Catholic therapist vs secular therapist

[w4c]

I am looking to start seeing a therapist in the near future due to depression/anxiety related issues. I guess this question is geared toward those who have been in therapy as well as Catholics with a psychological training/background.

I don’t want a strictly Christian or bible based therapy (I also struggle with my faith and have made some very bad choices. That is why I’ll go to spitural direction), but I know some of my issues could be tied to my religious beliefs. So I want to see someone who will understand this (my faith etc) and not tell me “well that’s not even considered bad in society” or “you’re an adult and that’s considered normal.” But I also don’t want to see someone who will guilt trip me or judge me or tell me that my sins are sins, or “well, Jesus loves you…pray more. Etc.” I know that they are and I know that He does. That’s not why I want to talk about them. I want to talk about them as relates to my other issues.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

(Sorry if this is the wrong category…)

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

My experience has been that it’s somewhat irrelevant if you have a Catholic/Christian therapist or not. I’ve known some who are very good; I’ve known others where you would have been better off not knowing anything about their faith and views. What it really boils down to is finding a therapist that meshes well with you and your personality and will then respect your thoughts and ideas rather than passing judgment on them, regardless of their personal faith persuasions.

 

[Roguish]

The trouble is that secular therapy and Christian therapy operate from very different ideas of what a healthy human being is. A secular therapist typically operates from the vaguely defined idea that you’re “healthy” if you’re “functioning normally”, if you “feel good”, if you’re “happy”. And they combine all of this with the message that “it’s up to you: you need to discover what you want, do what you want, etc.” In the end, secular therapy basically comes down to making you normal, which means average, which means sufficiently similar to most other people so that you can blend in and “keep on trucking”.

The authentically Christian view of a human being is simply totally different. In Christianity’s view, life is not about being normal or about “functioning in society”. It’s not even about “feeling good” or “being happy” or about “doing things your way”. In the Christian view a human being exists to cultivate his/her bond with God, and to give witness to that, and to keep on doing that even when it gets tough – and the point of all of that is to earn your way into Heaven. If you want this, a secular therapist’s advice is probably not going to help you much because there is no room for these goals in his idea of the purpose of human life.

So, do you want to be an authentic Christian, or are you okay with being average, with feeling passably well, and just “getting through life”? This is a big choice. Only if you’re clear about which choice you’re making can you meaningfully decide what therapist will suit you.

 

[tweedlealice]

Hi,
I always tried for counseling from Christian therapists. I was going to Catholic Social Service. First time, he tells me get a divorce???HUH! I went elsewhere. There are Christian Catholic agencies. Google.
God bless
Play uplifting Christian music, praise music.

 

[CRM_Brother]

There are good Catholic therapists out there, it is just usually hard to find one. I had a good deal of depression and anxiety issues myself a while back. There was a book that helped me a good deal. It is called “Healing Wounded Emotions: Overcoming Life’s Hurts” by Fr. Martin Padovani, SVD. He is a religious priest with the Divine Word Missionaries in New Jersey and was a licensed and practicing therapist (he is retired now). He provided an approach to basic psychological issues within a Christian context. It is specifically geared for psychology and therapy. It isn’t theological, but it puts the psychology within the mindset of Christianity.

I’ll be praying for you.

God Bless,
Br. Ben, CRM

 

[Lee1]

There are quite a few different approaches to therapy, one of them may be exactly right for you, but which one I agree is a thorny question. It might be an idea to try more than one, I don’t know where you are but in my country therapists will often consult with you for the first time without charge.

As mentioned priorly the therapist themselves can often be a good match for you on a personal level and things gel nicely.

On a personal note I have found that the most effective relief came through a reliance on God. For me belief in Him and the possibility of Life was more powerful than any single thing I’ve ever read or been told by anyone.
God bless.

(Ps. Guilt doesn’t get you to heaven. Try Belief, reconciliation and the sacraments and charity.)

 

[Pattylt]

I’m an Agnostic so I wouldn’t necessarily gravitate to a Christian therapist BUT if some or many of your issues are related to your Catholic beliefs a Catholic therapist would most likely be a much better match for you. In either case I would make sure they use evidence based treatments. This doesn’t rule out a religious therapist at all. It just means the treatment process is medically sound to achieve results.

 

[QwertyGirl]

So, do you want to be an authentic Christian, or are you okay with being average, with feeling passably well, and just “getting through life”? This is a big choice. Only if you’re clear about which choice you’re making can you meaningfully decide what therapist will suit you.

I think this is a bit jaded. If you are seeing a licensed therapist, rest assured they have gone through similar training (and lots of it) as all the other licensed therapists. Much of their philosophy is based in raw data, statistics, and methodology. The difference between one who promotes themself as a “Christian” or “Catholic” therapsit, and one who doesn’t, is that the one who does supposedly has a good understanding of your religion and tries to work within the boundaries of that religion.

There are pro’s and con’s to seeing both kinds. If one is interested in exploring how much of the negative aspects in their life are a result of what they believe and practice religiously, then a secular therapist may be the one to help you with that. If, on the other hand, you are struggling with the issues in life that you feel are pulling you away from your religious beliefs, you may wish to see a religious counselor.

It is really up to the client to decide why they want to see a therapist, and which kind will help them get to where they want to be.

 

[Roguish]

If one is interested in exploring how much of the negative aspects in their life are a result of what they believe and practice religiously, then a secular therapist may be the one to help you with that.

I don’t mean to be argumentative, but this isn’t any different from saying “talk to an atheist if your religion is giving you trouble”. In that kind of “therapy”, religion will stand condemned from the get-go.

 

[QwertyGirl]

Secular therapy can actually be very helpful to those who were raised in cultish, religious environments, but who still subscribe to the faith. Their concept of what is reasonable may be quite distorted. For example, a child who is raised in a Catholic home where every Catholic teaching is taken to an extreme. This child may well grow into a devout Catholic, who loves his faith, but who was also quite damaged by the “version” he was submerged in as a child. He may wish to keep with the faith, but he needs to understand the reality. He needs to heal from the damage that was done to him. He needs to work with a therapist who doesn’t have a “dog in the religious fight” so to speak. He may or may not get that from someone who promotes themself as a “Catholic” therapist. It is something to consider.

I know first hand of many “secular” therapists who are quite respectful and supportive of the religious beliefs of their clients. It isn’t discounted, but rather considered an integral part of the person’s life, as it should be. Once they know someone is opposed to certain mainstream therapies, they will either work within those boundaries or refer them to someone else who can (if they feel they can’t, in good conscience).

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

So, do you want to be an authentic Christian, or are you okay with being average, with feeling passably well, and just “getting through life”?

Feeling well and getting through life actually sounds really appealing. Sign me up.

 

[Hope1960]

There are good Catholic therapists out there, it is just usually hard to find one. I had a good deal of depression and anxiety issues myself a while back.

Let me add that while the OP didn’t suggest that she has OCD or some other anxiety disorder, finding any kind of therapist who specializes (AND is knowledgeable) about OCD can be challenging, though probably easier that it was several years ago. Finding a Christian therapist who knows a lot about OCD and other anxiety disorders can be even more difficult.

I have OCD and the therapists I had who knew the most about anxiety disorders weren’t Christian. One even seemed to me, though I may be wrong, a little new agey.

My psychiatrist has never given any indication of what faith he is, if any, but was referred to me by the sort of new age one. I chose him, though, because my then-therapist (who has since retired) was one of the best in town for treating anxiety disorders.

 

[Roguish]

Feeling well and getting through life actually sounds really appealing. Sign me up.

It does sound good, doesn’t it? Even to me. But authentic Christianity isn’t a path of practical or emotional comfort. It’s a path of sacrifice, and sanctification at all cost.

I know first hand of many “secular” therapists who are quite respectful and supportive of the religious beliefs of their clients.

I know. But in doing so, religion is reduced to a “peculiarity” of the patient, which is “respectfully” taken into account. It’s no different from an atheist telling you that he “respects your belief”. The atheist probably means it, but that doesn’t change the fact that he does not understand religion in his heart. Sure he may have read a book about it, or a dozen books. But that does not make for true understanding. Same with secular therapists.

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

It does sound good, doesn’t it? Even to me. But authentic Christianity isn’t a path of practical or emotional comfort. It’s a path of sacrifice, and sanctification at all cost.

Are people in therapy looking for “comfort”? Or could it be that many just want to feel well enough to function? Emphasizing “sacrifice at all cost” over recovery for people who are already mentally unwell is the kind of thing that leads to further deterioration and, in some cases, suicide.

 

[QwertyGirl]

I know. But in doing so, religion is reduced to a “peculiarity” of the patient, which is “respectfully” taken into account. It’s no different from an atheist telling you that he “respects your belief”. The atheist probably means it, but that doesn’t change the fact that he does not understand religion in his heart. Sure he may have read a book about it, or a dozen books. But that does not make for true understanding. Same with secular therapists.

You underestimate the abilities of many therapists and paint your opinion with a broad brush.

 

[Roguish]

You underestimate the abilities of many therapists and paint your opinion with a broad brush.

Ah, whereas you paint yours with a fine one, yes? The crappy thing about CAF is that every discussion ends up this way, you know? If you disagree with me, that’s fine. To insinuate that I’m rather clueless about what I’m saying is not fine – but I can’t do anything about it.

 

[QwertyGirl]

I think my opinion was pretty clear in my original post. I don’t discount either secular or religious therapists. To be licensed, they all have at least the minimum training and credentials. After that, you get what you get and you should shop around for one that meets your needs because you are the consumer.

 

[Lee1]

Therapists will often give you an intitial free session in order to assess whether the prospective client and the therapist are suited. If that’s the case where the OP is then that would help greatly in making a choice between secular and non secular therapy.

(I think both your original posts are fine @Roguish and @QwertyGirl, they both have value for the OP, and that’s the main thing )

 

[FiveLinden]

There may be some advantage to a therapist having knowledge of your religion but I can’t see what the therapist believes as relevant. It’s like a dentist: is a Catholic dentist better? (S/he might decide to suggest you ‘offer it up’ instead of having an anaesthetic)

 

[TheLittleLady]

A therapist has a professional code of conduct. They will respect the boundaries that you set “my religious beliefs are not part of this therapy”.