May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As Christians, it’s important that we examine the topic of mental health and think biblically about it. Every month of May, we have been discussing practical topics related to mental health on the Truth in Love podcast.
Here is a compilation of the podcast episodes:
The term mental health carries several different connotations that work against the aims of biblical counseling.
2. The Bible of Psychiatry [2]
What is the DSM? How should biblical counselors approach it and think about it in a biblical way?
3. Biological Psychiatry [3]
The historical narrative of biological psychiatry helps us understand how we got to where we are today.
4. The Problem with the Mental Illness Narrative [4]
What do “mental illness” and “mental disorder” mean?
5. The Diseasing of Anxiety and Depression [5]
What is the problem with labeling anxiety and depression as diseases?
6. Distinctions of the Therapeutic Relationship [6]
In a therapeutic, professional relationship, clinical distance is required. The opposite is true of biblical counseling.
7. Challenges of the Therapeutic Relationship [7]
Exploring the biblical role of the counselor in a counseling relationship.
8. Misrepresentations of Biological Psychiatry Part 1 [8]
Examine some of the exaggerated claims of biological psychiatry highlighted by the Harvard Review of Psychiatry.
9. Misrepresentations of Biological Psychiatry Part 2 [9]
Biological psychiatry attempts to explain, in a reductionistic way, that psychological problems are only caused by something that’s gone awry in our bodies.
10. Dangers of Eclecticism [10]
Believers need to be cautious of eclectic approaches and have a discerning mind when it comes to fidelity to the Scriptures.
11. Dealing with Diagnosis [11]
Biblical counseling doesn’t need to “catch up” to the advancements of where the mental health world is. The Bible explains our human experiences better than any other system.
12. Idolizing Certainty in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder [12]
Scripture says you can have certainty only as that certainty is derived from a relationship with God.
13. Ungodly Introspection in OCD [13]
What is the difference between godly and ungodly introspection? How can those who struggle with OCD be freed from an enslaving, ungodly introspection?
14. A Biblical Assessment of Emotionally Focused Therapy [14]
Emotionally Focused Therapy is a common approach to couples counseling. But where does it come from? Is it compatible with a Christian worldview?
15. The Methodologies and Techniques of Emotionally Focused Therapy [15]
Can we adopt secular methodologies in EFT into our biblical counseling framework? Does general revelation justify the means to an end?
16. Discerning Trauma Informed Therapy [16]
Is trauma-informed care biblical?
17. Engaging Trauma Biblically [17]
How much does the Bible really say about trauma?
18. Biblical Discernment, Neuroscience and Trauma [18]
When people attempt to simplify neuroscience to make it relatable and understandable, we often lose critical information. How can we discern the truth behind claims related to trauma?
19. An Evaluation of the Sexual Identity Construct (Part 1) [19]
Why is modern psychology’s sexual identity construct so pervasive, dangerous, and deceitful?
20. An Evaluation of the Sexual Identity Construct (Part 2) [20]
How do we evaluate, expose, and explain to our counselees the ideology behind the concept of sexual identity?
Other Podcast Related to Mental Health:
Considering the Duluth Model [21]
When dealing with problems such as abuse and injustice, believers should be zealous in searching the Scriptures for ways to act in a God-pleasing manner.
How Should Biblical Counselors Assess EMDR Therapy? [22]
We see ourselves for who we truly are by measuring ourselves against the truth of Scripture.
Christians and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [23]
Should biblical counselors use CBT?
What About the Unconscious? [24]
The final authority for someone being counseled by a Freudian counselor is the counselor.
Biblical Answers for Schizophrenia [25]
Is schizophrenia a biological or a spiritual issue?
The Diseasing of Anxiety and Depression [5]
What is the problem with labeling anxiety and depression as diseases?
Understanding Psychotropic Medication Biblically [26]
Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can change our brains.
How to Approach New Medical Research [27]
Medical research is a great gift, but is not infallible.
How to Help Psychologized Counselees [28]
What do we mean by the term “psychologized counselees” and how do we minister to them well?
Reorienting the Therapeutic [29]
The therapeutic mindset is focused on eradicating disease.
A Journey to Biblical Counseling [30]
“When I grasped the gospel as relevant to my everyday life, I realized biblical counseling was completely different from other therapies.“