Written by: Erik-Jan Verbruggen Translated with Permission Several years ago, the Knowledge Institute for Christian Mental Health (KICG) published a study on addiction within the Reformed community in the Netherlands. The research was commissioned by various church denominations. The report was given the telling title: Also Among Us. It is commendable that various churches have…
Written by: Erik-Jan Verbruggen Translated with Permission Vitamins are essential for good health and play a key role in the growth, repair, and proper functioning of the body. It is no wonder we feed children fruits and vegetables. Fathers also need vitamins to be a good father. A remarkable statement was made by Rev. P.…
What is Incest? A dark question, a hidden difficulty, a reality which so many do not want to talk about or acknowledge. But really, what is it? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary and the Cambridge Dictionary, incest is defined as sexual activity involving people who are closely related and legally not allowed to marry.…
Bringing a new baby home is a life-changing moment, often filled with joy but also unexpected challenges. In Alberta, postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 20% of mothers and can also impact partners and adoptive parents. This article explores what PPD is, its symptoms, risk factors, and how to access help within the healthcare system.…
In the past years, I have become alarmed by the increase of the number of young people who play video games. Many young people have purchased Playstations or X-box’s, devises that are strictly for the purpose of gaming. In recent weeks, I have heard that a new game has come out, “Black Ops” which is…
Over our lifetime many of us will find ourselves in a caregiving position at some point. Some of us may be caring for children with disabilities or complex medical conditions, some of us may be caring for a spouse with an illness, while others may be caring for our aging parents. Both females and males,…
Together with consistories, school board and staff members, the Guiding Hands committee recently attended a presentation by Mr. Ben Zijl, a social worker affiliated with the Tamim in the Netherlands. Mr. Zijl travelled to Alberta to share his expertise pertaining to addictions, specifically pornography addictions, as this is one of the areas he has focused…
Written By: Lethbridge Modern Media Committee “What do I do when I have a loved one who admits they struggle with pornography?” This is a difficult question that is becoming more and more common. We cannot normalize the viewing of porn but due to the stigmatization that is associated with pornography, it is often a…
In the last blog post we mentioned that members of Guiding Hands take the matter of confidentiality very seriously. Confidentiality is vital to a group like Guiding Hands. What does confidentiality look like to us? How is Guiding Hands expected to maintain confidentiality? The following questions and answers will explain how we will deal with…
Guiding Hands Support Group was published to the community a couple of months ago. Since then, we have received some feedback and questions. The questions have mainly been in regards to who we are, why we exist, and what we hope to accomplish. This introductory post will be used to answer those questions, however if…