3 lies your therapist is telling you

We live in an era of mental health awareness. Therapy has exploded into a multi-billion-dollar industry, with the United States accounting for roughly half of global mental health spending. Nearly a quarter of the U.S. population, including children, has at least one mental health diagnosis.

One might think that more awareness and therapy = healthier, happier people.

But sadly, that’s not the case at all. We're actually in the throes of a mental health crisis that's getting worse, not better.

According to Dr. Greg Gifford — pastor, licensed biblical counselor, and author of “Lies My Therapist Told Me” — therapy culture has become an issue as big as the conditions it claims to treat.

The problem? The secular world doesn’t understand the human soul as God designed it.

In this fascinating interview with Allie Beth Stuckey, BlazeTV host of “Relatable,” Dr. Gifford lists three common lies secular therapists tell their clients.

Lie #1: Brain = Mind

In the world of secular therapy, the mind and brain are deeply interconnected. An ailing mind is indicative of an ailing brain. That’s why mental health issues are often linked to “chemical imbalances.”

But Dr. Gifford says the mind and brain are vastly different. Unlike the physical brain, the mind, which is synonymous with our spirit or soul, is “immaterial” and “will continue to exist after [the] brain has deceased.” In Romans 12:2, we are told God renews not the brain but the mind. For the Christian being sanctified, this happens even as the brain organ is deteriorating with age.

The brain, says Dr. Gifford, is “the control center of your outer man. ... It's not determining my thoughts. It is more like a filter ... of what is happening in my thinking.”

Unfortunately, the default perspective of the Western world is that “everything has a medical explanation,” which means we rarely question “what's happening in my inner person in my soul.” The result is that people with mind/soul issues leave the psychiatrist’s office with medication that treats the brain.

And even worse, these drugs are prescribed even though no actual medicine — brain scans, deficiency testing, or otherwise — was practiced.

Lie #2: Medicine is the answer

When we understand the distinction between the mind and the brain, it becomes clear that soul problems need soul answers — not the psychotropic medications the secular world leans on.

“Start to develop a worldview that the solutions are coming from the scripture, not from the secular therapeutic,” says Gifford.

Even if we are experiencing physical symptoms that point to physical issues, that doesn’t mean our minds aren’t a factor — or even a root cause — in our distress. As the Holy Spirit cultivates in us the fruits of the Spirit, our bodies are impacted as well. Peace can regulate a palpitating heart. Joy can boost serotonin levels in the brain.

Further, there is freedom in knowing our bodies cannot make us sin. The Spirit “can direct the mind no matter what's happening in our physiology,” says Allie.

Lie #3: Your struggles aren’t sin

Repentance is a cornerstone in the Christian walk. “What does repentance mean practically?” asks Gifford. “Change of mind, not change of brain.”

Secular therapy often frames anxiety, depression, or relational conflicts as innocent "disorders" or traumas — biological glitches or environmental bad luck — with no call to examine the heart. The lie? Your pain isn't tied to sin, rebellion, or a hardened mindset, so you don't need to repent and turn to God's word for real renewal.

But Gifford warns this skips the soul surgery only scripture can provide, leaving people stuck in symptom loops rather than being transformed.

For those who need support, he suggests “[finding] somebody who would use God's word as the source and authority to really help [you] with the root of what's going on.”

To hear more of the conversation, watch the full interview above.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

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