Born Again No Need for Therapy

10 Myths Keeping Christians from the Counseling They Demand

• 2018 ix Apr

"Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the ill. I accept not come up to phone call the righteous, but sinners'" (Mark 2:17)

While there's little hesitation for someone to schedule an engagement with a family physician when they're under the weather condition, there seems to exist great pause for near people before considering talking with a therapist.

This hesitation seems to run deepest within Christian circles. From a demand to portray a perfect life to feeling like a thwarting to God for needing help, a Christian can feel a lot of guilt in seeing a medical-mental professional. Merely the truth is, God never expected us to be perfect. If he did, he wouldn't have sent Jesus! He besides never idea nosotros could practise life solitary because he makes it quite clear that together, with those around u.s.a., we are the trunk of Christ.

So, to remove the stigma counseling is enshrouded in, let's address the x near common myths that are keeping Christians from the counseling they need.

Photo courtesy: @ThinkstockVictor69

1. "If the Lord is my strength, I can't be weak."

The Lord is your force—that'due south truthful! (Take a expect at Psalm 28:seven.) Simply where it gets dangerous is confusing his force with our strength. He is perfect, all-powerful, and never-changing. We are imperfect, inconsistent, and non nearly as potent. When we mix the two up, we're left thinking we're strong enough to handle every problem on our own and put off counseling.

Merely what's fantastic about God's strength is that it'southward perfect in our weakness. When we're downtrodden, God picks usa upward. And gauge what! Sometimes that help is through counseling. When y'all seek out a faithful Christian counselor, don't view it as a flaw—view information technology as a way to admission more of God's strength in your life!

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/Jonah Cowie

2. "I need to have it all together."

"If I don't have my life completely together, how will people always be brought to Christ?"

Oh, dearest sweet friend! Your perceived perfection isn't going to be the thing that brings droves of people to church. In fact, quite the opposite! Pretending to have your life completely together can exist such a turn-off. It makes people feel guilty virtually the less-than-glamorous parts of their lives. Plus being vulnerable with your struggles—and how God mightily works through them—tin be such a compelling testimony.

Now, I want you to know I completely understand not wanting everyone to know your struggles. Trust me—I get it. But it'southward withal powerful to exist able to talk with someone, say a counselor, who's sworn to confidentiality. Once you to talk through everything with someone, you'll be surprised past the liberty you feel to tell others your story.

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/diego_cervo

3. "It's going to hurt more than to bargain with my by than to ignore information technology and motility forward."

There's a chance that therapy will, in fact, hurt. When you lot're working through a situation that's rooted in pain, it could sting to dig upwardly its roots. But, avoiding therapy because it might hurt is like refusing to become a cleaved bone set. The pain of fixing the issue is well worth the healing that comes from it.

As y'all brainstorm to work with your therapist, you may observe yourself emotionally tired, overwhelmed, or feeling left on empty. Simply as you commencement making progress, y'all're going to feel lighter, more confident, and ready to move forward with your life. Don't permit the fear of dealing with your pain head-on prevent you from the healing God has for you.

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock

iv. "If I just pray harder..."

Prayer is powerful and tin very much bring you healing. But I've met then many people who experience embarrassed to talk to a professional because they presume it's all their responsibility to fix. They found themselves in this state of affairs, for whatever reason, and it'due south up to them to pray their way out.

I love that their get-go instinct in times of trouble is to pray. But it breaks my heart that people will grapple with something, and so on top of that, heap guilt on themselves for "not praying difficult enough." If you're stuck and tin can't motion past something, no matter how difficult you're praying, remember: counseling tin can besides be an answer to your prayers. Keep open up those powerful lines of advice with God, but try talking things out with a counselor, also. They'll offer wisdom and give you a new perspective on your state of affairs.

Photo courtesy: Unsplash.com

5. "I can talk to my small group/family unit almost my issues."

It's so great that you have a grouping of people in your life who will listen to you lot as your process through your emotions. Just, relying on your loved ones to fill the role of your therapist can exist damaging to your relationships. You're heaping on a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, and that weight can be incredibly straining. Plus, your friends probably aren't equipped to requite yous the guidance you lot need.

So instead, I encourage yous to seek professional help. There'southward a lot of value in working with an actual therapist. A therapist is trained to not only listen, simply also to assistance y'all work through everything floating around in your listen. They'll provide an unbiased opinion, and, most importantly, they can tell if there'south something more than serious going on.

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/vadimguzhva

6. "God is good, and so the trouble I'm going through is fine."

Many Christians fall into the trap of believing that our problems take abroad from God'south goodness. But there are two things I know for sure: I regularly have problems, but God is still proficient.

E'er since Eve sinned, our globe has been less than perfect. That's why we get through tough times, and sometimes, information technology's not even our fault. Things happen to the states that are entirely out of our control. So, please know, there's nothing to be embarrassed about in having bug. Y'all don't accept issues because y'all believe less in God's goodness. Merely, since God is good, he wants the best for our lives. Hence, he gives u.s.a. resources such every bit pocket-sized groups, friends, and—you guessed information technology—counseling.

Photograph courtesy: Unsplash.com

vii. "The therapist is just going to shame me."

A therapist should never, always shame you. If you're seeing a professional and you exit feeling more so like it'south your fault, yous did something wrong, or that you should be aback of who you lot are, then y'all need to detect a new therapist. A therapist's job is to assist you better understand yourself and to shine a light (and the truth) the situation.

Now, there's a take chances that what you're struggling with is a consequence of choices you're making. Just, in no manner, is shame going to lift you upward out of that state of affairs. I've never heard of anyone shamed into healing, have yous? Remember, "Therefore, at that place is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/1000-imagephotography

8. "Counseling is only for serious problems."

Therapy isn't just for someone who went through a traumatic experience like a sudden expiry of a loved 1, fighting in a war zone, or escaping an calumniating human relationship. Counseling is only talking with someone trained to assist you in working through your thoughts and feelings. This ways, y'all could go to therapy for learning how to balance your schedule in higher, working through the transition of matrimony, or even when everything in life is going well.

The problem with creating the stigma that counseling is reserved for "serious" problems is that people will wait until small struggles go something much more meaning. If a person begins to encounter a therapist before an upshot takes root, healing is going to come quicker.

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock

9. "There's no way I could afford to go to counseling."

Yes, it's truthful: some therapy options are crazy expensive. But some options are much more than reasonable, without sacrificing the quality of help you're receiving. All information technology takes is a niggling research.

When you outset start looking for counseling, figure out what your budget allows. Call back, this should be a high priority. If yous demand to cut back on your coffee habit or going out to eat, I promise you it'south worth it.

Next, await for options through your church. Many churches have affordable (or costless!) therapy options. Fifty-fifty if your church doesn't accept counseling, they may offer scholarships for specific Christian counselors in the area. At the very least, they may exist able to recommend a professional person to y'all. And in some cases, counseling centers offering need-based scholarships themselves.

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/Stas_V

10. "At that place'south nothing I can do to change the past."

Yous're right: the past is the by, and there'south nothing you can do to modify it. But therapy helps with the events of the by in two critical ways.

First, seeing a counselor and talking through what happened changes your perspective. It shines light and truth into the situation and lets yous up from under the weight of the shame, guilt, stress or worry you've been feeling.

Side by side, counseling allows you to movement forward in freedom. You're better equipped to handle life. Y'all've fought through troubling situations in the past, and you're better able to avert those situations in the future. You walk more confidently, and if you stumble, yous know that therapy is always an choice.

Lindsey Brady is a new wife and stepmother who loves to spend fourth dimension in nature or going for long runs. When she's feeling a bit more sedentary, she'll spotter an entire season of whatsoever Food Network show in a single sitting. Y'all tin follow her on Instagram at real.slim.brady.

Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/Pepgooner

---

Editor'southward Picks

mccluneysprim1952.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/10-myths-keeping-christians-from-the-counseling-they-need.html

Share this post