Why the Church Still Matters in the Age of Therapy

The Sanctuary of the Sofa | Victor Counted Faith & Psychology Why the Church Still Matters in the Age of Therapy Victor Counted, Ph.D. Psychological Scientist & Professor A quiet shift has taken place in the architecture of modern healing. When a person faces the weight of trauma, anxiety, or deep-seated grief, they are now significantly more likely to call their therapist than their pastor. The consulting room has become the new confessional; the 50-minute hour, the new sacred liturgy. Therapy, once whispered about in the shadows of the narthex, is now mainstream—and for many, it is the only space they feel safe enough to be fully known. As a…

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Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Fail (Stop Relying on Willpower)

It is a statistic that haunts us every January: Research suggests that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February. We start the year with high hopes. We buy the gym membership, we buy the Bible reading plan or devotional, and we promise ourselves that this year will be different. But by Valentine’s Day, we are back to our old patterns. Why does this happen? Is it because we are lazy? Is it because we lack faith? No. It is because we are relying on a psychological resource that is designed to run out: Willpower. https://youtu.be/Qo300R6tDYA?si=Rv_cvgsPWt9Z5261 The Willpower BatteryPsychologically, willpower is like a battery. You wake up with…

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Don’t Start 2026 Without Doing This First

Today we enter a moment of reflection. We look back on the journey of 2025 and we slow down enough to see how far God has carried us. Reflection lets us see what busy days hide. It brings clarity. It brings gratitude. It brings a deeper sense of God’s presence in our ordinary daily routines. Psalm 77:11-12: “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Psalm 77 calls us to remember the deeds of the Lord and to meditate on His mighty works. This call shapes the heart.…

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Holding Things Together: A New Vision for Christian Social Responsibility

Many communities today feel stretched and fragile. Headlines tell stories of rising costs, stressed families, political tension, and neighborhoods that struggle with trust. In many places, people sense that things are wearing thin. The old bonds that held communities together feel weaker. The news cycle reflects this reality with reports of housing insecurity, conflict, and families on the edge. In moments like this, the image Jesus gave His followers carries fresh weight:“You are the salt of the earth.” Salt does more than season food -- it also preserves. Salt is a preservative because it reduces the amount of free water in food, a process that inhibits the growth of microorganisms…

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How Compassion Breaks the Cycle of Hate

The Bible never treats compassion as a soft emotion. It is the steady choice to move toward need. When Jesus looked at the crowds, He felt compassion and did something about it. He healed, fed, and comforted. His care was not sentimental but practical. Paul told believers in Colossians 3:12 to “put on compassion.” That image matters. Compassion is something we wear every day, not something we feel now and then. It becomes part of how we meet the world. Psychologists describe compassion as a skill that can grow. They draw a line between empathy and compassion. Empathy feels another person’s pain and can leave us tired. Compassion feels and then…

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The Difference Between Hope and Optimism and Why It Matters for Policy and Practice

In a world buffeted by global crises and political upheaval, two psychological states stand out as beacons of resilience: hope and optimism. At first glance they may seem interchangeable, since both involve looking ahead toward something better. But beneath the surface they operate quite differently, and the distinction matters, especially for policy makers, educators and those who design human-flourishing programs. Defining Hope and Optimism Broadly speaking, optimism is a generalized expectation that the future will bring positive outcomes. It is a mindset in which one believes things will work out for the best, or at least not collapse. Hope, on the other hand, is more than a rosy view of…

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Resilence: Why We Bounce Back When Trouble Comes

Biblical Wisdom for Flourishing | Dr Victor Counted Happy new month! October is here, and with it comes a fresh reminder that life doesn’t always go the way we hope. Just when we think we’ve healed, something comes along to test that healing. That is why our focus this month is....   resilience. Resilience is the psychological (and I'd add God-given) strength to keep standing when life pushes hard, to keep trusting when answers aren’t clear, and to keep moving forward knowing God is with us. Healing is not the finish line. Life keeps coming at us, and sometimes it tests the very healing God has started in us. That is…

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When Grief Strikes: Finding Hope in Isaiah 61

Biblical Wisdom for Flourishing The nation is grieving this week. The sudden death of Charlie Kirk has stirred deep emotions across the political and religious landscape. Regardless of where one stood on his views, the reality is the same: when someone young and prominent dies, we are left with shock, pain, and unanswered questions. These are the moments when faith is tested, and when the biblical vision of restoration becomes a lived necessity. Isaiah 61:3 speaks into such moments: “To provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead…

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History Is Repeating—How Will You Respond? (Video)

We live in a time of outrage and crisis fatigue. It’s easy to feel like the world is unraveling. But what if today’s chaos isn’t new at all? In our final Biblical Wisdom for Flourishing devotional for July, Dr. Victor Counted reflects on a powerful line from Ecclesiastes 1:9: “What has been will be again… there is nothing new under the sun.” This is not pessimism. We see, in this text, a divine perspective for navigating modern history. History has seen cycles of power, violence, and confusion before. From ancient empires to contemporary politics, the patterns repeat. But biblical wisdom doesn’t call us to panic. It calls us to discernment—the spiritual clarity…

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