In my work as a Christian therapist for over twenty-five years, I have discovered many valuable insights.  Perhaps the first and most significant insight is that Christian counseling is a “calling” and a sacred trust.  This means that we must take seriously the lives and souls that we meet and provide the best quality of care to help people to live Christ centered lives.   

 The second significant truth that I have learned as a Christian Therapist over many years is that the more that we allow Christ to transform our lives through His transformative power, grace, and His principles, the more effective we become at helping others live healthy balanced lives.   

Over the years, I have had the privilege of sitting with many people from all walks of life and I’ve found one theme is prevalent—people tend to repeat patterns from their past that can hinder their growth and keep them stuck from achieving all the great things that God has for them.   Examples of these negative patterns are presented in my book, Move Past your Pain, Discover Your purpose. 

The book gives principles and case studies of how generational cycles can repeat if we are not aware of them. This post, with its focus on the nine principles that are spelled out in the book, is designed to become a small group study that will guide clinicians and lay counselors in assisting people to recover their lives. The platform for the six to nine-week study is presented below:

Week 1

My Story:  The first chapter in the book provides a guide for clinicians to use by allowing them to look at the authors personal story and then to model for clients their own personal story in a group setting.  This principle comes from the biblical principle that we are all broken in some area of our lives.  (Romans 3:23)   Modeling transparency and vulnerability to the client of the therapist’s background gives the client permission to look at themselves without judgement or criticism.  As the the clinician and or lay counselor guides the client to write their own story and then share it in a small confidential closed group, therapists and lay counselors are encouraged to validate their stories and encourage personal growth, and identify future therapeutic goals.   

Week 2

Patterns that Repeat:  Clinicians will help people to construct a genogram that will give them a visual of their background, family of origan, and patterns that connect to current issues in their lives that may need to be dealt with.  Examples are given in Move Past Your Pain.

Week 3

Stress and Patterns:  Clinicians and lay counselors will help to identify past and current stressors and coping mechanisms that are used to handle stress. Healthy methods are illustrated of how to handle past and current stressors and how to cope in a Christ Centered way.  Old behaviors are identified and a journal is kept on implementing new coping behaviors.

Week 4

Generational Patterns: Clinicians will help clients identify negative patterns that repeat throughout their adult lives and then identify tools to reverse these patterns. Biblical models are also used to show that these can be universal problems and not just unique to clients who are struggling

Week 5 

Taking Charge and Overcoming Denial: Clinicians/counselors will help clients not to minimize or discount destructive patterns.  Half of the battle for clients is taking responsibility to own and deal with their issues.  When there is emotional pain, it is difficult to face painful truths.

Week 6

Learning to Think Differently:  Clinicians and lay counselors will use a cognitive behavioral approach to help clients change their thinking if it is causing them to be stuck in some area of their lives.  

Week 7

Magical Thinking, Faith, and The Fight: Clinicians and lay counselors help clients embrace the reality of their situation and apply faith based principles to their situation.    Also, clinicians will help clients apply practical solutions to their lives and give tools in joining with the client in fighting the spiritual battle that is against all believers.

Week 8

Building a Positive Legacy for the Next generation: Clinicians and lay counselors will model and express the importance of healthy modeling to the next generation and give examples.

Week 9

Forgiving Others, Forgiving Ourselves: Clinicians and lay counselors will provide biblical and personal illustrations from Dr. Simms book to identify why the principle of forgiveness in our lives is so necessary for healing ourselves and others.