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OCD and Church, Part II

© Cherlene Pedrick

Even when the person is in therapy, I think counseling from the pastor or someone else trained in spiritual counseling on a regular basis is important. Try to set up regular counseling sessions. I was reluctant to ask for help and usually called on my pastor only when I was desperate.

Another need in the church is for support groups of all kinds, in my case for people with emotional problems. On my road to recovery, I thought I could start such a group, but the Lord let me know I was not ready for that. It must be lead by someone well on the way to recovery, or ideally, by someone with counseling experience. It should be backed by a professional therapist who would be willing to accept referrals or even screen people before joining the group.

Mentors are also needed in our churches - mature Christians, possibly with experience in counseling. I met with a mentor weekly for Bible study and mutual support for a few months which was very helpful. This, and training deacons and other mature Christians in counseling techniques, could assist the pastor greatly.

I know that all this is very idealistic, but they are goals we could work toward in our churches. We have so many needs in our churches that it's hard to meet them all, but meeting the emotional needs of our church family should be strived for.

Cherry Pedrick, RN is the coauthor, with Bruce M. Hyman, Ph.D. of The OCD Workbook, Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/3428...