Has Anyone Had A Christian Therapist

[hodge]

I'm sorry, Whyteferret. I shouldn't have gone off like that. I guess I got riled up by the main topic of religion and therapy. Please know I meant no offense. I was just expressing my own opinion, which came out of my mouth without going through my brain first, based on some friends' experiences with their Christian pastors/leaders.

I apologize to you, too, Sonic, for how my comments have disrupted your thread. I just wish you the best.

 

[Whyteferret]

Chosen To be a Pentecostal preacher.

Ok. That makes a lot of sense. If it helps you- move forward.

@hodge
No problem here with what you said. you made good points. No religion should be used to justify something like that. It's all good

 

[EveHarrington]

I think faith can really help us heal.

Is this therapist trained in trauma? Is she teaching you skills? Does she know how to guide you through trauma processing? Does she know how to help an addict heal?

If any of these answers are "no" I'd start looking for another therapist given the severity of your symptoms.

IMHO faith can be very healing but it won't fix the effects of trauma, just as faith alone won't cure cancer.

 

[sonicwhite]

All things work for good to those who love God.

Yes being psychotic raped and tormented in jail is truama. And it hurt. It was an injustice that I will be vindicated for on the judgment day. The day when everybody has to stand before God and give an account for what they have done.

I look at the positive it did to me. Yes I was raped. But I got revelations from God and signs from God that aroused my curiously to know Him.

I year after it happened I gave my life to the Lord. I was impressed to become a minister.

Who want a minister who has never been through the fire to show others their not alone? Those kind of preachers are the false ones. Not all but most. I have been through hell and back. Chosen and called by God to become a minister. Even tho I am one. I'm called to the Pentecostal Pulpit. I love everything about Jesus. His way of life. How He was opposed by sinners and resisted temptation to the point of shedding His own Blood.


Their is no one in the world that can fill the gap He has. I've seen Him. Y'all may think I'm crazy I don't care. God said He will vindicate me here on Earth and in Heaven. So don't be surprised when you see me on TV AND SAY woah! He was telling the truth.

 

[Justmehere]

Have you gone to NA like you were planning on? They are founded on Christian principles and I know they have helped a number of Pentecostal men and women.

 

[sonicwhite]

No, I haven't I'm still farting around. Not really doing drug abuse but not really leading a pack either. Still I know NA and just sheer determination will get me through this. I have a V8 Triton which Dranks up so much gas. I'm needing a affordable way there but now I'm just making excuses.

I know it needs to be done. Ugh it makes me feel bad I haven't done it yet.

 

[Whyteferret]

No, I haven't I'm still farting around. Not really doing drug abuse but not really leading a pack ei...

@sonicwhite
I know AA has online meetings. Maybe NA does the same?

 

[Justmehere]

I want you to know that I'm cheering you on towards your recovery so that you can meet these wonderful goals of being a minister for Christ. It's a great goal and I fully support you in it. With your level of passion, and if you beat this addiction, I do believe you can help others change their lives and know God more.

There will always be reasons not to go, until you decide you are ready to do what it takes to heal from this addiction and the horrible trauma you have been through so you can do the things you want to do in life, so you can really LIVE and not die.

Don't forget, you have a therapist and doctor who want to help. I think it's great you want to go this through "sheer will power" - but how's that been working for you so far? It seems like you have been stuck enduring so much pain by doing it all by sheer willpower. Be the humble person that I know you are, and ask for help. Being a Christian isn't just about knowledge of the bible, but actions and humbly admitting we can't do it all on our own.

There are good Christian counselors, and bad ones, because like all people, they are human. If your therapist is a good licensed Christian counselor, and you tell her you need to get to NA and you need her help to figure out how to get there, she should be able to help problem solve that with you and fully support your going there.

There are online meetings- check out the links at http://na-recovery.org/

Also, check out Celebrate Recovery and see if they have any groups in your area: http://www.celebraterecovery.com/ They are a 100% Christian based preach the gospel group that uses the 12 steps and more to help anyone with any kind of struggle like this. They teach on the bible every time. I have a friend who quit crack after 25 years of heavy abuse with Celebrate Recovery's help and the willingness to ask for help and do things differently.

If the pulpit is where you want to be, then you gotta get sober and heal from the trauma and addiction. Your recovery doesn't depend on your roommates being gay or not, or your house being anointed with oil or not, or even your therapist knowing Jesus or not. Hear me out on this. God is the creator of the universe with the power to save someone from death itself. He died for YOU. He can use secular therapists and doctors to help you.

Be careful of believing anything that sounds like if you just have enough faith you will be healed, or that you even have to be "chosen" to be healed. That's not biblical and usually leaves people broke and still sick.

I have seen two Christian therapists. They provided good guidance on spiritual matters. Initially they helped my faith grow and it seemed to be an encouraging thing. However, they simply didn't have the training and expertise needed to help me heal from the impact of trauma. It ended up backfiring because they took on more than they could handle. It almost shipwrecked my faith entirely. It was well meaning but damaging to my faith and my mental health.

Simply because they tried to do it all on their own.

I still would suggest good Christina counseling for those who are looking for that as a complement to working with people who are trained (secular or Christian) in treating a particular mental health issue like trauma or addiction. There are very good solid Christian therapists out there. The good ones will approach someone with addiction and trauma (or even addiction alone) by teaming up with a solid team of professionals to guide you on the steps to recovery. A good Christian therapist would make sure you are working with people licensed and trained to work with people with addictions and with training in trauma.

I don't want to knock what your therapist is doing, as for some there is a place for spiritual warfare for some - and to each his own. The problem is when someone relies on that alone instead of getting their butt in the chair to recovery meetings and treatment. Your recovery from addiction isn't going to be based on whether or not you live with people who are gay or not, or if your house is anointed with oil or not. It's going to happen if you choose to accept you have a serious addiction that you are unable to defeat on your own and you are willing to do something different and get help and find relief from the pain of the horrible trauma that should have never happened to you.

Hang in there! :hug:

 

[sonicwhite]

Thank you justmehere. I feel you have a sincere want for me to beat this beast. And I will. God impresses me all the time I am right where I need to be at this very moment.

I may not be able to see his work or I doubt and I think I will fail him but He has given me a future filled with hope. I would never be the man I am today had I not gone through the fire. It hurt and it kinda burned but God is and was with me the whole time.


Many are called, but few are chosen. I just heard His calling and chose to follow Him. My faith can never stop. He has shown me too much for me to lose faith. Even tho I believe in my heart that we all reap what we sow. I was a bad boy back then. And I was a child of God but I was using Him.


Today I'm thankful I got through it all. I'm just going to have to buckle down and bite the bullet. Ppl with addiction prolly crave every day for their fix but they resist. I'm in a humble state because I feel I'm walking too slow and not beating this. God impressed me that I am where I'm supposed to be. Thank you all for the kind correction that God uses you all for.

 

[Pakadlangitok]

I have. I truly love all the people who have tried to help me over the years. Kind souls.
What I have found is that if a therapist is professional, it makes no difference other than if you seek out that because it is your belief system. Then it adds a depth to the experience because you can feel that there are three involved, you the therapist and God.
Other times if the therapist is forgetting the professional part it gets weird. Or if they preach. I have had some who forget I came to them for a professional service and just start to preach. That is no good.
I find that the more education they have (PhD), they are more likely to keep it professional. I mean, if I wanted a spiritual boost, I could go to a pastor. However, when I go to a therapist, I want them to stay on the therapy whether they are religious or not.
There HAVE been times when a therapist I had was of a religion I did not understand and I was afraid to talk about my own thinking they may judge me or think I would be better if I went with theirs. She never said ANYTHING like that, but it was one of those things------however, She was such a great therapist that I let it go. We had seeking in common!

 

[Changing4Best]

I've been to both types of therapy. I no longer see the Christian Therapy person, because we finished the Christian project we were on, which was a Bible Study and I got out of it when I needed, which was some peace of mind about how God has rescued me from some of the worst things that happened to me in my life, such as the abuse and being homeless for 3 years. I had 7 miscarriages and that was the focus of our counscelling, and we did go over things in the Bible that helped, like King David's remarking that he would see again the baby that he and Bathsheba lost, but not in this life.

I am still seeing my regular therapist that treats me with as she states, "several different forms of therapy" and I see her once a month, with email, phone and even home phone access, should I need it. She is Christian also, but does not focus on the Bible unless I mention it, in which case she will then focus on it for a bit.

She is the best therapist I have had, of all of them, I think. She gives me examples from her own life that are somehow similar to my current problems, or her opinions on things, and tells me how she has solved them. For me, this is therapeutic and helpful, so I continue to see her regularly once a month. It used to be twice a month, but we agreed to only once a month now, due to my finances and my lesser need. However, if an emergency comes up, she will see me more frequently or chat on the phone if needed.

 

[Deleted member 31177]

I went to a Christian therapist when I moved back home from L.A. as he was the only Psychiatrist available in our smaller town and was about 40 miles away. He spent the entire session playing Christian songs on his guitar, burned an un-asked for CD for me and eventually looked him up on the Medical Board website.

Sure enough he had a pending allegation by the DOJ's office against him for stauking a patient. He denied that he had been accused of anything and said this girl was truly crazy (exactly what my sexually abusive therapist said long ago). He begged me to stay over and over when I said I was not coming back. That was it. (The one CD by Nickel Creek was mostly instrumental, kind of blueegrass and I liked that CD.!) lol

I don't And won't ever see a therapist again, the one before this guy had me on super heavy drugs which made me the recluse I am today, he sexually exploited me in office and came to my home once per week. Next Psych. WAS perfect, desk far away, kept total boundaries, a great doctor. Then I was told he shot his wife, 7 year old girl then himself. Next one I went to once, as I started rockin and trying to talk myself out of dissacociating, she got up and literally ran out of the room, only to peek in through a Crack in the door asking if I was okay. Then she just left me in there.

Anyways, no more therapists ever for me.