Suppose you fell out of the bleachers at a sports arena, landed on the dirt track and were run over by a monster truck (it could happen). Thankfully, you survived and were told that after a few weeks of physical therapy, you would not only recover but be in better shape than before the accident.
You eagerly went to therapy sessions and diligently followed the professional therapist’s instructions. After a few months, there was no change in your condition which prompted your therapist to say:
“Let me be candid with you, you say you’re on this journey of transformation and change but frankly, you’re full of ofσκύβαλα aka skubala (this is the Greek word for shit, dung, fecal matter, decayed waste made famous by the Apostle Paul which he used in his letter to the Philippians)*. You say you are healing, but no actual change can be seen by those in relationship with you!”
Would you say that you or the therapist is full of ofσκύβαλα?
Psychiatric therapists get to take full credit for positive change while making failures the responsibility of the patient. It’s similar to an anesthesiologist blaming you for waking up during surgery or your dentist making it your fault the wrong tooth got pulled.
Every day, thousands of spiritually wounded people pick themselves up off the dirt track and stumble into a counselor’s office where (after giving their credit card info) they are promised healing. There’s no risk in making promises when you’re not required to keep them. Therapists can promise to save your marriage because the divorce will be your spouse’s fault for ignoring the counselor’s advice.
“John, you jerk!!! My psychiatrist warned me about people like you!!! Therapy has helped a lot of people!!! Every therapist is not a charlatan!!!”
Yes. That’s right. It’s also irrelevant. The existence of actual medical professionals doesn’t justify visiting a witchdoctor. There are legions of self-serving opportunists riding the coattails of successful therapeutic practitioners. Every therapist is not a charlatan; but many of them are.
It astonishes me that Christians pay any attention to these folks who preach ‘no judgment’ while simultaneously judging husbands as full of sh*t.
(2 Corinthians 13:5) Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
*(Paul used that word to describe our righteousness not our earnestness about personal growth. Christian therapists who twist scripture are worse than straight-up pagans.)