Does religion belong in psychotherapy? For anyone in the helping profession, whether as mental health professional or religious leader, this question is bound to arise. Many mental health professionals feel uncomfortable discussing religion. In contrast, many religious leaders feel uncomfortable referring their congregants to professionals who do not know their faith or intent to engage with it. And yet Michelle Pearce, PhD, assistant professor and clinical psychologist at the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland, argues that if religion is essential to a client, religion will be a part of psychotherapy, whether it is discussed or not. Clients cannot check their values at the door more than the professionals who treat them. To Pearce, the question isn’t really, “does religion belong?” but rather, “how can mental health professionals help their religious clients engage with and use their faith as a healing resource in psychotherapy?” Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Christian Clientswith Depression is the answer to that question, as the book’s purpose is to educate mental health professionals and pastoral counselors about religion’s role in therapy, as well as equip them to discuss religious issues and use evidence-based, religiously-integrated tools with Christian clients experiencing depression. In this book, readers will find the following resources in an easy-to-use format: An overview of the scientific benefits of integrating clients’ religious beliefs and practices in psychotherapy An organizing therapeutic approach for doing Christian CBT Seven tools specific to Christian CBT to treat depression Suggested dialogue for therapists to introduce concepts and tools Skill-building activity worksheets for clients Clinical examples of Christian CBT and the seven tools in action Practitioners will learn the helpful (and sometimes not so beneficial) role a person’s Christian faith can play in psychotherapy. They will be equipped to discuss religious issues and use religiously-integrated tools in their work. At the same time, clergy will learn how Christianity can be integrated into an evidence-based secular mental health treatment for depression, which is sure to increase their comfort level for making referrals to mental health practitioners who provide this form of treatment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Christian Clients with Depression is a practical guide for mental health professionals and pastoral counselors who want to learn how to use Christian-specific CBT tools to treat depression in their Christian clients.

Christian Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a groundbreaking therapeutic Christ-centered approach to address mental illness. Samaria has been in the counseling field for many years. Through her years of study, she has found that most mental health counseling strategies originated from principles and perspectives found in the Bible. What the secular mental health community has done is taken out Christ and the authority of the Holy Spirit then called counseling strategies by a different name. As a result, we see most mental health approaches helpful but not healing. According to scripture counseling is first and foremost the ministry and mission of Christ Jesus. He came to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and help those who are imprisoned emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Isaiah 61:1 In the book Christian Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Samaria teaches us how to apply scripture to counseling practice so that real healing can take place in the lives of those we serve.

CBT AND CHRISTIANITY “A surprisingly satisfying read that refreshed my perspective on, and deepened my understanding of, two topics that have long seemed overly familiar. This work underscores how much of contemporary thinking has been anticipated by the ancients or just how much ‘new thinking’ is a recapitulation of the old, but does so in a thoroughly original way.” Murray J. Dyck, PhD, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Griffith University While cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment, many behavioural and analytical psychotherapists also recognize the healing potential of religious belief. CBT and Christianity offers CBT therapists an authoritative, practical, and comprehensive resource for counselling clients with an allegiance to the Christian faith. This innovative new treatment approach compares the teachings of Jesus to contemporary cognitive and mindfulness-based therapies, describing a variety of successful assessment and treatment approaches with Christian clients by incorporating the teachings of Jesus into logical thinking, schema modification, and committed behaviour change. Clarity is further enhanced through a variety of specific examples, descriptions of generic methods, and supplemental resources provided by the author. By combining effective treatments with sensitivity to religious convictions, CBT and Christianity offers innovative insights into the spiritual and psychological well-being of clients with Christian beliefs.

Mark R. McMinn is Professor of Psychology and Director of Integration in the Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. He was previously on faculty at Wheaton College in Illinois, where he was the Rech Professor of Psychology from 1996 to 2006. Mark is a licensed psychologist in Illinois and is board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is Past-President of the APA's Psychology of Religion division. His other books include Sin and Grace in Christian Counseling (2008), Integrative Psychotherapy (coauthored with Clark D. Campbell, 2007), Finding Our Way Home (2005), Why Sin Matters (2004), Care for the Soul (coedited with Timothy R. Phillips, 2001), and Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling (1996). Mark and his wife, Lisa--a sociologist and author--live in rural Oregon. They have three grown daughters.

Ancient Christian Wisdom and Aaron Beck's Cognitive Therapy details a colorful journey deep into two seemingly disparate worlds united by a common insight into the way our thinking influences our emotions, behaviors, and ultimately our lives. In this innovative study about mental and spiritual health, readers are not only provided with a thorough introduction to the elegant theory and practical techniques of cognitive therapy, they are also initiated into the perennial teachings of ascetics and monks in the Greek-speaking East and Latin-speaking West whose powerful writings not only anticipated many contemporary findings, but also suggest unexplored pathways and breathtaking vistas for human growth and development. This groundbreaking interdisciplinary volume in the art of pastoral counseling, patristic studies, and the interface between psychology and theology will be a coveted addition to the working libraries of pastors and psychologists alike. In addition, it is ideal as a textbook for seminary classes in pastoral theology and pastoral counseling, as well as for graduate courses in psychology dealing with the relationship between psychological models and religious worldviews.

`This excellent book outlines the theoretical base of Cognitive Humanistic Therapy, its links with religious thinking and clear practical guidelines on how to support clients to enhance their life skill. This extremely interesting book is a valuable additions to the therapists toolkit′ - Plus, Christian Council on Ageing `An intriguing book, full of surprises and unexpected insights into the human condition and the work of therapists. It offers practical resources for retreat conductors and spiritual accompaniers, with a comprehensive account of current counselling and psychotherapy practice. Working alongside Buddhists in Thailand, Richard Nelson Jones provides suggestions for living more fully, and suggests a variety of therapeutic interventions, based largely on Buddhist concepts, to make this possible′ - Retreats, Quaker Retreat Group `A very informative and useful book for religious practitioners and others′ - Reverend John Butt, Director, Institute for the Study of Religion and Culture, Payap University, Thailand `Richard Nelson-Jones is one of the few scholars with the erudition and breadth of experience necessary to link Christian and Buddhist traditions in the helping professions. This is much more than old wine in new bottles, and this book will introduce counsellors and therapists to new and better ways of understanding and helping the clients we treat′ - Danny Wedding, Missouri Institute of Mental Health Cognitive Humanistic Therapy describes a new approach to psychotherapy and self-development, based on an understanding of what it means to be "fully human". In a unique integration of theory and practice, the book synthesises ideas from the cognitive and humanistic domains of psychotherapy and the religious worlds of Buddhism and Christianity. Written by bestselling author, Richard Nelson-Jones, Cognitive Humanistic Therapy explores the idea of being ′fully human′ as a central goal of human existence, one which has traditionally been the province of religion. In this book, he examines ways in which psychotherapy and personal practice can help individuals develop in both their capacity to reason and their capacity to love. Beginning with the theoretical underpinnings of the Cognitive Humanistic perspective, the book goes on to show how clients can become equipped with the skills to tackle negative reactions and develop positive attributes such as goodwill, gratitude, compassion, equanimity, generosity, helping and service. This book presents a powerful new interpretation of the role of psychotherapy, which will be of interest to psychotherapists, counsellors, their clients, and also to religious people.

"The primary objective of this text is to provide an evidence-based and theoretically rigorous, practical guide for practitioners in how to integrate spirituality into CBT. This book is divided into two parts: Part I (Chapters 1-4) lays the theoretical and empirical foundations to facilitate case conceptualizations of spirituality within the context of CBT, and Part II (Chapters 5-8) presents an array of CBT techniques to address patient spirituality and religion in clinical practice"--

What if there are people, just like some flowers, who require the dark to bloom? When we are plunged into the dark and difficult times in life, one of three things can happen next: the darkness can destroy us; it can leave us relatively unchanged; or it can help to transform us. In this hope-inspiring guide, clinical psychologist, Michelle Pearce, PhD, provides practical tools and wisdom for transforming and thriving in adversity and loss. Just as some flowers require the dark to bloom, there are some people who do their best growing and becoming during dark and challenging times. With a compassionate voice, Pearce shares her clinical expertise, her own journey through the dark, and inspiring stories of other Night Bloomers to help individuals learn how to heal and transform their lives not in spite of their difficult times, but because of them. “Reading Night Bloomers is like having a dear friend right alongside you for support when most needed. Through stories, strategies, and writing prompts, Pearce provides powerful tools for building resilience, confidence, and joy. She reminds us that like plants, we don’t bloom just once, as she gently, masterfully paves a path for us to enjoy a lifetime of growing and blossoming. A ‘must-read’ for anyone seeking some light in the darkness.” --Caroline Welch, CEO and cofounder of the Mindsight Institute and author of The Gift of Presence “A gem of a book! Michelle Pearce has written an enlightening guide for anyone trying to find the path through a dark time in life. Through the wisdom gleaned from psychological research and practice and the lessons learned from her own personal encounter with pain and loss, Pearce points the way to growth and transformation when hope is in short supply. Down-to-earth, compassionate, and inspirational, Night Bloomers should be on everyone's bookshelf.” --Kenneth I. Pargament, Ph. D. author of Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy

"Jon knows, better than most, what it means to battle anxiety and how to forge a path to victory. He also treats it with care, and pushes the conversation to places that it hasn't often gone in the church." —Kirk Cameron In the aftermath of the pandemic, even those who have never struggled with mental health have found themselves reeling, looking for answers they don't know how to find. For Christians, especially those who've despaired of help from a church that has too often stigmatized mental health challenges as a lack of faith, the way forward can be particularly difficult to see. Jonathon Seidl aims to fix that. Having fought his own way through crippling anxiety, life-altering OCD, and suicidal thoughts, he knows the value of concrete advice grounded in strong biblical truth. Instead of the trite or unsympathetic counsel that's often given, Finding Rest is practical, personal, and productive. Full of compelling stories, humor from a guide who's still on his journey, and scriptural truths, this book offers real hope and help. It also provides a lifeline for friends and family who long for ways to help relieve the suffering of their loved ones. And it lays out thoughtful, needed paths for the body of Christ to become a refuge of hope for the anxious.

What does rabbinical Judaism have to teach us about the way the mind works? How do the rabbis of the Talmud, Middle Ages, and our own time shed light on emotional disturbances, and on the cognitive-behavioral therapies used to treat them? In this panoramic view of rabbinical Judaism, psychiatrist Ronald Pies MD shows how cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) rely on psychological principles found in both ancient and modern Judaic writings. “The interplay between thought and deed is a central feature of Judaic affirmation. Control the thought and the deed will follow. Dr. Ronald Pies’s book explores this connection in depth, and the inter-relationships that he weaves are at once illuminating and empowering.” –Rabbi Dr. Reuven P. Bulka