Publications By Our Team
His Story has always strived to be a place of healing as well as a place of learning. We are proud to promote the work of our staff members who have brought perspective to clients and counselors alike through their powerful and vulnerable writings. We want to share them with you as well.
By Dr. Matthew LaGrange
Rediscover Honor
In Rediscover Honor, Dr. Matthew LaGrange invites readers into a life-transforming journey to reclaim the lost virtue of honor, not as a reaction to the worthiness of others, but as a bold declaration of one’s own character. Drawing from decades of experience as a pastor, counselor, and life-coach, Dr. LaGrange weaves together biblical wisdom, real-life stories, and practical insight to show how honoring God, others, and oneself can restore relationships, strengthen communities, and reshape culture.
Honor isn’t weakness. It’s spiritual strength in action. And it is time to rediscover its power.
By Dr. Lindsay Akers (Talley)
Child-Centered Canine-Assisted Therapy: An Investigative Look at Integrating Therapy Dogs into Child-Centered Play Therapy
Play therapy and animal-assisted therapy are two specialized modalities within the field of counseling. Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is a specific theoretical approach to play therapy that regards the therapeutic relationship as the primary healing factor. With much empirical support, CCPT is considered an effective mental health treatment option for working with children. Animal-assisted therapy in counseling (AAT-C) is acknowledged in the literature as a supplemental treatment modality to an existing counseling practice. Although past researchers have shown support for AAT-C as well as CCPT, there is a current dearth of literature examining the integration of these approaches. The present study sought to understand the approach of incorporating a therapy dog into child-centered play therapy while maintaining theoretical consistency. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, I facilitated child-centered canine-assisted play therapy (C3APT) services for four children and reviewed the sessions with expert supervisors in AAT-C and CCPT. Three major themes emerged from the data: (a) principles of C3APT, (b) procedures of C3APT, and (c) relational dynamics. Implications for clinical practice and training of both therapy dogs and C3APT practitioners are also discussed.
By Dr. Lindsay Akers (Talley)
Person-Centered Supervision: A Realistic Approach to Practice Within Counselor Education
In a counselor’s development, supervision is a necessary, important, integral part of the process of forming a professional counseling identity. Just as multiple counseling theories exist to provide a conceptual framework for the process, multiple supervision theories exist to help a supervisor understand how and why to structure the experience. Based on the work of Carl Rogers, a person-centered approach to supervision centers on two main themes: the process and the relationship (Rice, 1980). Throughout this manuscript, the themes of process and relationship as well as the fit of person-centered supervision within the confines of a counselor education program are explored. Although more literature is needed to further discuss operating from a person-centered perspective within counselor education, this theoretical approach provides enough support and flexibility to work as a guiding theory for supervisors within counselor education programs.
By Dr. Lindsay Akers
Repairing the Trauma Bonds of Sex Trafficking Victim-Survivors with Animal-Assisted Therapy
In this paper, we discuss the unique trauma experiences of victim-survivors of sex trafficking. In discussion of current counseling practices and the complex trauma endured by these victim-survivors, we offer a suggestion to integrate therapy animals through the use of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) as a practical means of helping victim-survivors heal and repair their trauma bonds. The paper provides counselors with information on the mental and emotional impact of human sex trafficking on victim-survivors while also providing its implications for treatment.