“Mental health” are buzz words in the United States today. The number of people who are seeking help for unwanted behaviors and emotions is growing by leaps and bounds. The organized efforts to stem the growing tide of these unwanted feelings and actions are adding to an epidemic of major proportion. The mental disorder industry is growing rapidly in both counselors and counselees.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM 5) is the encyclopedia of classifications of mental disorders for psychiatrists. These disorders are derived mainly from perceptions based on historical observations of behaviors seen in counseling offices and the client’s own testimony of his/her behavior and emotions. The unwanted behaviors and emotions are generally treated by a form of psychotherapy and or medication. The real question is, “Where is the real laboratory scientific proof that any of these disorders have an actual organic basis?” Theory versus scientific proof are important to understand. This process of working with unwanted behaviors and emotions comes from people studying people so as to develop a people formulated system to correct other people.
Biblical counseling is different from psychotherapy. Biblical counseling deals with the same types of unwanted behaviors and emotions dealt with by psychiatrists. Biblical counseling understands that God created people and God knows ALL about the structure of the brain, which is the center of thinking. Since God created us, He is certainly most qualified to know how to change the unwanted behaviors and emotions to something much more acceptable and something that gives peace to the individual. It is amazing that the God who created people also left so much information in the Bible about how to deal with the myriad of behaviors and emotions classified as illnesses in the DSM5. Biblical counselors probe the background of each client to better understand the unwanted behaviors and emotions. Then the Biblical counselor helps the client make application of God’s Word so as to change the unwanted behaviors and emotions. This process of working with unwanted behaviors and emotions is people helping people open their heart (brain) to allow the Holy Spirit to apply God’s Word in the client’s life so as to make a real change in the client’s life.
Doyle McAllister
Counselor, Hope Biblical Counseling