Still round the corner
there may wait,
A new road or a secret gate.

J.R.R. Tolkien

patrick-ward-smallTo say that “Life is a journey” is an accurate statement. Oftentimes that journey takes us to unexpected places. Sometimes we end up lost, confused, stuck, or hurt along the way. When our life takes a turn (expected or unexpected) we have to adjust. Some adjustments are easier than others, and can be navigated on our own. Other times we need support and guidance along the way to fight against discouragement, hopelessness and fear.

Patrick Ward PhD is someone who can work alongside you on your journey. He has experience and extensive training that can help you navigate through difficult places. Then, having achieved success, you can continue on with a renewed hope and a sense of adventure.

May 14, 2013 Comments (0)
Remember the line from the movie “Love Story” that “Love means never having to say you’re sorry?”  What a crock!  John Lennon of the Beatles makes more sense when he explained that “Love means having to say you’re sorry every five minutes.”  Reconciliation and forgiveness are necessary ingredients for any committed couple’s success.  Dr.Terry Hargrave, an internationally recognized expert on forgiveness, says that “Any act of forgiveness should also be accompanied by a change in the victimizer towards trustworthy behavior.”  This means, essentially, that when you have wronged your mate you MUST convey that you are sorry!
This is only half of the story, though.  The other half of the story is the ability to forgive.  Even if your spouse has demonstrated remorse and shown trustworthy behavior, you still have to let go of the need for justice or revenge.  Timothy Keller, in his sermons and writings on marriage, says that an essential part of marriage is the ability to forgive without residual anger.  This means letting go of everything on your part that keeps the marriage from being as good as it could be.  The phrase in Jesus’ teaching to “turn the other cheek” doesn’t mean that you must remain vulnerable to being hurt again, but that you will remain open to reconciliation.
Below is a testimonial of how forgiveness was the turning point for a couple I worked with.   When I got this email from “Missy” (real names changed for confidentiality), it had been a few months since I had seen them.  For this couple, the husband had already done some long and hard work at building trust and showing both awareness and remorse for his hurtful behavior. What was not happening was the wife’s ability to let go and let herself be vulnerable again. I was encouraged by her testimonial about the healing power of forgiveness, and I hope you will be as well.

Patrick: Continue

May 8, 2013 Comments (0)

Family Camping Continue

May 8, 2013 Comments (0)

self-esteem Continue

January 10, 2013 Comments (0)

When life has dealt you an unexpectedly bad hand, its natural to have the quitting impulse.  The quitting impulse, when followed through with, is too often a miscarriage of destiny and God’s plans for your life.  This can range from quitting a game before it ends, ending a marriage prematurely, to suicide.    Don’t give up and quit before expending every resource and every option to succeed, to finish well. Continue

January 9, 2013 Comments (0)

The Cell Phone Parent-Child Contract Continue