Christian Counselor Questions Common Mental-Health Assumptions in New Book

# What happened

When Dr. Greg Gifford and his wife met with a school psychologist about their sixth-grade son, the psychologist suggested testing. That interaction prompted Gifford to question whether testing, diagnosis, and medication were the right first steps for their child. He asked, "Are we really comfortable prescribing brain-altering medication to an 11-year-old, all based on a paper examination and not one brain scan or lab test?" and later summarized his view: "Something seemed off."

# What Gifford argues

Gifford, a professor and certified biblical counselor, lays out his critique in Lies My Therapist Told Me: Why Christians Should Aim for More Than Just Treating Symptoms. He urges Christians to examine the assumptions behind contemporary psychiatric and psychological practice and to consider biblical counsel as central to understanding and addressing emotional and behavioral struggles.

• Clinical labels and diagnoses are often treated as primary explanations for behavior, but they may not identify root beliefs, choices, or spiritual factors.
• Common mental-health concepts that he disputes include the idea that the body inherently keeps trauma's score and the classification of addiction as a disease.
• Secular treatments for conditions such as anxiety, narcissism, OCD, and binge eating disorder are contrasted with biblical insights and counseling principles.

# How he proposes Christians respond

Gifford recommends moving beyond symptom management toward change grounded in biblical teaching. He frames counseling as a process that should address personal responsibility, patterns of thought, and belief systems instead of defaulting to medication or diagnosis.

He connects this approach to practical outcomes: improved communication, reduced conflict and anger, and healthier marriages and family relationships. He positions biblical wisdom as sufficient for addressing internal struggles, writing, "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."

# Background and credentials

Gifford serves as Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling at The Master's University. He hosts the Transformed with Dr. Greg Gifford podcast and has authored other books such as Heart & Habits and Helping Your Family Through PTSD. Lies My Therapist Told Me was published by Broadside Books.

# Practical implications for readers

If you are a Christian parent, church leader, or counselor, Gifford's book asks you to reconsider automatic reliance on psychiatric diagnosis or medication. He encourages integrating biblical counseling methods and evaluating when testing or medical treatment are truly necessary.

Consider these concrete actions Gifford recommends:

• Examine beliefs, thought patterns, and personal responsibility instead of treating only symptoms.
• Use biblical teaching alongside practical counseling techniques to address communication, conflict, and relational patterns.

# What remains the same

Gifford does not reject secular research or clinical practice wholesale. He critiques certain widely accepted ideas and offers a faith-centered alternative for those who want counseling informed primarily by biblical principles.

# Where to find the book

Books and through mainstream retailers. The author's background and other works are listed at the Fortis Institute author page.