Counseling in the Church: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

In this two-part series I’m addressing what I believe is the Adversary’s most successful device among his many deceptions (2 Corinthians 11:3), temptations (1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), wiles (Ephesians 6:11), devices (2 Corinthians 2:11) and snares (1 Timothy 3:7), which have captured both professing and true believers in Jesus Christ…and I’m doing it with more than a little help from my friends, Dr. Martin Bobgan and his wife, Deidre. Between them they hold a half-dozen degrees. Martin’s Doctorate of Education is from the University of Colorado, and Deidre is a Phi Beta Kappa with a Master’s Degree in English. (The reason I’m saying this up front will become significant as you read through this article. I have no doubt that the information will disturb some of you.)

Regarding my own background, I grew up in the mental health community, literally. My father was a psychiatrist, and during my formative years we lived on the grounds of a large mental institution in central Ohio. He later became the director of a mental hospital in southern Ohio. Many of my relatives were involved in various mental health capacities, so my understanding of psychology is more experiential than academic. In other words, as I said, I grew up surrounded by it.
After becoming a believer, I spent decades comparing psychotherapy’s teachings with the Word of God. My personal experiences also contributed to my increasing compassion for those undergoing some of the mental problems of living and the damage that counseling has done not only to them but also to their counselors.