Session 3: Ministry to Therapeutically-Minded People

So this is Ministry to Therapeutically Minded People. Don't you love my vivid titles?

!

I was there one time years ago, I just stopped because I was looking at something and I just

stopped by myself and there was an old man who came up to me when I was there and he said

I'm a fair taker. He said, what are you looking for? He said, I'll show you that but let me

show you something else. So he took me to this grave and he would have found it otherwise.

And the guy, the employee told me, he said, I've been here for 50 years. I've been here

50 years. And so he took me to this grave and it was the grave of the guy named William

Han, William H. H. N. And the gravestone said, all it said was I told you I was sick. That

was the grave of the grave. And so, he said, well, Bill Han was a guy who lived in the area

of the grave. And his family owned this plot. And he was a hypochondriac. And as he would

come and he would sit in the family plot with a folding chair and he would just sit here and

he would just lament because he kept thinking he was dying and his family wouldn't agree. And he said, he did this for years.

He said, well, I'm sort of with this. If I got six blinds, that's all, you know, and he would never die. And so, and so eventually, they got to be in a relationship where he said, listen, I want you to make sure that all my tombstones are, I told you I was sick. Because one of these times, I'm going to be right.

And he was, right? The point is, we are in self-incessant self-diagnosticians. We love diagnosing ourselves. It's, again, a very Western mindset. Self-orientation. We diagnose everything about us. We hack ourselves.

We're self-assessors. We're self-hackers. We're self-diagnosers. We're attracted to personality tests. We're attracted to life coaches, to self-understanding through talking. We're enamored with influencers. Am I healthy? Am I smart? Am I socially aware? Am I too aware? Am I conservative enough? Am I too conservative? Am I emotionally healthy? Am I emotionally at risk?

Am IOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

over racial and ethnic,

and particularly

age, generational

lines. And we talk about things.

We talk about a lot of stuff.

But we did an episode on fitness.

Because Jared's a

college wrestler.

And

we learned that

a 30-year-old and a

65-year-old have very different

ideas of what it means to be fit.

And what it takes to

get there. So he was describing his workout

routine, and I was describing mine.

And it was just, you know.

So we shouldn't be surprised

when our friends,

our family members,

reach for ways

to understand themselves

that are different than ours.

And sometimes

people who reach for those

understandings reach into the

therapeutic world.

So I've said that we're all

psychologically

oriented.

That's the worldview that we have.

But there are people

in our lives,

and it could be us,

who in some sense

have really kind of

gone into the world

of therapy and have found

the meaning and

self-diagnosis

from the therapeutic world.

And so we as Christians,

if you're tracking

what I'm saying today,

need to recognize

that that world

doesn't easily

translate toward

a biblical understanding

of life,

and therefore translate

into a real hope

in the gospel.

It's a

false

gospel.

And it

presents false

hopes,

and false

savings,

and false

sanctification,

and false

eternities.

And so

we have to recognize

that,

but some people

who are Christians,

well-meaning,

in their search for

how to make sense

of who they are,

what they're dealing

with,

what's going on in life,

they find the

therapeutic world

giving them answers,

and those answers

seem to fit

their experience.

So how do we

relate to this?

How do we

minister to people

who seem more

comfortable with

therapeutic diagnosis

than biblical diagnosis

in their self-understanding?

I was talking to Sean

for a second there,

and we were talking

about how do you

deal with somebody

like this,

and do you just

confront that language?

And I,

and I,

and I'm going to

share this.

My experience

is that people

who use therapeutic

language in a

self-descriptive language

or even have a

diagnosis that they,

that they hold to

will only tend to

defend that if they

feel like their,

their,

their understanding

is being threatened.

They don't have a

depth of understanding

of what they're saying.

They have something

that makes sense

to them,

like we do with

everything.

What do we do

when we do,

when we do internet

searches?

How many people

go on an internet

search looking for

something that's

different than

what they think?

Nobody does.

Internet search is

about self-validation.

We go and refine

something that fits

what we already

think to validate

what we're thinking.

That's proven

study after study

after study.

90% of the people

who do internet

searches are actually

validating something

they already think

that they didn't get

from anywhere.

They just think it

and the internet

supports it.

That's what happens

and so,

so people can

have these ideas

about things

that they feel

very supported

but they're

really not that

deep in their

self-understanding

so we don't

necessarily want

to just,

that's wrong,

you've got to

stop thinking

like that.

All that's going

to do is create

antagonism

and not really

help us serve

somebody.

So I want to

talk a bit about

this and talk

about therapeutic

terms and language.

There are a few

categories of terms

and language

and language

is not simply

words,

language is the

expression of meaning.

all our language

matters.

So eventually

we have to let

the language

of God's word

shape how we

view things.

So there are

different functions

of terms and

language.

There are categories

of terms and

concepts that

scripture claims

authority over.

For example,

love.

love is defined

in the Bible.

If you have a

view of love,

and frankly,

I mean,

it's just

unbelievable

how much

the word love

is used and

defined in a

way that is

so destructive

in our culture.

love.

But love

has a specific

understanding and

definition of the

Bible.

And so we

never want to

use the word

love in a way

that is contradictory

to how the

Bible,

we are in a

relationship with

someone.

Do we love

them or not?

The world would

say,

how do you feel?

What's your

attraction?

The Bible says

those are not

what love is.

Love is,

do I care,

do I want to

live for the

betterment of

this person?

When we get

married,

we don't get

married based

on attraction.

I think we're

not attracted.

Don't go find

out the person

you're least

attracted to.

Attraction

sometimes gets

you there,

gets you close

to it,

and even

connects you

to the person,

mutual

attraction.

But,

at the end

of the day,

if you're

getting married

and you're

a Christian,

it's not

because you

feel love.

It's because

you want a

covenant together

that my life

lived out with

you will draw

you closer to

the world.

That's what

marriage is meant

to do.

The effect of

my life on you

is to draw

you closer to

the world.

It's not to

draw you closer

to me.

Culture says

it's to draw

you closer to

me.

The Bible says

it's to draw

you closer to

the world.

You cannot

give up on it.

You cannot

give way

on that issue.

Truth.

We're talking

about my

truth.

What is your

truth?

Everybody has

a truth.

The truth for

you.

The truth as

you see it.

Truth is not

a word you

can put into

play because

it has specific

meaning.

It means

truth as in

Jesus Christ

who is the

way and the

truth.

And so we

can't give

that word

over.

We can't

say if

someone says

to us in

the context

of ministry

or counseling

well I just

like that's

my truth.

In a

gracious way

say I

don't think

you have

your own

truth.

Let's look

at how the

Bible defines

truth.

So see there

are certain

terms in

English that

we can't

give over

to the

culture.

They must

remain

biblically

defined.

Whatever we

think about

these terms

they must

be submitted

to the

scriptures.

There are

categories of

terms and

concepts,

second point,

that have

both biblical

weight and

cultural weight.

A couple of

those words

might be

freedom.

Freedom is a

word that has

significant

biblical

implication.

It's also a

word that has

significant

cultural

implication and

political

implication.

And they're

both relevant.

What do you

mean by

freedom?

Freedom in

the culture

is the right

to do or

not to have

something done

to you.

Freedom in

the scriptures

is liberty

from sin

through

redemption

purchased out

of bondage

into freedom

for the sake

of obeying

Christ.

That's

freedom in

the Bible.

So we have

to understand,

we have to

say, what do

you mean by

freedom?

I still feel

free to do

that.

What does

that mean to

you?

It may mean

they're using

a cultural

definition,

which they're

okay to make.

Okay, that's

great.

You probably

don't have the

freedom to do

that.

You don't

have the

freedom to

kick your

14-year-old

out of the

house because

that's against

the law

in the

states.

You know,

that's not

a freedom

you have.

But you,

so freedom

needs to be

understood.

Another one

is trust.

Trust is a

major word.

Guess what?

The Bible

nowhere says

we're called

to trust

one.

It doesn't

exist in the

Bible.

We're not

called to

trust pastors.

We're not

called to

trust each

other.

We're not

called to

trust institutions.

Trust is

only in

God.

But in

our vernacular,

culturally,

we trust

various things.

You know,

I trust my

government to

do this

for better

or worse.

I trust

this.

I trust

my pastor.

In other

words,

the nature

of trust

in culture

is something

that is

earned.

We earn

trust.

God doesn't

need to

earn trust.

God is

trustworthy.

So again,

if someone

uses the

word trust,

how are they

understanding

that word?

Are they

using it

in the way

the Bible

uses it?

And sadly,

people will

say,

I feel like

I can no

longer trust

him.

What does

that mean

to you?

Can you

begin to

trust him

again?

Can you?

Well,

no.

Well,

it sounds

like your

view of

trust,

you place

trust in

him that

should have

only been

placed in

God in

the first

plan.

Did he

let you

down?

Because he's

a sinner like

you.

So you see,

those are words

that have

meanings.

They have

meanings clearly

in scripture

and clearly

in the

culture.

And then

there are

categories of

terms that

are largely

defined from

human experience

and culture.

Words like

diversity,

equity,

and inclusion.

Most

psychological,

and I'm not

evaluating those

words,

I'm just saying

they're not

in the Bible.

They don't

categorize people

from a

biblical

perspective.

Most

psychological

language is

non-biblical

language.

These kind

of terms

need to be

evaluated with

biblical language.

What are the

biblical concepts

that come into

play when people

use these words?

Otherwise,

people end up

using,

Christians end up

using a lot

of non-biblical

words that

actually don't

lend themselves

to thinking

biblically about

life.

So we get

three categories

of words.

And this is

important for

your language

as you're

listening to

people.

These are

important.

Are they

using terms

that the

Bible defines

and they're

using it

in unbiblical

ways?

Are they

using the

terms that

the Bible

does speak

to and

they're

speaking to

it this

way?

How do

they

understand

that?

What are

they really

saying?

And then

are words

that are

clearly not

biblical

that at

some point

we're going

to have

to challenge

if they're

attaching them

to their

self-understanding.

So any

question about

that?

Language is

huge.

And

understanding

how people

use languages

and expressions

of how we

love them

is how we

understand.

unbiblical

life

meanings

and that's

what happens.

Language that's

unbiblical

creates life

meanings that

are unbiblical

and they're

like a maid.

You can always

find a way to

move around

within the

problem but

you're lost if

you're trying to

find a way

out.

If you're

really trying to

help somebody

and they're

insistent on

using non-biblical

language you're

going to find

yourself trying

to figure out

how to help

them but

nothing actually

taking root.

Nothing actually

making a difference.

They need

redemptive reality

that comes from

the scriptures

defining their

problems and

helping them

think through

them.

We must

understand how

a person is

using language

to know how

counsel.

So how is

therapeutic

language used?

It's used

in three ways.

This is really

important these

days because of

the nature of

the way we get

stuff off of

social media and

how quickly terms

proliferate and

become commonly

understood.

We have to

really be aware

of this when we're

talking to people

because people

grab things off

whatever sites

they're on and

they make them

fit themselves.

So there are

three ways

therapeutic language

is used.

One is in

diagnostic

categories.

Diagnostic

language has a

formalized

consensus

meaning which

is necessary to

allow conditions

to be categorized

for the state

of consistent

assessment and

treatment.

So the DSM-4,

5 uses

diagnostic

categories.

They're defined

categories.

They're understood

a certain way.

When somebody's

looking at it

there's no

question about

what this

means.

Now there's

question about

whether diagnosis

is appropriate

or not.

That's a

judgment call.

But the

terms themselves

that's why you

have various

kinds of

depression

because there

are different

categories for

those depression

tendencies.

And so these

diagnostic categories

when someone says

they're clinically

depressed what

they mean is

that their

experience has

been categorized

according to

the DSM-5

as a

depression

category.

And it's

specific.

Nobody's

clinically depressed

without having a

further definitive

reality.

Depression type

this,

potentially this,

it's going to

have,

if they're

really clinically,

so that's why

when someone says

they're clinically

depressed,

often what they

mean is that

they ran it

on a medical

site.

It doesn't

mean that they

actually had

somebody diagnose

them.

If you're

clinically,

anything means

you've been

diagnosed in a

clinical setting.

So the

first one you

see, and this

is the highest

level, is what

I would call

these diagnostic

categories.

The second is

what I call

descriptive

terms.

Descriptive

language is

language that

can be deployed

in a general

way to help a

client or patient

make sense of

a particular

experience or

struggle.

So then, in

this one, you

may go into a

therapist and

they may not

feel qualified to

diagnose.

That may not

be what they

feel their

specialty is.

They may not

be able to do

this.

But they can

look at you and

they can talk

to you and

based on their

training and

based on their

experience of

other people,

they can say,

I feel like what

you're dealing

with is depression.

Let's use

depression, for

example.

I feel like

you're depressed.

That's descriptive.

There's a certain

weight to it because

it's coming from

someone who's

doing some

level of

evaluative view

of you.

And they're

not biased in

that.

They're simply

trying to

describe this.

This, to me,

presents like

depression or

anxiety, whatever

it is.

That's what

someone says,

my therapist

has said I'm

struggling with

depression.

It's a totally

appropriate way

to understand it.

It's descriptive.

It's not a

formal diagnosis.

The third level

is what I would

call definitive

labels, labels

that define

this language

that individuals

and groups

employ to

galvanize

identity and

meaning with

their experience

or struggle.

In other words,

this is where

I adopt

language that

gives me a

certain sense

of identity

or defines

my experience,

but I'm the

one who

determines it.

So I'm

depressed.

I feel

depressed.

I'm depressed

is not the

same as

clinical

depression.

I'm depressed

is not the

same as a

reasonably trained

therapist saying,

you know what,

yeah, I think

what you're dealing

with is depression.

It's me saying

I feel this

way.

The danger

we face is

most people

who are using

terms, and you

will find this

if you're talking

to folks,

they're using

that language

in the third

category.

It's self

descriptive.

It's self

defiant.

They pulled

something up.

They've researched

it.

Maybe they've

talked to other

people.

Based on what

this person has

said, I think

I got what they

have.

This is what

it is.

The large

majority of

people we're

going to

relate to

are not

diagnosed

in these

terms.

They're

self-diagnosed.

the other

thing that

happens with

this, the

other thing

that happens

is because we

have this

phenomenon now

of being able

to diagnose my

experience based

on a group

experience,

somebody else.

somebody else

might have done

work, even

studies to

describe this

and I can

fit myself

into that.

Now I can

take that

whole cloth

into my

life regardless

of my

experience simply

because I'm

an oppressed

!

individual.

That has

extra validity

in them, but

it's still a

self-diagnosis.

What I do,

just to make

it simple,

if I've got

somebody sitting

down there

using a

category, we're

going to talk

about trauma

at the end

of this, to

apply this

trauma.

But if

someone is

coming talking

to me and

they're using

therapeutic

language, I

want to engage

them.

I want to

get to know

what they're

saying, what

they mean.

It's part of

my loving

and understanding

them.

I want

them, I

want to

esteem them

as a person,

I want to

make sure

they know

that their

experience is

valid to me,

I'm not

questioning

very

time.

I just

want to

hear, I

want to

know their

story.

I want to

know a

person in

their

story.

In that

story, I

might hear

language that

I have

questions about.

I might

want to

engage that

language.

So when

you said

this, how

did you

know that?

And I

don't do

it trying

to kind

of, I'm

not

investigating,

I'm just

simply trying

to understand.

So you

say you

have

dealt

all your

life with

depression.

What is

that like?

Tell me

what that's

like.

And let

them describe

what that's

like.

Sometimes

you'll find

that they

tend to

have a

negative

outlook on

life and

tend to

prefer me

time.

Sometimes

they'll

presume that

because I'm

not a big

social person

and because I

have a

difficult time

developing

relationships,

I must

struggle with

this.

that's the

answer they

come up

with that

makes most

sense to

them.

That's a

chance to

reinterpret

that.

So we

listen to

understand and

we seek to

engage.

Tell me

what that's

about.

We want to

understand.

The goal

though, and

this is where

biblical

counseling comes

into play

and its

function,

is eventually

we want to

reinterpret.

Not get

rid of,

not destroy

their self

understanding,

but help

them reinterpret

it through

redemptive

lens.

If Jesus

Christ is

real, and

if he has

died for

you, and

if you

know him,

what is

that reality?

Often you'll

find people

who profess

to be

believers

have so

downgraded

that reality

that it

doesn't

function in

their life.

But if

that's true,

it should

have an

impact on

how they

view

themselves.

And so

you'll find

deficiency

there, and

so that's

where you

go to

work.

How

therapeutic

practices

emerge,

this kind

of goes

back a

little bit,

because I

just want

you to

know, when

people go

to counseling,

for the most

part, I'm

not talking

about

hospitalization,

I'm not

talking about

high-end

intensive

mental health

treatment, but

just counseling,

practices

emerge, it

begins with

psychological

research.

I just

mentioned some

of the

challenges with

psychological

research, but

we want to

acknowledge that

responsible

academic work is

producing

psychological

research, and

that research

has value as

it relates to

understanding the

human condition.

Again, it's

rarely, if

ever, going to

have God

involved.

they may

talk about

religion, but

they talk about

religion in

terms of

particular

religious beliefs

and how that

affects psychology,

but there's

nothing I want

you to hear

from me today

that would

denigrate the

fact that in

these schools

here, there's

responsible,

credible,

helpful,

academic research

being done in

psychological

departments.

I'm not saying

that at all.

It is very

helpful.

It's helping a

lot of different

ways.

But here's the

key.

Upstream

psychology, this

level of study

that results in

these papers with

their abstracts

and everything,

when you read

them, if you have

a chance to read

them, you will

find that their

conclusions are

very circumscribed.

They don't make

broad claims.

And if they're

good, they stick

close to the

data.

The data seem

to show this.

We can't say

this.

Further study

needs to be

this.

And so the

claims of most

studies, if

they're responsibly

done, are fairly

limited.

So when someone

says studies show

blank, and they

make a broad

statement about

studies show it

blank, typically

they're not reading

the studies.

They're reading

what someone else

has said about

the studies.

The actual

academic studies

are very

responsibly

handled.

And most

often if they

find something

significant, they

say further

studies needed, and

that happens

when you develop

more detail in

something.

And upstream

psychology rarely

offers specific

treatment recommendations.

These studies are

not about treatment.

They're about data,

and how to

understand the

implications of

data.

So then out

of that,

sometimes a

theory creates

the need for

studies.

Sometimes studies

reveal or begin

to orient

themselves into

theory.

Psychological

research is

utilized to

develop theories

of motivation,

thinking,

motivations, and

behavior.

New descriptive

terminologies are

developed to fill

out theoretical

understandings and

categories.

If this works

well, this is

what happens.

They're trying to,

okay, we're seeing

this data.

What do we call

this?

And so you come up

with these different

labels and names,

and they're

responsibly handled,

and those kind

of things.

Theories, though,

are drawn from

research, but are

prone to broad

inferences based

on finite data

pools.

Basically, just

saying the

tendency in

theories is to

make claims that

are larger than

the data themselves

propose.

So the

research can't

keep up with

theories.

The one

challenge these

days is a lot

of these terms,

a lot of terms

aren't really

drawn from

studies.

A lot of

terms that are

most often used

these days are

not drawn from

any studies.

I use the

word neurodiversity

for one.

Neurodiversity

is not drawn

from any studies.

It was coined

by a sociologist

who was trying,

and actually she

wanted to say,

Judy Singer,

I think she

made it,

she actually

said,

the reason I

used that term

is because I

wanted to make

a political

statement.

I wanted to

attach diversity

into something

so that this

understanding of

people who

didn't fit a

certain norm

would be now

understood as a

potentially oppressed

category.

She was politically

motivated.

She says that.

It's not an

expert base,

it's what she

says.

It doesn't mean

there isn't

neurodiversity.

It doesn't mean

that we shouldn't

be aware that

people have

different strengths

and weaknesses

related to

neurological

things in the

brain.

The question is

it's not based

on study,

and it's not

really verified

by studying,

because what

do you study?

The range of

possible variations

of diversity

compared to

neurology is

impossible to

quantify.

Who knows what

the standard

mean is?

What is the

norm out of

which you

determine whether

it's diverse

or not?

It's always been

a challenge with

psychology.

It presumes a

norm that

nobody can

establish.

So the point

is that these

terms which have

a scientific

feel are often

not scientific

in the way

they're oriented

and they're

generated.

But out of

theories come

therapies.

General theories

lead to downstream

applications in the

form of therapies.

Therapies tend to

become popular

because they claim

to address current

cultural psychological

problems.

Therapists tend to

be pragmatists

who are not

married to any

particular psychological

theories and

will tend to move

toward whatever

seems to be working

for the clientele

they're seeking to

serve.

So they're out

shopping for what

might work.

So EMDR was a

very popular

therapy and

everybody was

doing EMDR.

It's kind of

played out now.

What tends to

happen in these

different therapies

is that it works

in some ways for

some people.

It's used to

cover a lot

different things.

It's proven to

not be as

reliable and

effective as it

is.

Then it falls by

the wayside and

something else

comes in.

So therapies

are very prone

to fatism not

only in popular

culture but also

in treatments.

And really at

this level there's

very little

research-based

therapy.

People are not

basing it.

It doesn't mean

that people aren't

reading studies.

And I don't want

to portray anyone

who's doing

therapy as

being somebody

who doesn't

care about

what the

studies show.

I'm just

saying by the

time people are

doing therapy

not to make a lot

of money because

they don't.

And they're doing

therapy not because

they love science.

They're doing it

because they want to

help.

So what's going to

help?

That's what drives

people to do the

therapy.

And so we want to

know that so we

don't think that

they're operating from

a knowledge base that

they don't really

have.

Over time,

research findings tend

to change relatively

little.

Theories morph and

fall out of fashion

and therapy lose

their popularity.

That's what a fad is.

So there's very little

of the changes up at

the upper stream.

Things change at a

certain level and

things change wildly

at the bottom end.

Particularly through

publishing.

So bottom line

there, an important

point, don't be

intimidated by the

therapeutic world.

Don't be intimidated

when someone says

I'm going to a

counselor.

That person like you

is most likely

someone who just

wants to help and

is trying to find

something that will

help this person.

They're not a

threat.

And most people

who find that they

have, my experience

with most people who

find that they

live with a counselor

who has a very

definitive approach

they want to take

and they're pushing

that way, they don't

keep clients long.

Because you have to

have a pretty

compliant client.

And people don't

want to pay to be

told what to do.

So most often the

best therapists are

ones who basically

fall back on this

idea that I know

how to use a

help to describe

yourself.

I know how to

speak to you in

ways that give you

a sense of agency

and personhood

and I'm able to

walk you along

steps toward changes

that you want to

make.

That's most

therapists that are

good to do.

Four ways people

acquire therapeutic

diagnosis.

There's a DSM

diagnosis,

professionally trained,

follows the DSM-5

category to assess

patients.

Practical

categorization is

another one where

basically a high-level

psychologist or

therapist may not

always be able to

offer formal

diagnosis according

to DSM-5 but

they'll put DSM-5

codes into charge

we just talked

about so insurance

companies will

accept responsibility

and pay for

treatment.

That's still

responsible in my

mind.

It's just the

nature of the

industry that you

have to do it that

way.

Therapeutic

description.

Typical

therapists using

diagnostic language

to label a

client's self

descriptions without

considering requirements

formal diagnosis.

I do get concerned

about this.

I get concerned

when I hear from

somebody at my

church where the

counselor they're

going to is

throwing terms

around as if

they really know

what they're talking

about.

And I get

concerned about

that.

It's hard to know

what to do because

I don't want to

necessarily confront

somebody who's not

in my room.

But I start to be

concerned when I

feel like the

person is enamored

with terminology

because it sounds

medical and isn't

really understanding

what they're doing.

And then self

diagnosis.

Online tests

furnished by various

therapy practices.

You'll go online.

You can say, do I

struggle with this

or this?

There's going to be

an online test you

can take.

Five questions,

ten questions.

Yes, you probably

do.

Usually they're a

lead-in to

therapy.

Please call us.

Those kind of

things.

It doesn't mean

they're illegitimate.

It just means

they're superficial.

And some people

are like, okay,

I've got my

diagnosis now.

I filled out the

questionnaire.

I've got my

diagnosis.

Good to go.

Instagram, TikTok,

and social media

influences are

probably the major

way people get

diagnosis at this

point.

And then opinions

of others or

internalized

self-definition.

Somebody you

trust or tells you

something about

yourself and you

buy into that.

We must not be

disfaceted with a

person's use of

therapeutic language.

We know we can do

better with biblical

truth.

We must also do

better with a

biblical attitude.

My biggest concern

for pastors in

particular, but I

think also for

people in the

church, is a

condescending

attitude.

I feel like my

use of Bible

language is superior

to your use of

therapeutic language.

I'd much rather

say we're both

trying to figure out

how to understand

something.

The Bible speaks

to this.

Can we consider