“When there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm], but in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.” - Proverbs 11:14

As a former social worker, I was extremely excited to review Anthony Evans and Stacy Kaiser’s new book When Faith Meets Therapy. The entire premise is advocating for therapy for Christians - in the right context. At Tirzah, we have always been open about mental health and the need to grow for ourselves, so we can serve other people better. However, we are aware that a lot of stigma comes around therapy.

Here’s the thing though - God uses different techniques to heal each individual. Going to Jesus should ALWAYS be our first solution. That does not mean God has not placed things like therapy in our lives to help us grow. For 10 years I was a practicing social worker helping young moms, dads, teenagers, kids, and babies in a variety of situations. Do you know what one of the practices is when hiring social workers?

The practice for social workers is supervision. This is one hour a week where we get to vent and problem solve. In that hour, nothing is off limits. We get to discuss how our client situations are going, how we are handling that personally, and how we can become better people. One of the hardest things I’ve had since leaving social work is missing that constant feedback. As the Bible says “in the abundance of counselors there is a victory”. Everyone needs a team. How you choose that team is up to you.

Anthony is sharing his journey, back and forth, with his own therapist (and team member) Stacy Kaiser. I personally love his vulnerability and commitment to sharing his struggles and where he is headed in life now. He talks about the stigma around therapy and how it has benefited his life. For those who don’t know, Anthony is a Christian singer who comes from a highly influential family in ministry. That carries a lot of weight and responsibility. He very openly talks about this and how to handle these issues.

If you are in therapy, I highly recommend this book. If you are not sure how you feel about therapy, read it and learn more. This is not saying that you HAVE to believe the same as Anthony or go to therapy, but gives you perspective. I, Alycia, on a personal note am saying that I do not advocate going to non - Christian counselors. If someone is not following the same faith as you, how can they point you back to the ONE who has all of the answers?