Faith | Psychic wounds — even in the brightest, best — need healing from the Great Physician
Grief struck our community in July when licensed mental health counselor Jenna Olafson was reported killed by her domestic partner, Michael T. Smith, another licensed therapist.
This couple, establishing careers in our community, each served local people.
Naturally, all who were affected are grieving the loss of life and trauma in this situation. It’s devastating. There’s been a wave of disillusionment—the shock of, “How could this happen to licensed professional therapists?”
You might think I’m qualified to unpack this pain as a certified relationship therapist and a clinical trauma professional. But I’d like to approach this simply as a person of faith—a Christian and member of West Side Church in Richland.
It’s the sense of disillusionment I’d like to address.
I love therapy and the skills I’ve learned to help hurting people. Therapy can be life-changing, and in some cases, life-saving. But therapists—and all professionals—are simply human beings with the same limitations and needs that people face universally.
We’ve now got a world in which therapists are post-modern priests. We’re often held up as “more evolved” because of our expertise and wisdom we can apply to suffering. Some of our colleagues have accepted this cultural “anointing,” but those who are wise see that the pedestal is flimsy and incomplete.
An honest look at history reveals that despite humanity’s advances in science or psychology—despite all we can discover and learn—our basic human nature doesn’t change.
While many believe they improve upon the humanity of previous generations, human morality has never evolved.
While we have marvelous discoveries with the potential to lift us out of squalor and even past the earth’s gravitational pull, we have never achieved a moral evolution that lifts us one iota above the human condition. The Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9 illustrates this age-old desire to elevate ourselves beyond the need for our creator. And despite all efforts, we eventually dissolve into some form of chaos.
There’s no advanced degree, no medical treatment or mystical insight that allows us to bypass our humanity. And our brightest and best—therapists, scientists, surgeons and teachers—still need the “great physician.” Even Christians who strive for holiness can wander off course and may have seasons of struggle or moral failure.
While I firmly believe that counseling and self-help practices can strengthen the psyche to become more whole and emotionally mature, in the Christian faith, there’s another layer to the process of inner healing—known as sanctification. This is the work of God’s Holy Spirit within a person.
This transformation happens, not by any human method, but by the indwelling of God’s spirit, alone. This growth in healthy character, strength, peace, love, wisdom, happens in someone’s life who spends time in relationship with God—through prayer, scripture, grace-filled fellowship, and healthy community. These disciplines—so out of vogue lately—still lead to what every soul thirsts for.
Isaiah 9:6 calls the Lord, “Wonderful Counselor” for good reason. Therapists follow Jesus’ example when we practice unconditional positive regard, ask open-ended questions that lead clients to discover truth, and when we strengthen those we serve to live in peaceful and just relationships.
The appearance of “godly” virtues can be faked. We all know this has led to much cynicism about Christianity. Still, even the attempt to earn or falsify a godly nature apart from God can be seen as evidence of God’s reality. There’d be no imitation, if the genuine didn’t exist.
Churches—I want to encourage you that your role is crucial for healing the collective identity crisis of this time.
As someone who has taken much training and been equipped to support modern psychic wounds—I can assure you—the “better help” is where it’s always been, in finding our identity in Christ. And this is also the deepest need of the scientist, sociologist, physician or therapist.
