Lies My Therapist Told Me : Why Christians Should Aim for More Than Just Treating Symptoms

In this definitive Christian critique of secular therapy and mental health culture, an experienced Christian counselor probes why, after spending more resources than ever before to improve our “mental health,” diagnoses and suicide rates continue to rise, and offers proven solutions grounded in Christianity.

For decades, secular therapy has probed the mysteries of the mind. But rather than eradicating issues like anxiety the way vaccines conquered smallpox, the number of mental illness diagnoses has increased exponentially, affecting all ages. Modern secular treatment is not making many people better, rather, it is estimated that approximately 20 million children and nearly one in four adults suffer from a mental illness today.

How did we get here? And how do we even define a mental illness?

In Lies My Therapist Told Me, biblical counselor and professor Greg Gifford explores these questions from a Christian worldview. He demonstrates that, without a biblical understanding of the mind, today’s therapists are not equipped to treat many of the issues that fall under the category of mental illness.

Through deep research and the inspiring stories of real counselees, Gifford offers hope to those suffering from these often-debilitating conditions and offers clarity where secular therapy has created confusion. He answers questions about how to handle diagnoses and medication, and how to renew your mind and experience new life in Christ.

Lies My Therapist Told Me is essential for both counselors and those they treat, and offers insight and hope for even the hardest and most challenging cases. Gifford argues that you can read all of the secular mental health literature in the world, but you will not find the ultimate solutions to these problems, because true answers come from God’s Word. This breakthrough book shows you the way to end suffering and begin renewal.

"Few books combine theological precision with practical wisdom as skillfully as Lies My Therapist Told Me." — Jonny ArdavanisFrom beloved Christian counselor, professor, and podcaster Greg Gifford comes a bold and balanced critique of the mental health establishment. Too many people are caught in a vicious cycle of visiting every doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, and therapist in their area only to find frustrating labels and numbing medications at the end of each path. Rather than eradicating anxiety in the same way vaccines conquered smallpox, the mental health establishment has seen the number of diagnoses and prescriptions skyrocket on its watch. How did we get here? And does Christianity have any answers for this mental health crisis?In Lies My Therapist Told Me, Dr. Greg Gifford delivers the definitive Christian critique of secular psychiatry and psychology. He shows how mental health culture spreads beliefs that misinform our understanding of ourselves and our issues, and he debunks popular myths such as:We feel and act the way we do because the body keeps the scores of traumaAddiction is a diseaseIf you improve your brain health, your mind will followMedications can heal your mindEvery abnormal or sinful behavior is caused by a mental disorderThese ideas, though common, are ultimately unhelpful because they are based on unbiblical assumptions. Gifford brings clarity where secular therapy has created confusion, and offers hope even for those struggling with the hard cases. Through deep research, biblical teaching, and the inspiring stories of real counselees, he shows why we can’t blame the past —or even a diagnosis— for our bad behavior, and why our society’s growing unhappiness is not primarily a medical issue. With a foreword by Todd Friel of Wretched Radio, this book is a must-read for counselors and counselees alike. You can read all the mental health research in the world, but you still won’t learn God’s answers for winning the battles in your mind. Lies My Therapist Told Me is a powerful, cutting-edge argument that the supernatural wisdom of the Bible is truly enough for every need.