Faith-Based Counseling

Faith Based Counseling Is Not Provided For Everyone

Please note that while Dr. Braun is a Christian and treats individuals who want to integrate their spiritual faith into their psychotherapy treatment, Dr. Braun also treats many individuals who have no desire to integrate spirituality into their psychotherapy treatment. Patients who have no desire to integrate spirituality into their counseling will not receive pressure from Dr. Braun to adopt her spiritual views and these spiritual views will not be discussed.  Counseling, in these cases, will rely strictly upon psychological principles found in evidenced based research and traditional psychological therapies for the treatment of the problem for which they are seeking help.

Faith Based Counseling

For individuals who are desiring to have their Christian faith integrated into counseling, counseling services will be provided that integrate both psychological treatments based upon evidence-based research for the treatment of the condition for which they are needing care as well as Christian principles from their faith that support this healing process. 

Why Many People Have Fallen Away from Their Faith

Many people have fallen away from seeking healing from their problems from spiritual leaders in their church due to having been shamed about having depression, anxiety, unresolved trauma, or addiction.  Rather than receiving compassion and guidance from their pastors or priests, they have been led to believe that they are particularly sinful and less worthwhile than other people at the church who at least on the surface appear to be living a life without these problems.  When they come to church, they feel like they don’t belong.  This causes many people to never want to return to church.  This was never the manner in which Christ wanted his people to be treated.

How Attempts to Ask God For Help And Get Real Answers Could Be Improved

Most people who desire to integrate their Christian spirituality into their counseling experience typically report utilizing prayer, worship through singing, and their attendance at church or engaging in the sacraments of the church as their primary method that they are hoping will help them to overcome their mental health problems.  They frequently state they are disappointed with God because he has seemingly appeared to be silent when they are experiencing a crisis in their lives. They will state that they have attempted to obey God and engage in good works.  Therefore, they do not understand why they are struggling excessively to overcome depression, anxiety, trauma, and addictive behavior.  They often decide that God must not have the power to help them.  The view that God is not all powerful and therefore does not have the ability to stop crises from happening was made popular by Harold Kushner in his book entitled, "When Bad Things Happen To Good People."

Dr. Braun does not support the position of believing that God does not have the power to stop bad things from happening in this world.  She also does not support the position of believing that God must be cruel, unloving, and does not care because he has not stopped bad things from happening to people.  Most people are pleasantly surprised to learn when they learn to integrate Christian spiritual principles with traditional psychotherapy by working with Dr. Braun that there are actually practical principles taught through the holy scriptures that can provide freedom from depression, anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, trauma, and addiction which they never before realized existed.  These principles can be used in addition to evidence-based research and traditional psychological therapies to provide people with a very powerful approach for finding healing that can be permanent. 

Consider what God’s Word tells us: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."  John 8:36

In today's world with an internet full of exciting spiritual resources that help to explain Biblical principles in a deeper manner, the counselee will learn of Biblical commentaries, scripture passages, video tutorials, video teachings on topics related to their mental health issues, virtual reality applications that are now available for making the text interactive and exciting as well as aspects of the Bible that teach specific principles related to finding freedom from depression, anxiety, trauma, and addiction.

Why choose to see Dr. Braun for this type of treatment?

In addition to becoming a Christian at the age of 7 and having a lifetime of studying God's word, Dr. Braun completed coursework at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in order to further her knowledge of Biblical principles that relate to finding and keeping sound mental health.  She has knowledge of the manner in which neurological brain diseases contribute to mental health issues from her studies in Neuropsychology and an ability to incorporate traditional psychotherapy treatments from her training as a Clinical Psychologist that have given her the skill to treat these dysfunctions.  She is a devout Christian and is able to bring knowledge of Christian principles to assist with healing without shaming the client as a pastor or priest might do for having engaged in actions in the past that the church would have identified as sinful.

If you are a Protestant Christian or Catholic and have lost hope that God cares about helping you to find healing from your problems and if you are interested in finding a new level of excitement associated with learning about God's love for you and his desire for you to live as a healed and whole person, please do not hesitate any longer.  Call Dr. Braun and start your healing today: (708) DR-BRAUN or (708) 372-7286

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