Religious & faith issues - in Edinburgh EH12

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For some, having a faith/religious belief is comforting, supporting, and adds tremendous meaning to your life. 

For others, having a faith/religious belief is very confusing.   Is this the faith of my parents, my family, my community, my country, my partner, but not actually my choice?   Can I still believe the Bible, Quran, Tanakh and Vedas today?  Do I have religious issues?  

Am I wrong, am I doing wrong, are my internal desires wrong?  What does it mean to put God /Higher Being/Allah first, and to deny self?   Am I really selfish ?  What if my sexual thoughts, sexual life, or hidden life is not inline with the teachings of my faith/religion?  Is God/Allah/higher being actually loving, or something to be feared?  

I'm gambling, cheating, having an affair, I'm gay, lesbian, bisexual.  I'm divorced, I've been inside, I'm estranged from my family, I had an abortion, I had sex outside of marriage.  I've stolen, I committed fraud, I have told a huge lie, I am keeping a huge secret, I have wronged many people.  I have a secret addiction.  My thoughts and fantasies are not inline with my faith/religion.  I use the internet for things I shouldn't.

I'm a bad person.  I'm not worthy.  I am faulty.

------- Come to therapy in Edinburgh, Come to terms with the above, Come out more fulfilled, more understood, more aware  --------

Mind and Soul   (Mental Health resources involving faith)

Chalke Talks  (Are we interpreting the scriptures correctly?)

The decision to grow always involves

a choice between risk and comfort.

This means that to be a follower of Jesus

that you must renounce comfort as the ultimate

value of your life.

Consider counselling/therapy with Andrew in Edinburgh  to address things in your life that are tripping you up.  Expect a better outcome.   No judgements.  Deep listening, compassion. 

To Andrew's main counselling webpage

I follow and consider The Churchill Framework when involving your faith, in therapy.      (see pages 22 - 25 at this link)

Just give it to God!
Have you tried praying?

Pull yourself together

We all feel like that sometimes but you have to snap out of it

Have you tried reading your bible?

You’re full of self pity

Just fight it!

I’d never allow myself to get in that state

You’re looking really well

It’s your own fault

There’s no such thing as depression, you’re just feeling sorry for yourself

You’re a hypochondriac

Shout

Why can’t the doctors do anything?

You should just stop taking all those tablets and just trust in God

It’s a choice – you can change if you want to

 

If you want to talk, I’m here to listen

I pray for you, would you want me to pray for you now?

I have some practical wisdom, can I share with you.

I have no idea what it must feel like because I’ve never suffered from mental illness but I can understand it better now

Could I help you spiritually in any way, perhaps share some scriptures that you may be able to draw strength from?

Shall we go out together somewhere?

 Can I take you out somewhere?

Would you like help getting your medication or a lift to the specialists?

Talk  about something positive in their life, or an improvement that you’ve noticed.

Find out  likes, hobbies, what makes them laugh and work towards helping them achieve one of these

Help them work through a panic attack, and irrational thoughts.

Don’t give up on them; it can take along time and a lot of hard work to help someone recover. They need friends and loved ones to stick by them.