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Q&A

Question (abbreviated):

The only thing I have difficulty with is whether you are saying no one should ever see a counselor -- just to read the Bible and talk to your Christian friends. And I say that because I have been from one church to another and was very emotionally a mess and I was shunned because my problems were too overwhelming for the pastor or anyone else in the church. I really was searching for some help.

I think most people with emotional problems experience condemnation from the church and complete lack of care and understanding. SO, that is a major reason they end up paying counselors.

So, what is the answer to this -- since the church is too overwhelmed to help people with major difficulties -- there does need to be some system of help out there for Christians. What does a Christian with a serious problem do when the church turns a blind eye and even condemns? I've experienced this over and over. The only thing left is a paid counselor...

So -- what is the answer for Christians with very serious problems that the church will not deal with and condemns that person for?  I was just a little unclear about your stand on counseling, especially for those with serious problems that the church will not deal with. What is a Christian supposed to do?

Answer:

You say something very profound:

"I think most people with emotional problems experience condemnation from the church and complete lack of care and understanding. SO, that is a major reason they end up paying counselors."

You hit the nail right on the head. We are not doing our job as Christians. That's why professional counseling has become so popular in the church. The church isn't stepping up to the plate, so the world is. And it's working.

Praise God for [your Christian therapist's] love and support and purely biblical counsel that she has shown you. But she is the exception and not the rule. Most of the time the psychotherapy creeps in, or even takes over - how can it not, when you've been trained to think that way for years? The pay-for-service model also comes into play, which is not biblical (Mt. 10:8).

So we don't want to come off condemning Christian psychotherapists or those pursuing this field (in fact we've met a few who have even changed their graduate studies after reading the book). Instead, we hope that those Christian therapists who believe there is value in mixing ungodly, secular mental help with Christian mental help will repent and realize the sufficiency of the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit to address EVERY life issue (2 Peter 1:3).

What we want to do is encourage pastors and the church to counsel one another biblically so there will no longer be a need to bring in the "professionals," Christian or secular. The risk of mixing the Bible with secular psychology is just too great with Christian psychology.

Reader's Reply (abbreviated):

I think the church needs to do as much as possible for people in mental distress, and it is so unfortunate that they are, for the most part, condemning. I'm not even sure why this is, as the Bible is full of people that were a total mess, and God had the answer every single time!

So, why isn't the church helping people? I think they are afraid if they are not a professional counselor that they can't do it. But all it takes is people who know the Word of God, who have the sincere heart to help and even mentor someone if necessary as [my Christian therapist] is doing with me, and it doesn't even take up that much of their time.

And how much better than for people to go to counselors and therapists who put labels on them and actually INCREASE their problems by doing this and getting them focusing on self instead of the Lord. What I needed was just someone who cares and was undaunted by the problems I presented.