When’s the last time you read a passage of the Bible and thought, “I can really relate to this!”?
If you’re like most Christians, the answer is probably “very recently.” The Bible is the divine, inerrant Word of God, and it was designed as a flawless manual to help us navigate life on this side of heaven.
The Scriptures don’t shy away from heavy topics like trauma, mental illness, grief and injustice. And in every story, God meets His people with compassion, wisdom, and hope.
That’s because God never intended for us to carry our burdens alone, He often provides help through the Body of Christ – and He can work through godly counselors and therapists as instruments of His care and healing for our families.
In the book Overcoming, written by renowned psychologists Nicole Gilbertson Wilke, Ph.D. and Amanda Hiles Howard, Ph.D., and published by CAFO, our strategic partner, the authors outline various ways children and adults who have experienced trauma can seek deeper levels of healing.
One of these is through therapy.
In Part 8 of our Resilience Series, you’ll discover the powerful ways in which God can use Biblical counseling and therapy to foster resilience and bring restoration within your family.
What is Biblical Counseling?
Biblical counseling is a branch of support services that seeks to counsel individuals through their problems by using the Bible as the authoritative guide on navigating this life.
This means that any issues that you choose to discuss in a Biblical counseling session will be viewed through the lens of God’s divine Word.
All through the Scriptures, we learn about trauma and adversity, resilience and restoration. Here are two Biblical truths you can find echoing throughout modern-day therapy.
1. New Neurological Connections
In science, neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to form and reorganize new neurological connections. This unique ability allows us to heal by creating new pathways that are essential to learning and development after traumatic and adverse events.
If you’re parenting a child who experienced trauma, you can help your child reap the benefits of neuroplasticity and learning new coping mechanisms through
- Physical activity (play)
- Mental training (prayer, worship, and meditation)
- Healthy relationships (safe, consistent connection with you, mom and dad!).
Here is Scriptural support for neuroplasticity: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” ~ Romans 12:2 (NLT)
2. Restorative Environment
Restoration is defined in science as a process that helps a mentally fatigued person or a child overwhelmed by stress or strong emotions return to a calmer, regulated state.
As parents, you can cultivate this restorative environment within your own home. You can do this in the day-to-day moments through consistent routines, safety, connection, predictable boundaries, and moments of joy and rest.
The restorative environment you provide helps to improve your child’s mental well-being and concentration while reducing the impact of their stress, mental fatigue, and other difficult emotions.
Here is Scripture support for restoration: When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortune. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before!” ~Job 42:10 (NLT)
KEY TAKEAWAY
The Bible and therapy are wonderfully intertwined. Biblical counseling supports truths outlined in Scripture.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
- Are you struggling with emotional overwhelm? Ask God to reveal if Biblical counseling could be a good support system for you.
- Throughout the Bible, we learn about many individuals who struggled with depression, anxiety, etc. Ask the Lord to encourage you through one of their stories.
ACTIVITY
Traumatic thoughts and memories can interrupt your child’s ability to get a restful night’s sleep. Use a bedtime activity like One, Two, See to help your child manage their thoughts. Find this game and more now in the Everyday MomentsTM activities collection.
KEY VERSE
“But the LORD made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.”
PRAYER
Oh God, please give me the wisdom to use your Word and to help my child obtain healing. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.
