Ask a Question - or - Return to the Spiritual Warfare Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
therapist and friend	Katie	Friday, December 26, 2008
Question: Dear Brother, I started going to a therapist a few weeks ago. I recently learned that he believes in past lives and meditates daily. I am very attached to him and he is very empathic and I have made progress even in a month. Sometimes I feel that God brought me to him to help him spiritually or to help him see his errors, but he feels the same way about me. In addition, I recently befriended a guy that is into new age "healing". I actually let him heal me twice and went to confession after both times. I care about both of these people and don't know why God put them in my life if they are a detriment to me. I want to help them without hurting myself, but worry that I am being idealistic or in a worst case scenario being deceived by Satan. I need an outside opinion. Thanks.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Katie: What you are describing about your therapist leads me to say that you need to find another therapist. It is inappropriate for you to have a motive of "help him spiritually or to help him see his errors". Your goal is to receive therapy, not to help the therapist with his spirituality. That is not your role in this relationship and it will interfere with the therapy and can lead to other inappropriate matters. As to the subject of a Catholic going to a therapist who believes in past lives, this is not good. If he believes in the nonsense of past lives then that means that his worldview and philosophy of therapy is highly flawed. I think it is dangerous to receive therapy from such a person. A therapist does not necessarily have to be Christian, though the best option is a loyal Catholic therapist, but when a therapist gets into spiritually dangerous things like the idea of past lives, then danger is present. In addition, you appear to be very vulnerable to these new age people as evidenced by the friend you allowed to do a "healing" on you. Given that, it is even more urgent, I believe, that you terminate the sessions with this therapist. There are subtleties that this therapist can get into that you will not likely recognize that can harm your soul. As for God putting these people into your life, why do you say that? It is unlikely that God had anything to do with it. You found your therapist by whatever method you found him -- yellow pages, referral -- and the friend because you happened to met him. This does not mean they were divine appointments. The devil can put people in our path too, and 98% of the time we meet such people because we meet such people in the course of life. Given your vulnerability I would advise you not to befriend any new age people and you may have to terminate this new friendship. Your soul and your peace in Christ and your victory in Christ is more important than these friendships. Do not place yourself in harm's way. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

therapist and friend

Katie

Friday, December 26, 2008

Question:

Dear Brother,

I started going to a therapist a few weeks ago. I recently learned that he believes in past lives and meditates daily. I am very attached to him and he is very empathic and I have made progress even in a month. Sometimes I feel that God brought me to him to help him spiritually or to help him see his errors, but he feels the same way about me. In addition, I recently befriended a guy that is into new age "healing". I actually let him heal me twice and went to confession after both times. I care about both of these people and don't know why God put them in my life if they are a detriment to me. I want to help them without hurting myself, but worry that I am being idealistic or in a worst case scenario being deceived by Satan. I need an outside opinion. Thanks.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Katie:

What you are describing about your therapist leads me to say that you need to find another therapist. It is inappropriate for you to have a motive of "help him spiritually or to help him see his errors". Your goal is to receive therapy, not to help the therapist with his spirituality. That is not your role in this relationship and it will interfere with the therapy and can lead to other inappropriate matters.

As to the subject of a Catholic going to a therapist who believes in past lives, this is not good. If he believes in the nonsense of past lives then that means that his worldview and philosophy of therapy is highly flawed. I think it is dangerous to receive therapy from such a person. A therapist does not necessarily have to be Christian, though the best option is a loyal Catholic therapist, but when a therapist gets into spiritually dangerous things like the idea of past lives, then danger is present.

In addition, you appear to be very vulnerable to these new age people as evidenced by the friend you allowed to do a "healing" on you. Given that, it is even more urgent, I believe, that you terminate the sessions with this therapist. There are subtleties that this therapist can get into that you will not likely recognize that can harm your soul.

As for God putting these people into your life, why do you say that? It is unlikely that God had anything to do with it. You found your therapist by whatever method you found him -- yellow pages, referral -- and the friend because you happened to met him. This does not mean they were divine appointments. The devil can put people in our path too, and 98% of the time we meet such people because we meet such people in the course of life.

Given your vulnerability I would advise you not to befriend any new age people and you may have to terminate this new friendship.

Your soul and your peace in Christ and your victory in Christ is more important than these friendships. Do not place yourself in harm's way.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.