Thanks for writing.
Yes, I do see the need for clinical psychologists, because some people are afflicted with verifiable, medical problems. I have worked in the past with several people that suffer from bi-polar disorders. They have chemical problems in their heads, and need medical treatments that I can not provide for them. I have personally seen these folks when their medicines are out of order, and I am not able to help them with their problems when this occurs. I have also had dealings with another individual who hears "voices". He is not demon possessed (because he is born again), nor does he have a spiritual problem (at least not one which causes that). There is something going on inside his head that I can't explain, not do I have the skills to diagnose it or cure it. He needs medical help, just like a cancer-sufferer does. I would be thankful to have a Christian psychologist who believes and practices the Word of God to be able to send these people to, as opposed to sending them to a secularist who rejects any applicable Scriptural truth.
However, I do believe that many of the problems that people in our churches (and in the world for that matter) face are not medical, but spiritual. I am currently dealing with another person who has been going to a doctor for depression. I believe this individual's depression problem is rooted in pride, selfishness, and years of wrong thinking patterns. This is a spiritual issue, not a chemical one, and I believe that pastors can and should be of assistance in these areas. Personally, I think that Jay Adams has a lot of good things to say, and I believe that he is correct when he states that most problems are spiritually oriented. The vast majority of the time, people get angry because they choose to. They worry because they choose to. They commit adultery and partake of addictive behaviors because they choose to. They can't forget what happened in the past because they choose to remember it, and after a while it becomes habitual. They have been indoctrinated in the false and unScriptural concept that they need to "love themselves" and have better "self-esteem", and then they can't figure out why they ruin their lives when they make decisions and act out based upon their selfishness.
God told us that He has given to us "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" and He gave them to us through the Word of God ( II Peter 1:3-4). While I believe that there are mental diseases that are every bit as real as physical diseases, there is much going on in the world that is strictly sinful, and not sickness. The Word of God can handle most problems, and doctors who believe the Word of God can try to handle the rest.
May the Lord bless you.
