Tag Archives: Biblical Counseling

Dylan Dodson: Can a Christian Suffer from Depression? My Story

Pain and grief were emotions created by God, you should not feel guilty for feeling them. Being depressed does not mean you no longer love Jesus or that Jesus no longer loves you. Continue reading

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Sin, mental illness and the church…Erring on the side of grace

We need to treat persons with mental illness and their families with the same sensitivity and grace we would show to any vulnerable believer.
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An Open Letter to Pastors, Biblical Counselors, Psychologists and Psychiatrists…Mitzi VanCleve

Those of us who live with these disorders need to be ministered to from all of you. It shouldn’t be an either/or thing but rather a both/and thing. The last thing we need when we are experiencing the pain of our disorder is to be confused or made to feel guilty about where to go for help. Continue reading

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Are you less likely to be referred to a psychiatrist if your physician is a Christian?

Historic tensions between religion and psychiatry continue to shape the care that patients receive for mental health concerns. Continue reading

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Unintended consequences…Sin, mental illness and the church

The research appears to suggest that we have a lot of people within the church who struggle with emotional distress who have been badly hurt by their interactions with pastors, church staff, counselors and the reactions of fellow believers. Clearly, there’s an established perception among the majority outside the church that those struggling with more serious or chronic mental health concerns won’t be welcome at church…and that’s a very big problem when it comes to fulfilling Christ’s command to make disciples. Continue reading

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Jay Adams and the foundations of a movement…

It’s important for our readers to understand how central Adams has been in impacting how pastors from evangelical and reformed traditions think about mental illness and pastoral counseling. Continue reading

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The evangelical understanding of mental illness…How Freud, Skinner, Rogers and Ellis led to Jay Adams

We’re beginning a series today on the theme Sin, Mental Illness and the Church. This study will be accompanied by a more in-depth, optional online study group (you may register here) including Bible reading/study and supplemental media to enlighten participants as … Continue reading

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Are parents of kids with ADHD stigmatized at church?

Would it make more sense to err on the side of grace in how we view families of kids with ADHD, at least until we know them well enough to feel we could walk in their shoes? Continue reading

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How my daughter taught me about friendship…Jonathan Holmes

Reflecting back, I’m so thankful for my daughter’s kind heart and gracious outreach. Hannah’s mom told me that day not many kids reach out to her because she has disabilities. In that moment, I realized how simple, yet profound friendship can be in the life of a child. It can brighten one’s day, put a smile on one’s face and in the best of ways it can soften shame, alleviate stigma and lift spirits. Continue reading

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The sins of psychiatry…and psychology

“It seems reasonable to conclude that the institutions of psychiatry and psychology (and many practitioners of those disciplines) have conducted themselves in a manner to betray the trust of church leaders, especially those leaders who adhere to traditional interpretations of Scripture. I’d hypothesize that one manifestation of the collateral damage resulting from this “falling out” between the church and the mental health community is the lack of understanding in the church as to how to most effectively minister to individuals and families impacted by mental illness.” Continue reading

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