How effective are faith-based programs at helping people to deal with ED?
Quite effective, if they are based on sound Biblical counsel and psychological principles. The Bible is full of examples of people who made mistakes or were mistreated, but who found redemption or reconciliation. The Psalms are excellent reading for the depressed person because the whole range of emotions is represented there. It has been said that the psalmists knew how to find God in the sunshine and in the rain. It is important to note that faith-based counseling can be abused much the same as other types of therapy. There is Christian quackery, too. All counselors, regardless of faith, must establish boundaries and an atmosphere of love and acceptance between them and their clients. Faith-based counseling must go hand-in-hand with psychological principles and acknowledge that depression may be biologically induced. More and more churches today have effective support or growth groups in place that are led by a trained and supervised layperson, usually someone who has recovered himse
