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christian counseling today
VOL. 22 NO. 1
development of more meaningful relationships,
increased sense of inner-strength, new priorities,
and spiritual growth.
2
With effective Christian
counseling, we know this growth is possible and
will allow couples to not only survive the pain of
addiction and betrayal, but also thrive.
His Growth from Pornography
Addiction
When people are addicted to something—
whether it is a substance or a behavior—they
live in bondage to that addiction. God teaches
us to idolize nothing other than Him. That is
the first commandment, “You shall have no
other gods before me.” If a man struggling with
pornography addiction is to grow and be well, he
must stop his addiction. Finding sexual purity
or sobriety is the key to marital healing. We
define sobriety by the acronym LAMP. There
will be no Lying, Adultery, Masturbation, or
Pornography. Notice that we include lying as an
essential part of the definition. We have found
over the years that truth telling is a vital part of
reestablishing trust in marriage, just as important
to wives as sexual sobriety. Mark has written a
number of books about healing from addiction
(see resources). There are several key elements to
what is called a “program” of recovery:
n
The male addict must establish an
accountability network of more than one
person. He will need to attend support
groups and participate in regular community
with other men. Increasingly, churches and
Christian organizations are creating material
for church-based support groups and we find
ourselves relying less and less on traditional
12-step groups.
n
Ongoing therapy for all emotional issues
can take several forms. Therapy can be
very helpful and proceed from a variety of
therapeutic modalities. We are very strong
believers in group counseling and often see
that growth happens ever faster when in
community. Intensive workshops or short-
term therapeutic intensives can also be very
helpful in facilitating the healing journey.
n
Treatment for any mental health issues
that may be present is essential. The number
one diagnosis that we see in our practice
is ADHD. There is also the possibility of
anxiety, depression, and mood disorder.
With so much trauma in our population, we