Therapists vs Mental Heal Coaches, Fight! - Mental Health Coaching #4 - Purity 1346

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.com or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning! Today's photo of the Catskill Mountains on the horizon as the sun shines and is reflected on an unknown body of water comes to us from an unknown Facebook friend who shared this tranquil scene on social media on or around August 28, 2020. If I had to guess, I would say that this could be a view from the unnamed lake at the Olana State Historical Site near the Rip Van Winkle Bridge outside of Hudson, but it could be a part of the Hudson River or somewhere else. If this photo is yours, give us a heads up and we will update the blog after the fact to provide the location and the photo credit you so richly deserve. Well, it's Wednesday, and as much as I am haunted by the the sun and the skies reflected in this twilight scene, twilight photo, I choose— I chose it because of the mountains. That familiar outline just has to be part of the Catskills, and I figured its presence was enough to visually represent our arrival at another hump day. I am rejoicing today because I am proud to say that even though we are just arriving at the midpoint of another work week, I I already have surmounted some major mountains that were before me. Not only did I receive, uh, recently form an LLC for my Christian life coaching practice and do major upgrades on my web presence with mt4christ.com— mind you, on the heels of completing another online Freedom in Christ course for Freedom in Christ Ministries— yesterday I submitted all my work to complete my certification as a Deeper Walk prayer minister and I feel like a significant weight has been lifted from my shoulders. So I feel good, and I think the best thing about it, other than receiving some excellent training and growing in my skills as a prayer minister, is that receiving the certification has been put in its proper place, as I have come to realize that these degrees and certifications don't make or break our lives. They are good to receive and accomplish, but they don't complete us as people or define us as caregivers. Often we can put our sense of self-worth into titles or positions when in fact God is concerned about our character. He wants us to identify as his children and represent his kingdom with our conduct. I don't think he is impressed with our titles if we don't use our knowledge and wisdom to help others. Nor does our having— not having titles or degrees excuse us from doing what we can to help others. I face this dilemma personally because even though I have a master's in Christian counseling, I would be fighting an uphill bat— uphill, if not futile, battle to become a licensed counselor because my school isn't recognized as an accredited institution by the state of New York. So I'm not a licensed counselor until re— and until recently, I thought that was a major obstacle to accomplishing my desire to offer my help to others in getting free from their mental health struggles. But then I learned of the existence of mental health coaches and mental health coaching and mental health coaching certification programs, and the fact that there— that it's not just a theory. People are actually operating in this role to help people manage their mental health conditions. And this brings us to our current series on mental health coaching. Yesterday we shared a portion of Matthew Boone's 2023 blog post to tell us what a mental health coach is, and today we share from his work to tell us the difference between a mental health coach and a therapist. And Boone writes, mental health coaches versus therapists. While a mental health coach and a therapist both work to help you improve your mental health, there are several important differences. Number 1: Credentials. Therapists hold at least a master's degree in psychology or a related field and must complete licensing requirements in their state, along with a certain number of supervised clinical treatment hours. Certain types of providers, such as psychologists, hold a PhD or a PsyD. Mental health coaching, on the other hand, usually requires a certification program. Many of these programs are accredited by the International Coach Federation or other coaching organizations. This was my stumbling block to being a therapist, one I may choose to overcome someday by getting yet another master's degree. Good grief! From an accredited institution and by getting a job to get those supervised clinical hours. Although my previous experience as a residential non-licensed mental health counselor— that's what they called me— or as a non-licensed psychiatric technician for mobile crisis might have been able to fulfill. As it stands, I received my certification as a mental health coach and as a professional life coach from Light University. And though— and thus, with my education, experience, and completed certification programs, I decided to establish my business as a Christian life coach specializing in Christian— it's going to be Christian— mental health coaching, recovery coaching, spiritual formation or discipling coaching, and freedom/healing prayer ministry. Boone continues, continues with the second difference between a therapist and a mental health coach as number 2, the area of focus. Behavioral health coaches help their clients focus on the present and future. Therapists, psychologists, and counselors are more likely trained to help clients heal from the past and present challenges. And this is where I identify more with a mental health coach than a therapist, although my coaching would undoubtedly address issues from the past. The area of focus for my clients would be how they could use the Lord's help and their potential to overcome their issues by focusing on the here and now and by making plans to move forward in freedom and victory. Yeah, the past was tough. It's a good thing we don't live there. Let's process those things by giving them to the Lord and let's move forward with him into the new life he has for us to live. That's my pep talk. Um, Poon writes what the next difference is as number 3: medication. Mental health coaches do not prescribe medication. They can, can recommend a client to see a psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner if medication may be helpful. I don't have a license to practice mental health or to practice medicine, and I'm fairly certain that I won't be getting one, almost 100%. I understand that medication will be necessary for some clients in And as a mental health coach, I will make a referral for them to see a doctor or psychiatrist if the need arises, or apparently a psychiatric nurse. Anyway, the fourth difference is diagnosis. Diagnosis. Anyway, maybe that's why I'm not a licensed counselor. Can't even say it. Anyway, behavioral health coaches Boone writes, cannot diagnose mental illness, although they can recommend that a client seek a diagnosis from a therapist. Again, without a license to practice medicine or counseling, mental health coaches don't diagnose mental health conditions. We refer clients to a therapist or a doctor to do so, but we can help someone with a diagnosis to manage, decrease, and prayerfully eliminate their symptoms. I know that might seem like an ambitious statement, but I know from my own experience that spiritual therapy, which incorporates prayer, Bible study, and renewing the mind, or if you must, cognitive therapy, can transform people's lives. I have personally seen and experienced symptoms of depression, anger, and anxiety virtually disappear without the use of medication or a licensed counselor. So I know how valuable a mental health coach could be to someone willing to be responsible for their mental health. So yes, there are some major differences between mental health coaches and therapists, but we don't have to fight about them. Uh, they are both on the same side, helping those with mental health problems who need it. Tomorrow we will continue the series, uh, to address some common myths and misconceptions about mental health coaching. Until then, whether you have a license with the state to practice medicine or to provide counseling or not, the Lord calls all to use our license to help those in need in whatever way we can and to love our neighbors as ourselves. So keep walking and talking with God, and don't let some silly things like a degree, license, or certification keep you from being kind. To those you could help. Today's Bible verses come to us from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Cruis. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on death and eternal life, and today's verses come from Hebrews 11:9-10 from the New International Version. The Word of God says, by faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Today's verses fall under the 25th point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on death and eternal life. That 25th point is: With our spiritual father Abraham, we can, as pilgrims, look forward to the city with foundations whose architect and builder is God. Today's verses point to the promise of living in cities built by God, which will be fulfilled when we walk the streets of gold in heaven, or when Jesus comes back to rule and reign on earth, on the earth for 1,000 years, uh, before the new heaven and earth are called into existence. As Christians, our future is so bright we should wear shades because our eternal life with God is guaranteed when we put our faith in Jesus. And we could possibly see 3 different versions of cities built by God depending on when Jesus comes back. We don't have to fear death or the future because God has us in the palm of his hands and will provide with us with a place to live with him for all eternity. Now that's good news. Amen. As always, I invite all to go to mtforchrist.com where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. Today we continue sharing from According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament by Stephen F. Alford. And in Alford's devotional, he prompts us to read a chapter of Scripture every day, actually twice a day. And today's chapter is Acts 17, and from Acts 17 he shares a portion of verse 16, which says His spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. And Stephen Alford writes, Paul was a man who had a real passion for souls. He could say in writing to the Romans, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer for Israel is that they may be saved. Romans 10:1. He was ready to be— to become all things to all men that he might by all means saved some. 1 Corinthians 9:22. A man who has a real love for the Lord and a real passion for the souls of men is a man whose spirit is provoked within him when he sees men wallowing in sin and ignorance. His spirit was provoked. Acts 17:16. It was the same provocation shown by the Master when he saw the idols of cattle and money brought into his house. And Stephen Alfred ends by praying, Lord, give me this concern, I pray, for your name's sake. Amen. Amen. Yeah, when we see the world believing in false gods and, you know, basically, you know, themselves or anything that's going to lead them to destruction, we become provoked within our souls to tell them the truth. that heals and saves. The truth of Jesus Christ is the only way to God as our Lord and Savior, and as the one who paid for our sins on the cross and who was risen to life to demonstrate that he was who he said he was. He was the Son of God and God the Son. As the Apostle Thomas said, my Lord and my God. So yes, That's the good news. And when we see people telling us, "Oh well, it's okay, it doesn't matter what religion you are, there are many pathways to God," which is a very common belief in our world today, even some quote-unquote Christians believe that, or people who report themselves as Christians, and it's a falsehood. There is one way to God. It doesn't make any sense for for the Lord to send Jesus when there was more, you know, Jesus had to die, but you could have gotten to heaven another way. I don't know about you, but if I was Jesus, I'd be like, say what? Why would you do that? You can make, you could speculate and make all kinds of rationales behind it, obviously. Well, God's loving, so he's going to give us more than one way. Hello, that's the enemy. That might sound really reasonable, but that's the enemy. You know, that's the temptation of the enemy right from the beginning. You know, hath God said? You know, so yeah, that's what God said. So he causes us to doubt and choose our own destruction, choose ourselves or choose something else other than him and how he revealed himself by sending Jesus, you know, to tell everyone. Because there was people who believed in, you know, the Old Testament, but the way they were the way they were, were presenting it, um, you know, demonstrated they didn't really have a relationship with the Lord, meaning they were lost. And so Jesus had to come to put people straight about what, what was revealed in the Old Testament, and that it was all pointing to him. And so if you're, you know, an Old Testament follower of the scriptures, basically especially a Jew who doesn't believe in Jesus, or, um, you know, who doesn't believe that Jesus is God, you know, um, you might be— you might not be a Christian like you think. And we would ask you to read your word and pray to the Lord for him to reveal himself and follow where the truth leads. When we seek God, he will reveal himself. So we're not trying to condemn anyone, we're trying to help because guess what? I was outside the faith for most of my life. I was raised in a liturgical church where I didn't really believe, didn't really believe what they taught. And as it was, the gospel was sort of compromised with grace, and it was a mixture of grace and works to be saved. And thus I had no hope. I learned that I was a big sinner and that would probably send me to hell. And Jesus wasn't enough to save me. I had to, had to be a good boy too, and I knew I wasn't a good boy. And but then one day I heard the truth through a radio gospel message that told me about the truth of God's word, that we don't have to perform to be accepted, that it's by grace alone, grace and faith alone, that we're saved. That if we just merely put our faith in Jesus, we'll be forgiven of all our sins. And welcome into his kingdom as, as God's beloved children forever and ever. So, um, that's, that's good news that a lot of people don't quite understand. And that's why we blog and podcast every day, because we've learned it. And not only do we learn that and have joy over our eternal life with God, we followed the Lord and he set us free from all kinds of sins and errors and you know, mental, negative mental health states. So we're going to keep preaching and keep teaching, and by God, we'll even coach some people if they come forward. So that's what we'll do in the future. For today though, we have a day job with the telecommunications company, and we have to go to that. So we should pray. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Lord, thank you for all that you provided us with, but mostly for the knowledge of the truth about Jesus and your invitation to come into the kingdom. Lord, we accepted it and you've changed our lives forever through it, and we thank you for that. Well, we pray for anyone who's listening or reading today's message, that you come alongside them, their prayer requests and their walk of faith. Lord, we all need your help, and I need it too, so I'm praying for you to go with before us today Open our eyes to the things you want us to see and lead us in the way we should go. Because all we want to do is represent you and your kingdom and live according to your, your conduct and character, um, or so we need your help and we're praying for that. But we thank you, we praise you, we love you, and we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.