of how you are hopelessly broken inside, you are ready to experience real hope. Biblical hope is the fertile soil in which joy grows. When you are aware of your neediness, you become capable of hearing Jesus's voice when He comes calling for you. When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”Mark 2:17 NLT Look! I stand at the … [Read more...]
Introvert Believer Conference 2020
Matt Pavlik was scheduled to speak on the topic of journaling at the April 2020 Introvert Believer Conference. Though it promised to be a beneficial conference for introverts, not enough people signed up. I created a method of journaling and am working on a set of journaling/devotional books. The first one focuses on hope: Journal Your Way To Hope: Find Strength When You Have Lost All Hope (available now for preorder and will ship for Easter). What do you hope for? You’ve probably said, “I … [Read more...]
MBTI® Personality Assessment
If you're feeling frustrated with your work or personal relationships, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) assessment can help you understand your unique preferences and abilities. You can develop emotional intelligence (awareness) to appreciate and get along with different personalities. The theory of psychological type was introduced in the 1920s by Carl G. Jung. The MBTI tool was developed in the 1940s by Isabel Briggs Myers and the original research was done in the 1940s and '50s. This … [Read more...]
Group Counseling
Group counseling is an excellent way to experience a safe community to help you heal. You gain the perspective of others struggling with similar concerns. It costs less than individual counseling. It has more focus on healing than a typical Bible study. You benefit from the facilitation of a professional counselor. It simulates real-world relationships but has the safety and structure of counseling. New groups form around the topic of Matt's books on identity. Learn more. To learn … [Read more...]
Can I Attend Marriage Counseling (by myself)?
Will I benefit from relationship counseling if my spouse isn't interested in attending? I receive this question quite often. The short answer is, "Yes, of course you will." Marriage is a system of three people (husband, wife, and God). If any one of the three change something for the better, then the overall marriage will improve. We know God can't get any better, so that leaves husband and/or wife. If both of you are believers in counseling, then of course this is better. But don't … [Read more...]
EMDR Therapy Provided By Matt Pavlik
What is EMDR? EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches. To date, EMDR therapy has helped millions of people of all ages relieve many types of psychological stress. EMDR isn't talk therapy, nor is it some "magical" therapy. Trauma recovery is possible … [Read more...]
Marriage and Pornography
Sex addiction is a disorder of intimacy which has negative consequences on marriages and families. Pornography is never good for an individual or a marriage. God intended sexual intimacy to be between a husband and wife (married to each other). Here at NRC, we treat sexual addiction at a relational level. Our approach considers grace as the foundation of recovery. The best recover includes both 1) an immediate tactical intervention of removing (avoiding) temptation and increasing … [Read more...]
God’s Definition of Marriage
Genesis 2:24 contains a succinct and profound description of marriage. The verse includes three essential actions that make an authentic marriage: A man will leave his father and mother; Be united to his wife; and They will become one flesh. In his book I Married You, Walter Trobisch defines marriage as: The Wedding: The public and legal act that announces to the world the formation of a new family unit; Faithfulness: The loving commitment to be faithful companions growing in … [Read more...]
Pre-Marital Counseling
Premarital counseling’s primary purpose is to prepare a couple for a lifetime commitment to each other. A couple genuinely seeking counseling wants their counselor to dispel any illusions and remove the blinders so that they enter into marriage with their eyes wide open. Counseling can help the couple develop the skill of adjusting to circumstances beyond their control – which is the number one skill to have in your marriage toolbox – for a lifetime marriage. The best time to begin … [Read more...]
How To Avoid Getting a Lemon
How do people end up choosing an unhealthy person to date or marry? In my experience as a counselor, it is skipping over the time in a relationship when objectivity is at its highest. Let’s consider an example to illustrate this idea. Sally, 24 years old and a recent college graduate, needs to find transportation quickly so she can get to work every day. She looks around and takes a car for a test drive. She likes the color, feels comfortable sitting in the car, the car looks to be in good … [Read more...]