[6 minute read]TL;DR: An affair raises many questions, feelings and decisions for both the partner who engaged in the affair and the person who was betrayed. Whether partners stay together or not depends on many factors, including the quality of the relationship prior...
Learning & Resources
Shalem Mental Health Network
Resources
AI and Mental Health: A tool, not a substitute
[7 minute read]TL;DR: Increasingly, people are turning to AI for mental health information and support. While AI can be a useful resource, it can not provide the connection and empathy of a loved one, or the skill, insight, responsibility and ethics of a human mental...
Do We Understand Addiction?
[5 minute read]TL;DR: Addiction can be an overwhelming subject for many people. There are various definitions that can be used to explain how addiction comes to be. The most important aspect to note is that addiction is a form of coping, a response to emotional,...
Choosing Hope: an Act of Resistance
[6 minute read]TL;DR: Hope is a deliberate act, a form of resistance. Hope doesn’t erase pain, but give us courage to face it. There are four dimensions of hope: emotional hope coexists with lament, cognitive hope fosters agency and pathways forward, spiritual hope...
The Vulnerable Path of Leadership
[7 minute read] TL;DR: The trend toward leadership characterized by humility and vulnerability is being challenged by many current leaders choosing a model of leadership based on a more dominant and distant approach. Both Dominant and Vulnerable styles of leadership...
Power in Relationships: Controlling or Empowering?
[7 minute read] TL;DR: All relationships involve power. Power can be handled well to empower others or misused to control or abuse. In our partner relationships and families, we tend to handle power in either power-over or power-with ways, or sometimes neglect to use...
Suicide – let’s talk about it
[5 minute read]WARNING: This article discusses suicide.TL;DR: When we come across suicide, either in our own thoughts, or in the life of someone we are close to, it can be bewildering and scary. Thoughts of suicide and feelings of despair can show up when the storms...
The Power of Sabbath & Rest: Considering the Benefits of this Ancient Practice
[10 minute read]TL;DR: In our fast-paced, productivity-minded society, it can be hard to cultivate practices of rest and balance. Deriving from the Hebrew word shabbat, meaning “to stop” or “to delight,” Sabbath is an ancient Jewish practice which encourages us to...
Understanding Aging and Dementia
[8 minute read]TL;DR: Aging is a process that impacts us on many levels and involves a wide range of reactions. While normal aging comes with some cognitive changes, dementia is a disease that causes significant decline in cognitive functions, distinct from normal...
Parenting Approaches for Building Strong and Connected Relationships
[8 minute read]TL;DR: Parents often wonder if they are doing it right and doing enough for their kids. While we often know what we don’t want to do as parents, it helps know what we can be doing to meet our kid’s needs and be effective in creating safe and healthy...
The Elephant in the Pew: Why Faith Communities Must Talk about Mental Health
[7 minute read]TL;DR: It can be tempting to avoid discussing mental health in church, creating a sense of discomfort and leaving those struggling feeling isolated. However, it's crucial for faith communities to openly address mental health because it impacts everyone,...
Coping with Political Stress
[7 minute read]TL;DR: Many people are feeling overwhelmed, worried, or even despondent in today’s political climate and by the constant stream of news. Political stress can impact relationships, mental health, and even faith communities, leaving us feeling exhausted...
Tending to our Relationships
[8 minute read]TL;DR: Relationships need regular maintenance and at times, expert help. Many couples wait years before getting help, but earlier interventions can help replace negative interaction patterns with loving connections. Learning about how to navigate...
How do I know when I should be getting help?
[4 minute read]TL;DR: At times life can become difficult and we may need extra emotional or mental health help. Signals that we need support include big feelings that are hard to settle, persistent thoughts that interfere with focus or sleep, increasing conflict in...
Art Therapy: A Case Study
SALEM Digest, Spring/Summer, 2007 Michelle De Boer Trevor* is a good student. He is quiet and cooperative, plays well with the other children in his grade three class, listens attentively to the teacher and does well on his assignments. Trevor is the youngest of two...
Building the Bonds of Attachment
SALEM Digest, Spring/Summer, 2007 Betty J.B. Brouwer A number of changes and developments have been taking place at Salem as a result of the visioning that Salem’s board and staff have been engaged in over the last couple of years. As a result Salem has begun...
CAP: Counselling Assistance Program
Our Counselling Assistance Plan (CAP) is an affordable program that enables churches, schools, and non-profits to make short-term professional Christian counselling, workshops, and resources available to your members and staff. Through our faith-informing practices,...
ClergyCare and LeaderCare
We recognize the unique calling and challenges of leadership. This program connects pastors, leaders and their family members to professional Christian therapist who offer guidance to restore mental wellbeing. We also provide professional development opportunities for...
FaithCare: Facilitated Conversations
A Restorative Response to Conflict or When Harm has Occurred What is a facilitated conversation? A facilitated conversation is a structured response to conflict or when harm has occurred that allows participants to talk about what happened, and how they and others...
FaithCare: Listening Circles
Shalem’s Restorative Practice program has developed a resource called Listening Circles to help groups and communities facilitate conversations about specific topics. Developed as part of the FaithCare program to help churches address challenging topics or...
FaithCare: Restorative Practice and Congregational Life
Restorative practice is a way of thinking and being, focused on creating safe spaces for real conversations that deepen relationships and build stronger and more connected communities. Restorative practice builds relational capacity. Features of a restorative approach...
FaithCare: Restorative Practice
Healthy Relationships Restorative churches, schools and organizations respect differences as inevitable and necessary for growth. Restorative churches, schools and organizations: strive to build healthy relationships where differences are respected experiences...
Why WrapAround?
https://player.vimeo.com/video/81829834?h=16344a1bd3 Why WrapAround? from Shalem Mental Health Network on Vimeo.






















