Therapy in the great commission

Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.

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[Differentstrokes]

Hi! So after seeking professional counseling while in great commission and being told that was a sign of not trusting enough or praying hard enough,, that my depression was a "spiritual issue" that needed to be dealt with within the church, I left GCM and found great help and healing in counseling. Now I can see my mother desperately needs some professional help, she really needs a counselor but she refuses to entertain the idea because "Jesus is her counselor". I'm really worried about my mom and don't know how to help her!

[Hope]

I will keep your mom in prayer. Maybe you can invite your mom when you go....it might help. The indoctrination goes deep and it's hard for those to overlook it. 

[margaret]

I see two approaches here. One, you can't *make* her see what you've already seen about GCM. Each person has to come to it on their own. So if she's accepted the kool-aid teaching of "We don't use professional counseling; Jesus is our counselor," then you're probably not going to change her mind.
On the other hand, you could approach it from within the GCM reasoning and practice of "What's your verse?" for every situation, and point out that God gave each of us gifts to help each other. The counselor (just like the doctor) has the training and gift to do a certain job that others need. She goes to the doctor when she has a physical ailment; why not go to a counselor if she's having an ailment of the mind or heart?
Just a couple thoughts.

[Janet Easson Martin]

Dear Differentstrokes,

It is interesting how many people are suffering inside GCx from serious soul issues including depression. But, often don't get help until they have left.

If depression was something that affected a person before they entered GCx, it would have been exacerbated by it's environment of conditional acceptance, deceitful oppression, and continual reproach. I would expect that there was/is a much greater percentage of depression going on there than in healthy churches. My husband used to say he hadn't met (or heard of) anyone who used to be in GCx that wasn't in counseling. I, myself, would hear how people admitted, after leaving, that they were actually "miserable there". Some were leaders who I wouldn't have guessed had felt that way.

Even the Apostle Paul alarmingly questioned believers he had known, who became trapped under False Teachers, by asking:

"What has happened to all your joy?"

On a positive note, there are many strong Christians, including Beth Moore, who advocate professional counseling for needed emotional and mental well being. I also remember when Kathy Trocolli (speaking at a Woman of Faith Conference years ago) came right out and urged the mostly christian audience, "Please, take the Prozac (if you need it.)"


Praying for Your Mom,

Janet

[Outtathere]

Diff - I'm assuming your mom is in a GC church. If the problem is the GC church, then the counseling may not help. I'd suggest finding counseling outside GC, maybe through a nouthetic counseler if she is a Christian. From my experience, use drugs with caution. I know too many people who have done meds and turned out worse, so I would exercise a lot of caution. If the problem is GC, she may have a hard time accepting it. One book that I know of that has helped people to see the damage in GC is "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse." The church I went to despised it because it caused so many to see what was going on in the church and helped many people leave.

Speaking of leaving (probably for a different thread), does anyone know why the GC church in Cedar Rapids left the movement?