Priest / Catholic / Christian Therapist?

older man than before

Hi,

I was baptized a Catholic but since I've grown up, I would consider myself an all round Christian more than belonging to one denomination, although I attend mass in a Catholic Church.

In anyway, over the last while, I feel I've lost direction in my life. I've made some mistakes and committed the same sins over and over again, where I could of really hurt the people I love and feel close to. I find it very hard to forgive myself. I judge myself and can't let go of these past mistakes and sins and move forward. I've asked for forgiveness although I feel that God may be fed up with me asking over and over again at this stage.

Due to this, and to me being very self critical, I feel no good. I feel down. My future looks bleak. From the outside though, everything looks rosey to the passers by. I put on a brave face and always try to move forward positively. The last few months this has become increasingly hard.

I've tried therapy before, and while I enjoyed the first couple of sessions (probably because I had somebody to confide in) it did nothing for me.

I'd ideally like to sit down with a non judgmental priest and try to work my way through these issues. Does anybody know of any priests who act as a counsellor / therapist? Or is there any non judgmental counsellors / therapists who use their Catholic / Christian faith to assist the treatments they offer and help me work through my issues and come out the other side a better man.

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum or a bit of a scattered post. It's a reflection of where I currently am in my life.

Thank you and God Bless.

alma73

Hi, If you are in Dublin go to St Teresa’s Church on Grafton Street (just off it) and there are usually priests there confessing. Priests won't judge you, there isn't much they haven't heard before. If they think that you need other help from Healthcare professionals they will tell you.

Everyone has bad patches in life, you just need to change direction.

You can also try the lough derg experience.

eviltwin

Any decent qualified therapist should be able to help you OP. Religion should not come into it. I would be wary of going to an unqualified person for anything other than general support and advice. If you are looking for professional help see a professional. I appreciate you didn't have a great therapist first time round but don't let that one experience colour your view of the entire profession.

alma73

eviltwin wrote: »

Any decent qualified therapist should be able to help you OP. Religion should not come into it. I would be wary of going to an unqualified person for anything other than general support and advice. If you are looking for professional help see a professional. I appreciate you didn't have a great therapist first time round but don't let that one experience colour your view of the entire profession.

Hmm.. He did post in the Christian forum. So I presume he wanted Christian help?

Christ is a real person hope can help if people reach out.

eviltwin

alma73 wrote: »

Hmm.. He did post in the Christian forum. So I presume he wanted Christian help?

Christ is a real person hope can help if people reach out.

With all due respect to your faith if someone is struggling mentally it's not a priest they need and it's very irresponsible and possibly dangerous to suggest it. They are vulnerable and need someone qualified to deal with them and support them through it. A priest may be able to provide guidance for someone a bit lost but as the OP mentioned linking in with a therapist before and feeling very lost I would recommend a professional approach.

solodeogloria

Good evening all!

OP: Jesus' death is enough to rescue and save. His death offers forgiveness of sins. If you turn to Jesus and repent and make things right with those you have hurt as a result Christ's grace is sufficient. A few passages that are close to my heart.

Romans 5:8-9 ESVUK wrote:

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Romans 8:37-39 ESVUK wrote:

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 10:11-14 ESVUK wrote:

And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

1 John 1:7-10 ESVUK wrote:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

I will pray for you. At the risk of being provocative, please save the petrol and don't go to Lough Derg. God will hear you if you ask Him to. A few hours wading through a lake won't make Him hear you more. That I assure you. Take an hour or two and read through Romans slowly. Please feel free to PM me also. I'd love to help you more and I can put you in touch with good Bible teaching churches in Dublin and across Ireland if you PM me.

There are also Christian counsellors across the country that I could help to put you in touch with.

Much thanks in the Lord Jesus Christ,
solodeogloria

alma73

eviltwin wrote: »

With all due respect to your faith if someone is struggling mentally it's not a priest they need and it's very irresponsible and possibly dangerous to suggest it. They are vulnerable and need someone qualified to deal with them and support them through it. A priest may be able to provide guidance for someone a bit lost but as the OP mentioned linking in with a therapist before and feeling very lost I would recommend a professional approach.

How do you know? Have you talked to a priest? They don't spend years training for nothing. Every priest in Ireland will have a list of Therapists if needs be.

What is important is to Talk to someone.. Try getting a Therapist at 7pm on a Saturday... Good luck.

alma73

solodeogloria wrote: »

Please save the petrol and don't go to Lough Derg.

Have you been there?

eviltwin

alma73 wrote: »

How do you know? Have you talked to a priest? They don't spend years training for nothing. Every priest in Ireland will have a list of Therapists if needs be.

What is important is to Talk to someone.. Try getting a Therapist at 7pm on a Saturday... Good luck.

I work in therapy services. People are well meaning and will try and help but sometimes the best person to speak to is a qualified person with experience in the field. I've reported this thread because I feel it's highly irresponsible to tell a person obviously struggling the Jesus will sort him out.

_Whimsical_

There are priests working as psychologists and counselors too. I know someone who went to one who happened to be a priest and found him top class.She was studying psychology herself and her therapy with him counted towards her qualification. He was quite popular with people in that course,he may have lectured too. It was a uni post grad so not some hippy dippy course and the therapy was not religious at all as per her choice but I'm sure they allow you lead on that one.
I'm pretty sure he worked with the missionaries of the sacred heart. If you were to contact their head office or even their Facebook they might be able to recommend someone to you OP. Probably true of other orders or if you were to approach a priest in your area they might point you in the right direction too.

alma73

eviltwin wrote: »

I work in therapy services. People are well meaning and will try and help but sometimes the best person to speak to is a qualified person with experience in the field. I've reported this thread because I feel it's highly irresponsible to tell a person obviously struggling the Jesus will sort him out.

I also work in counselling. What is important to talk to someone. if you are not Christian why are you posting here?

eviltwin

alma73 wrote: »

I also work in counselling. What is important to talk to someone. if you are not Christian why are you posting here?

What has my religion got to do with it?

alma73

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

There are priests working as psychologists and counselors too. I know someone who went to one who happened to be a priest and found him top class.She was studying psychology herself and her therapy with him counted towards her qualification. He was quite popular with people in that course,he may have lectured too. It was a uni post grad so not some hippy dippy course and the therapy was not religious at all as per her choice but I'm sure they allow you lead on that one.
I'm pretty sure he worked with the missionaries of the sacred heart. If you were to contact their head office or even their Facebook they might be able to recommend someone to you OP. Probably true of other orders or if you were to approach a priest in your area they might point you in the right direction too.

Indeed there are, there are many Priests how are also qualified in secular fields.

what is important is to talk.

solodeogloria

eviltwin wrote: »

I work in therapy services. People are well meaning and will try and help but sometimes the best person to speak to is a qualified person with experience in the field. I've reported this thread because I feel it's highly irresponsible to tell a person obviously struggling the Jesus will sort him out.

Good evening!

I agree. He should seek therapy. There are qualified Christian counsellors who can offer this service from a Christian perspective. Or he could go to a secular therapist and look into Christian things elsewhere if he wants.

I'm here to help in any way I can if the OP sends a message.

Much thanks in the Lord Jesus Christ,
solodeogloria

Hotei

alma73 wrote: »

I also work in counselling. What is important to talk to someone. if you are not Christian why are you posting here?

Everyone is entitled to post here.

j80ezgvc3p92xu

older man than before wrote: »

Hi,

I was baptized a Catholic but since I've grown up, I would consider myself an all round Christian more than belonging to one denomination, although I attend mass in a Catholic Church.

In anyway, over the last while, I feel I've lost direction in my life. I've made some mistakes and committed the same sins over and over again, where I could of really hurt the people I love and feel close to. I find it very hard to forgive myself. I judge myself and can't let go of these past mistakes and sins and move forward. I've asked for forgiveness although I feel that God may be fed up with me asking over and over again at this stage.

Due to this, and to me being very self critical, I feel no good. I feel down. My future looks bleak. From the outside though, everything looks rosey to the passers by. I put on a brave face and always try to move forward positively. The last few months this has become increasingly hard.

I've tried therapy before, and while I enjoyed the first couple of sessions (probably because I had somebody to confide in) it did nothing for me.

I'd ideally like to sit down with a non judgmental priest and try to work my way through these issues. Does anybody know of any priests who act as a counsellor / therapist? Or is there any non judgmental counsellors / therapists who use their Catholic / Christian faith to assist the treatments they offer and help me work through my issues and come out the other side a better man.

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum or a bit of a scattered post. It's a reflection of where I currently am in my life.

Thank you and God Bless.

Hey Friend,

I honestly feel for you. One of the devil's favourite tricks to stop the spiritual progress of the Christian is to convince him that God is constantly judging him for his sins. This depresses the soul, causes discouragement and prevents the person listening to the consoling voice of the Holy Spirit. If such a Christian was to experience the joy of the Lord's forgiveness, he might, you know, preach the Gospel, project God's love and work for the salvation of immortal souls. The devil can't be having that.

Points to note:

- If you have made a good Confession, your sins are gone. Null. Void. As if they never existed. Clean slate. Cannot stress this point enough. Read up on how to make a good Confession, but the most important points are not to deliberately withhold any sins and have contrition for the ones you committed. Restitution may be required; and the righting of major wrongs. Contrition is not necessarily a fuzzy feeling; it is more an act of the will. You are sorry for your past sins and you have in place a firm will not to commit any more. A Confession is not rendered invalid by the fact that you commit the same sin soon after leaving the Church; if your will not to commit it was sincere at the time of Confession, it is wiped out.
- A good idea could be to have a General Confession - you confess the sins from a particular part of your life. This can be used to close a chapter of your life you are struggling with - you leave your sins with the Lord, who knows them anyway, and never go back to them again. Many find this to be a great consolation.
- Once your sins are forgiven, you need to stop tormenting yourself. Do not use the mea culpa to beat the breath out of your chest. God does not remember your sins, why should you? Are you wiser than He is?
- You need to realise the nature of God's love for you. You, my friend, are precious in His sight. He has made you beautiful and He has made you strong. You are His handiwork. His child. He has prepared an eternal inheritance for you. You are not here to torment yourself; it is useless! You are here for higher things - to know Him and love Him and your brothers and sisters. You have a job He wants you to do. Get yourself well enaugh so that you can answer Him with confidence: "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth''.
- Lastly, try to get yourself a spiritual director. This is a regular confessor who knows you well and can direct you in such matters. Ask him to put you under obedience for certain things eg. if he tells you not to dwell on a past sin, you are not to do it. Obedience is a powerful weapon in spiritual combat, which we are all involved in, whether we like it or not.

God Bless. PM if you would like to discuss anything further.

Delirium

MOD NOTE

I'm locking this thread for much the same reason as it would have been if it had been started in Personal Issues.


"We cannot give recommendations - you should choose a therapist based on how well YOU get on with them not how well someone else does, any thread asking for recommendations will be locked.

There is an excellent thread in the Psychology Forum on how to go about finding a counsellor, therapist or psychologist for yourself HERE which we recommend you read instead."