SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : General Topics : my friend wants to see a therapist

Print Thread (PDF)

PosterThread
luckyd
Member



Joined: 2005/6/1
Posts: 71
tx

 my friend wants to see a therapist

my friend wants to see a therapist because she feels like that will help change some of her problems shes having with herself, but shes new to the christian faith...is there scripture or anything i can tell her so she can know god will change her


_________________
jesse

 2006/8/3 16:33Profile
JoeA
Member



Joined: 2004/11/29
Posts: 364
Decatur, Illinois

 Re: my friend wants to see a therapist

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

First one that comes to my mind.


_________________
Joe Auvil

 2006/8/3 18:30Profile
JoeA
Member



Joined: 2004/11/29
Posts: 364
Decatur, Illinois

 Re: my friend wants to see a therapist

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

First one that comes to my mind.


_________________
Joe Auvil

 2006/8/3 18:30Profile
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re: Seek First the Kingdom of God

"If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." James 1: 5-7

How God chooses to give your friend the wisdom she needs is up to God. He might choose a therapist to shed light on her personal issues. On the other hand God may have some other way of helping her.

"Seek first the kingdom of God and then all these things will be added onto you." --- that doesn't just include physical needs, but also our emotional and spiritual needs.

I believe that God would say: Desire to please me first, and then I'll make sure your needs are met.

Diane


_________________
Diane

 2006/8/3 21:46Profile
enid
Member



Joined: 2006/5/22
Posts: 2680
Nottingham, England

 Re: my friend wants to see a therapist

First, point out that the therapist needs Jesus!
What kind of therapy does the need apply to. Physical or mental? It sounds like the mind. Why waste money on a therapist and undermine the power of God? As I see it, God isn't good enough here, let's see if 'someone' else can help. That's sad. Still, I don't know the full story or need to know. Is there no pastor or mature Christian to talk to? The scripture quoted in the other post is a good one for this situation. However, some people, no matter what you advise (we can only advise, not tell), will still do what they see fit. As you said, she is new to the Christian faith, maybe as time goes by she will realise that going to a therapist is not the answer. God bless.

 2006/8/4 5:53Profile









 Re: my friend wants to see a therapist

Quote:
Is there no pastor or mature Christian to talk to?

Unless a pastor or mature Christian is gifted from God as a counsellor, or has personal experience of God's work in the area which a Christian needs, his or her best recourse is to direct the young Christian to seek God for themselves, and simply pray for them religiously.

I was dead against therapy, therapists, social workers and everything to do with mental health management, until I discovered two things.

Firstly, God calls a lot of Christians into these lines of work, and they are aware of His greatness and ability to heal and comfort. They do not seek to do His work for Him, but understand that the person in need of psychological support often needs a team of specialists with whom to communicate. Obviously, God is much more than a team of specialists, but, the person with mental conflict may well have no idea how to discern His voice, His leading, His guidance, His answers, and [u]does[/u] need people who are not struggling with the same confusions, to share the responsibility for their choices and point the way forward where there is safe ground to tread upon.

Secondly, experience has taught and is teaching mental health professionals what does and does not work for people. Thankfully, including the acceptance of faith and prayer, these are being incorporated into 'treatment' plans. Another way of putting this point is to say that they are discovering that God's ways work. If you analyse the dynamics of what works (in the therapeutic situation), you will find God has been doing this to / with people since the beginning of time.

Therefore, the biggest concern is not the wanting to see a therapist, but the choosing of a therapist who is not an atheist, who is not going to regard faith as a defence mechanism, and who has had the latest training in integrating [i]therapeutic models[/i] (as they are called), so as to guide the person in need of support towards to the most constructive ways to understand their needs and the most appropriate solutions for them. The client has to be willing to co-operate, as well as to guide the therapist as to what is and what is not helpful. It's a therapeutic relationship if it works. It's a disaster if it doesn't.

Any Christian can be guided by God to take up or not take up therapy outside church circles, and there is no doubt that 'church' is not renowned for weighing in with longterm support to those who need it. The occasional Christian might offer a few weeks or months, but once it turns into years, they need to know they are doing what God wants, or imho, they would be better not to start on a course they are honestly not prepared to see through to the end.

The disappointment a Christian feels, when fellow believers feel clearly from God NOT to get involved in supporting them, is acute, but, it is also much more help to the potential client for them to know that's how their church feels, than to be subtlely rejected by the 'body language' of the [i]brethren[/i].

 2006/8/4 6:32
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re: Should a therapist be Christian?

Quote:
Therefore, the biggest concern is … the choosing of a therapist …

I have seen tragedy that words could not express in the field of Christian therapists (not to discount them all). I regretfully say that I know some clients who have been very damaged by "professionals" who were wolves in sheep's clothing or where following after an unorthodox philosophy of therapy. So, clearly divine guidance is needed, and above all - God-reliance.

As you point out, Dorcas, Christians including pastors are not always equipped to wisely handle deep issues, yet they may assume that they are. And that is scary. I aggree, it is better to humbly admit your limits, and just offer support and encouragement.

I have to say that there are even atheist professionals who have a deep respect for the faith of others and will not necessarily tear it down. I’ll never forget when I was very ill and my doctor (not a Christian in any way) told me that the only thing that was going to get me through was my faith. A good therapist values faith in God regardless of their personal convictions.

Perhaps, I might say that the biggest factor is the belief of the client: Does he or she wish God’s solutions or merely want to feel better? If he does not wish to go through the process of deep God-inspired repentance, then no therapist will be much help in the long run.

And yet, God has a way of working step by step, and can eventually even transform wrong motives to right motives.

Let's never underestimate God. May God always be glorified, and may no man ever be able to take the glory for what happens in a life.

Diane


_________________
Diane

 2006/8/4 8:39Profile
InTheLight
Member



Joined: 2003/7/31
Posts: 2850
Phoenix, Arizona USA

 Re: my friend wants to see a therapist

Here's a brief thought on worldly "wisdom"...

Many who read this will be familiar with the position of psychology, and it is just here that we find that point which makes all the difference between the natural, which keeps God out, and the spiritual, which gives Him His full place. For here we find that the scriptural description of man runs entirely counter to the conclusions of 'scientific' psychology. We have observed that the psychologist will not allow the threefold description of man as spirit, soul and body, but only soul—or mind—and body. But still, the psychologist has to confess to the existence of a third element. He recognizes it, finds his chief interest and occupation with it, builds up a whole system of experimentation around it, and often borders on calling it by its right name. But to do so would be to give too much away; and Satan, who has the mind of the natural man well on leash, sees to it that in this, as in other matters, just the word is not used. The psychologist, therefore, recoils and calls the extra factor 'the subconscious mind', or 'the subjective mind', or 'the subliminal self', or 'the secondary personality', etc.

Listen to some of the things which indicate the length to which such teachers go:

'The soul consists of two parts, the one being addicted to the truth, and loving honesty and reason; the other brutish, deceitful, sensuous'.

Or again:

'There is a schism in the soul'.

'The existence of a schism in the soul is not a mere dogma of theology, but a fact of science'.

'Man is endowed with two minds, each of which is capable of independent action, and they are capable of simultaneous action; but, in the main, they possess independent powers and perform independent functions. The distinctive faculties of one pertain to this life: those of the other are especially adapted to a higher plane of existence. I distinguish them by designating one as the objective mind, and the other as the subjective mind'.

'Whatever faculties are found to exist in the subjective mind of any sentient being, necessarily existed potentially in the ancestry of that being, near or remote. It is a corollary that whatever faculties we may find to exist in the subjective mind of man must necessarily exist in its possibility, potentially, in the mind of God the Father'.

When we read things like this, two things press for exclamation: first, Oh, why not call it by its right name! The other: What a tragedy that pagan philosophers should have been their sphere of research and that the Bible should have been set aside! It may be thought that it does not matter much what you call it if you get hold of the thing itself. But we hold that it is vital to read that we are dealing with two things which are absolutely distinct and separate, and not with two sides of one thing. It is error to speak of soul-union or soul-communion with God, for there is no such thing. 'Divine union' is with spirit. "He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor 6:17), and however highly developed the soul-life is, there is no 'Divine union' until the spirit has been brought back to its right place and condition.

-T. Austin Sparks, Where Psychology Fails, from the book What is Man.


_________________
Ron Halverson

 2006/8/4 9:33Profile









 Re: my friend wants to see a therapist

Quote:
A good therapist values faith in God regardless of their personal convictions.

A few years ago in the UK (about 6) mental health clients here were canvassed for their personal position on the value of their faith to their sanity. In the light of around 50% saying they were better for their faith, our government went right ahead to reject the claims of psychologists (and psychiatrists) that faith is a barrier to effective recovery. This has forced a completely new mindset from professionals, who are now charged with respecting belief systems, and prayer, on the understanding that it is more destabilising for the client not to do so.

 2006/8/4 10:45





©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy