some people will say no god, no spritual life in the world but we have the responsiblity to make them to know about the god to walk in the way of light.

“Christian Drug Rehab”

http://www.christian-drug-rehab.org

some people will say no god, no spritual life in the world but we have the responsiblity to make them to know about the god to walk in the way of light.

So you can pray for me as I feel quite displaced right now. I’ve been asking the Lord. Jesus…where CAN I fellowship with people who won’t look at me as “labeled” with a “chemical” imbalance….and just treat me as someone who is a person whom needs a personal relationship with God her creator.

God bless!!! You have my email….you can email if you like. Would love to hear from you!

Love,
Alex =]

A brief comment about regarding the last blogger’s comments. He seems to be trying to minimize the damaging effects “christian psychology” can have on people if they see such a therapist. By a tremendous amount of personal experience and wide research now, I have found that most christian psychologist never refer to the Bible at all! They may try to use the word “God” and may try to use a verse to fit into their point, but probably over 95% of them do not know how to or are not willing to counsel from the Bible. They think it is outdated and incapable of dealing with our “deep” issues- even though the deepest human issue ever met, the saving of our souls from eternal damnation. I don’t think you realize the actual damage that can be done to christian families through much of the approach and techniques that christian therapists are using today, such as regression therapy, recovered memory therapy, mental illness labeling, etc. Even the boundaries they set for behavior are not really based on the boundaries that the Bible gives, but more on a hedonistic approach- placing our own indiviual happiness as king, not our own personal holiness.

The problem with “all truth is God’s truth” is that you could, as a therapist, say that about anything you teach- as long as you believe it to be true- which launches you deep into a post- modern relativistic approach to christianity and scripture where anything goes as long as you believe it to be true. This is very dangerous. God did not write the Bible with 150 different meanings to each verse. He had an intention in mind- this is called the law of “authorial intent”- just as we do when we write letters to people. The author of the Bible had a specific intention. It shouldn’t be “whatever it means to me”, but instead whatever is right according to God.

The fact is that most of the practices used by christian therapists are not very different than those used by non- christian therapsists. I have spent thousands of dollars and equally thousands of hours meeting with christian psychologists, in marriage & personal counseling, as well as with non-christian psychiatrists. The two were not that much different from eachother. My findings, regarding the christian psychologists, are that they are first and foremost psychologists and second they are christians, in their practice. Again, they almost never- ever use the Word of God. This should not sit well with any christian, ever!

And as far as the chemical imbalance issue, it’s important to note that the APA itself has openly and publically stated that “we have been lieing to everyone for years concerning theory for chemical imbalances in the brain. The fact is we do not really know if there are such imbalances and how the brain works concerning such an imbalance”. As christians, I think it is important to never shy away from at least applying, strongly, God and His Word to every mental situation, even ones’ that would seem impossible- remembering Mark 5 where God heals the demoniac, who was literally insane and I’m sure in a modern day brain scan would have gotten him today’s labels of Bi-Polar, Autistic, Terrets, ADD, ADHD, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Schytzofrenic, Manic Depressive, and many others as I’m sure he displayed all of these attributes. (And I’m not saying that people don’t have issues that affect their brains- at all. I have a son who has some real problems, but what amazes me is the terrotory the mental health proffesionals have been allowed to cross over into, especially by the church! They are not skilled in using or applying God’s word to everyday life and real problems normal peopla are facing. Some times they have a good point or two, but I don’ think that justifies the damage of working on life without what God has written to us does). Thus, my favorite part of the Mark 5 story is that when the healing was over, the people were amazed and even afraid of the power they saw in Jesus, because “they saw the man clothed, sitting there in his right mind”. I know medications are part of our lives, and some have to take them. I just think that there should be some very serious caution in thinking about using mental health professionals who are christians. They do more damage than most unsuspecting people know- I think even more than they as therapists know. Believe me, I’ve been there and back and I will never make that mistake again. What a sad day when we don’t need our Bibles for the big issues in life!

The alternatives are to leave the person alone and wait for God to enlighten them with no help from us who are spiritually mature. That somewhat defeats the purpose of discipleship doesn’t it? My favorite role model of a counselor is Billy Graham who has been given the title “Counselor to Presidents & Kings”. Proverbs tells us that ‘if you see a man who is skilled at his work, he will stand before Kings”. Billy is the most skilled counselor of our time.

Don’t get so hung up about psychology and counseling being integrated with Christian viewpoints. Frankly, Jesus is the “Great Counselor” and long before He came to earth He ordained psychologists/counselors and empowered them divinely to serve His will and change the course of the world. Joseph influence with the pharoah is another example?

I think we can all agree that the world view is pretty bad whether it deals with business, medicine, government, or anything else. This problem is not unique to the profession of counseling psychology. Did you know that many Christian PhD’s are receiving NIH & NIMH grant funding to perform research. Their research starts with the hypothesis that God’s word is the inherent truth and tehn seeks to provide empirical scientific evidence that even non-christian counselors and counselee’s can understand.

Professional counseling is the art of reproof, rebuke, correction, and training in righteousness. It is knowing when, how, what, and why to apply God’s word to each circumstance. It is wisdom that can only come from the power of the Holy Spirit. In this Spirit, I encourage you to investigate the profession a little more fully and His Word. All the fruits of the spirit are “emotions”. How do you obtain the fruits? Who is your master? Are you depressed due to physical sickness requiring treatment or lack of hope? These type of issues require competent professional assistance grounded in knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Who better than those whom God has called to such work. Who no longer have to hide in the closet but can talk openly about what Christ has done in their life and what He can do for you.

Blessings!
“If I boast I boast in the Lord”. Worldview Info> Student M.A. Professional Counseling & Certification by Dr. J.E. Adams (try the library – you will be pleasantly surprised)

When God tells us this:

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you
in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord,
as His divine power has given to us all things
that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”

2 Peter 1:2-3

We can trust His Word to be true, which means that we can trust HIM when He says “His divine power has given to us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” Medication, nor anyone else can do what the power of God can. We offer hope, true biblical hope, to those who are suffering from depression, or any other kind of mental illness. God is the One who created us, and He alone has the power to deliver, and heal. Many times medication is just putting a band aid on the problem, and does not deal with the real issues, the heart issues.

I have battled depression, and was on an anti depression for a very short period of time. I couldn’t reconcile the medication with the power of God to heal and deliver me. I wanted to give God all of the credit for bringing me through that time, and not to any medication. God is faithful, and He can be trusted. He knows our inner most thoughts, He knows what’s in our hearts, and He alone knows how to bring us out of dark times.

Regarding Andrea Yates, none of us know the whole story to that, and I don’t think we can say how we would have advised her because we don’t know her, and never talked with her. Offering someone biblical hope isn’t being simplistic, or patting anyone on the back, it’s offering them true help, and true hope, through the only place that it can be found….in Christ and His Word.

Psalm 1 comes to mind in all of this.