your question. Most people come to therapy aging one another to get mental health
in order to feel better. They look to the
support?
therapist as professional aspirins or anes-
Dr. Ridley: There are philosophical differ-
thesia to — “get me
ences between the
out of this pain.”
various specialties
In reality, people
within professional
Leadership
in
the
Christian
commu-
should come to
psychology. On a
nity has a responsibility to teach the practical basis, the
therapy to collab-
oratively replace
lines are blurred.
scripture with fidelity—there were
self-defeating
For example, in
other
explanations
for
Job’s
and
the
behavior patterns
most states, clin-
blind man’s condition that had noth- ical psycholo-
with behaviors
that lead to better
gists, counseling
ing to do with their spirituality.
life functioning
psychologists, and
outcomes. That is
school psychol-
a different agenda from wanting therapy to
ogists all are license-eligible as psycholo-
be a quick fix. Of course, we want people
gists. However, most consumers only know
to move beyond feelings of anxiety, depres-
that psychologists have the credentials to
sion, and distress. However, almost nobody
practice, and they do not really care about
comes for an emotional checkup—just to see or understand the differences in psycholo-
if they are doing okay emotionally. We take
gists’ training. In reality, regardless of their
our cars to the auto mechanic for periodic
training, many psychologists treat a range of
checkups. Sometimes we even go to doctors client problems.
for wellness examinations. However, the
Although I believe strongly that people
common approach people take signifies that should take responsibility for thei r behavior
mental health treatment is for people who
and lifestyle choices, I think the popular
are disturbed, over the edge, or severely
self-help literature is oversold. Certainly, the
imbalanced. The reality is that most people
literature offers useful insights. My biggest
face situations whereby professional care can concern is that it tends to oversimplify the
be beneficial. Research suggests that annu-
complexity of the problems people face,
ally 25 percent of the populations should be such as with the 7-steps to emotional health.
in counseling or therapy.
People then get discouraged when the seven
Question: Many Christians know how
steps fail to yield them the outcomes they
to advocate for medical care and treatment.
anticipate.
What does the Christian community need
Question: In many social and family
to know about the field of psychology when environments, if a Christian admits to
making self-help decisions and/or encour-
having difficulty coping with life, a well-
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