Christian Therapy
Christian Therapy is for those who want therapy that incorporates Christian faith and biblical aspects with effective psychotherapeutic strategies to help you get more out of your life. I can also help you work through Spiritual abuse or trauma. We can also help you use your faith as a resource when coping with the effects of trauma or Chronic Pain.
How I Approach Christian Therapy Differently from my Secular Options
I approach Christian therapy similarly to secular therapy, except I add aspects of Christian faith and biblical knowledge. By incorporating your personal faith, we can make your therapeutic journey more meaningful and resources more effective. You are in control of how much you want your Christian faith to enter into the therapy process.
Is Christian Therapy Right for You?
Therapy that incorporates your Christian faith may be right for you if:
- You want to enhance your healing with your Christian faith.
- You want to address beliefs that are getting in the way of having a closer relationship with God?
- Your past trauma or neglect are creating barriers that prevent you from experiencing the full love and grace of God?
- You want your Christian faith to be an active part of the healing process and the tools used to heal
- You want to process spiritual abuse or trauma in a way that affirms your faith-based journey
- You want to break free of the chains of a fear-based faith and embrace a love-based faith.
Who I Am As a Christian Therapist
I infuse effective, evidence-based techniques, tools, and strategies with aspects of Christian faith, God’s love, and biblical knowledge. I want to see you find healing and reduce the barriers in your walk with God.
How I Approach Spiritual Abuse and Trauma
Unfortunately, spiritual abuse and trauma do happen. It can challenge your faith and break your trust in spiritual leaders.
Spiritual abuse occurs when someone uses religious texts, faith traditions, or a position of spiritual authority to control, manipulate, or harm another person. Examples include:
- Using scripture and religious doctrines to demand submission, justify mistreatment, or excuse abuse.
- Using strictly religious rules to dictate how you should dress, act, or live.
- Forcing you to participate in specific religious rituals, prayers, or worship services against your will.
- Threatening the loss of family, community or salvation if you leave the relationship, community or question their authority
- Ridiculing, mocking, or undermining your personal way of practicing their faith or preventing you from practicing it altogether.
- Demanding absolute, unquestioning obedience and treating any disagreement, independent thought, or critical question as a sin or rebellion against God.
- Isolating you from friends, family, or outside groups who do not share their specific beliefs.
- Coercing you into giving money, signing over assets, or performing unpaid labour under the guise of religious duty or divine blessing.
- Labelling anyone who tries to hold a leader accountable as “disobedient,” “lacking faith,” or possessed by outside forces.
- Claiming that only the leader or a select group can correctly interpret sacred texts, forbidding followers from reading or interpreting scriptures on their own.
Some of the ways we can process spiritual abuse and trauma
- EMDR to process trauma
- Check the facts by challenging manipulation with biblical scripture and context, as well as other CBT Techniques
- Work through skills and strategies to minimize the effect it has on you
- Does their message match with the nature of God?
- Affirming and normalizing experiences
- How to walk forward in your faith by seeking healthy communities and environments while you are healing
Some of the Ways We Can Incorporate Your Christian Faith Into Therapy and Your Healing Journey
- How to use prayer as mindfulness
- How you can enhance secular techniques with aspects of faith or God’s promises
- How to incorporate God’s promises to you into your healing process
- How to use God’s promises to break free of the chains holding you back (harsh self-criticism, perfectionism, etc.)
- How to find love and acceptance for yourself by focusing how much God loves you and accepts you
- Using your faith as a resource to help you cope when triggered
Take the Next Step to Get More Out of Your Life
I would love to work with you in a way that enhances therapy with your Christian faith. Please contact me or book a free 15-minute consultation to learn more about how I can help you.