Wartburgwatch attacks Biblical counseling exhibiting their own particular biases.

At the end of Dee's hit piece she writes this:

" I would be interested in hearing from any folks who have undergone counseling at Timberlake. I would also love to see any confidentiality agreements, counseling descriptors, etc. from counseling centers which are part of the BCM.  Such correspondence will be held in strict confidentiality. Only my co-editor and the Guy Behind the Curtain know about such correspondence and we have tight lips."

DEAR COMMENTER - 

1)You would be naive to think she wouldn't report you to the proper authorities [ "strict confidentiality" ]  if you were so unwise as to inform Dee, Deb and her husband of your sins that might indeed violate the laws of God and mankind.  DEE actually needs to re-write the paragraph.  For instance, do NOT mention that you have been accused of abuse of another.  She'll be on the phone to the authorities faster than you can say C.J. Mahaney.

2)  She would be pleased if you ratted out your church or its leadership - particularly if it is a conservative Evangelical institution.  Are you absolutely sure you want to rat-out your pastor or leadership?  Perhaps you do; many TWW commenters appear to feel that way.  At the very least, though they wouldn't rat out their church; they'd be glad to have you rat out yours.

3)  Academic snobbery is in place at T.W.W.  If your education is not from a TWW approved institution, you will be sneered at.  That's the way it is at TWW.

4)  TWW has it in for Mark Hager - whom they do not know.  As noted, they have already denigrated his education.  

But you know what?  I think having a background in law-enforcement is worth more than a Master's degree from Duke Univ.  Let me gently remind my fellow commenters - having alpha-bet soup behind your name in no way guarantees that you are actually wise.

5)  It has always amazed me that so many commenters at TWW seems to have put a halo on secular counselors.  Hats off to Okrapod - who is a retired physician - who has noted more than a few times that the secular mental health profession is full of people with issues.  

Hats off also to commenter "Daisy" who has also expressed reservation about treatment and meds from the helping profession be they secular or Biblical based upon her own experiences.

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My 2 cents:  Great counselors are born - not made but a good secular counselor cannot really offer eternal hope and a Biblical counselor can.  

Choose wisely my friends.  A competent secular mental health professional will never denigrate Christianity.  If they do, run, don't walk, to the nearest office exit.  On the other hand: There are Biblical counselors who need to pursue other areas of interest.  God did not gift them to be competent and compassionate counselors.

And about the psych meds: like all other meds, there are none that are perfect and they all always trade-offs, as in all meds.  I am NOT OPPOSEDLast year I made the decision to seek counseling. I read the various profiles of counselors who were licensed professionals (usually MSW) and narrowed it down to only those who had positive reviews from former patients. After reading all the reviews, I went with a counselor that had 30 years experience in the field. She made it known up front that she was a trained professional AND a Christian. That was important to me so I decided she was the one I would opt for.
The first session went quite well. Actually very well. I had filled out a very thorough form asking detailed questions about my mental and emotional state of mind. She diagnosed me with PTSD and spoke of a care plan that would be implemented. I left her office with high hopes that day.
Fast forward to the second session. In the first half I spoke about the issues with which I had been struggling as a continuation from the first session. She sat quietly behind her desk and listened without saying much at all. When I was finished talking, she stood up, walked over to a small chalkboard next to the couch. She began scribbling a verse from the Bible in a most emphatic and determined way, almost as if she was irritated. After she finished writing the verse, she read it out loud and began preaching AT me. I emphasize the word AT. I was stunned. She had changed from a patient, understanding counselor into a full-blown preacher. I was frozen in my thoughts and body, not sure what to do. When I got up from sitting, she grabbed me and told me she was going to pray over me. It was a very Pentecostal styled prayer. After she finished praying the session was over. I never went back to her for counseling again.
Turned out she was nothing like the impression I had from reading all of her credentials and reviews on line. Anyone can have a negative counseling experience, even when the counselor has degrees from accredited universities and is licensed. to psych meds; I'm just cautious as to their effectiveness over time.

It will be interesting to see who TWW attacks in the upcoming posts.

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Bridget [ naively ] said:

Standards do apply in the “secular” counseling world. I’m sure that Biblical Counselors would argue that they have standards as well, however BC standards are not widely accepted by anyone in the  Standards do apply in the “secular” counseling world. I’m sure that Biblical Counselors would argue that they have standards as well, however BC standards are not widely accepted by anyone in the academic world where there has been years of study and cooperation across varying fields to produce procedures and licensing qualifications to “protect the the patient." 

Come on Bridget - get a grip.  It's not like that at all.  It's a crap-shoot in the secular counseling world.

Sad comment by "Darlene"

Last year I made the decision to seek counseling. I read the various profiles of counselors who were licensed professionals (usually MSW) and narrowed it down to only those who had positive reviews from former patients. After reading all the reviews, I went with a counselor that had 30 years experience in the field. She made it known up front that she was a trained professional AND a Christian. That was important to me so I decided she was the one I would opt for.

The first session went quite well. Actually very well. I had filled out a very thorough form asking detailed questions about my mental and emotional state of mind. She diagnosed me with PTSD and spoke of a care plan that would be implemented. I left her office with high hopes that day.

Fast forward to the second session. In the first half I spoke about the issues with which I had been struggling as a continuation from the first session. She sat quietly behind her desk and listened without saying much at all. When I was finished talking, she stood up, walked over to a small chalkboard next to the couch. She began scribbling a verse from the Bible in a most emphatic and determined way, almost as if she was irritated. After she finished writing the verse, she read it out loud and began preaching AT me. I emphasize the word AT. I was stunned. She had changed from a patient, understanding counselor into a full-blown preacher. I was frozen in my thoughts and body, not sure what to do. When I got up from sitting, she grabbed me and told me she was going to pray over me. It was a very Pentecostal styled prayer. After she finished praying the session was over. I never went back to her for counseling again.

Turned out she was nothing like the impression I had from reading all of her credentials and reviews on line. Anyone can have a negative counseling experience, even when the counselor has degrees from accredited universities and is licensed.

___________

That's painful.  I hope Darlene finds someone more coepesthetic.