[CantExplain]

A question for Believers:
(This is a straight question with no agenda. I'm just curious.)

Does your connection with T make you feel closer to God?

No, not really. I don't really think of him as part of that aspect of my life.

[sconnie892]

I am not sure it really makes me feel closer to God. My T and I are of the same religion which can be very helpful at times. I can talk about faith issues and I know she "gets it" and I don't have to go into all the details.

Yes. My T is wonderful at showing Christ's unconditional love. Plus we talk about God a lot and that helps too. We are both christians.

[taylor43]

my old t and me shared the same religon and it did help me feel closer to God! I do not know about this new t since this is my first therapy out of a church setting.

[learning1]

I am an atheist but my connection with t makes me feel closer to the things I have faith in.

[healed84]

Nope. My connection with God IMO is based soley on my own actions. So, reading the bible, praying, worship, stuff like that. I think my T is a good example of a Christian man, and that can spur me on to a closer relationship to him, but I don't think that our connection and my and God's connection any closer.

Yes. We talk about God a lot and it is helpful to me.

[lostmyway21]

Um no. I'm not even sure of his religion. Hm I'm curious though. Maybe I'll ask.

Nope, doesn't make me feel closer to god, but it sure makes me feel as though I'm drawing closer to a fellow human being and for me that's a BIG thing! I just want to believe that being human and connected is possible and something that I constantly seek and discover as unattainable .. . I'm very good at superficial (pretend "intimacy") and I'd like to attain real intimacy. So far it's slipped through my fingers .. . or at least I've allowed it to slip through my fingers. . . I'm determined to find it before I die. . . maybe that means a person is trying to move closer to god, I'm not sure.

[Bella01]

Nope, not of the same religion. He does talk about his religion which I don't since I don't have one kind of religion.

[Wren_]

this is one of the hardest things with T's ... I used to have one that was the same religion and it really helped me feel closer and grow a lot in my relationship. Then when she died I tried another T of the same religion and it was terrible; beyond terrible, they tried to suggest the most destructive things and then tried the whole get rid of demons out of me line which didn't help. Anyway my current T's, one is an athiest and the other I'm not totally sure where he stands but my trust in other believers is really shaken.

[sittingatwatersedge]

Originally Posted by CantExplain

Does your connection with T make you feel closer to God?

My FINDING this T definitely made me feel closer to God; I had pretty much been terminated by the first one, and had my back against the wall, therapy-wise.

Curious, I really couldn't retrace how i came across T2... but there were so many uniquely good things about seeing her in particular, that I had to see God's hand in putting us together.
Plus I admit I am a difficult case, and yet she agreed to take me on, and commented that she too thought it was Providential that we came together.

As for connection, that takes time, & I am still working on it. stay tuned.........

[learning1]

Originally Posted by tigergirl

this is one of the hardest things with T's ... I used to have one that was the same religion and it really helped me feel closer and grow a lot in my relationship. Then when she died I tried another T of the same religion and it was terrible; beyond terrible, they tried to suggest the most destructive things and then tried the whole get rid of demons out of me line which didn't help. Anyway my current T's, one is an athiest and the other I'm not totally sure where he stands but my trust in other believers is really shaken.

Yuck, sorry you had an experience with an unhealthy religious believer TG. An ex-bf's ex gf (who I got to know and like) had the same experience. It was really traumatic to have that going on when she was already dealing with serious mental illness. She eventually got through it and has been doing very well for many years now.

[sittingatwatersedge]

we CAN meet God in every sunrise, sunset, event, and other person in our lives. just have to pay attention

[elliemay]

I definitely can experience something much much larger than myself in this world. It may or may not be God (with a capital G), but it's not about me at all.

It's something much more powerful and interconnected. It gets me closer to all things. It would be kinda sad to me if it were just about me.

I do not experience that with my therapist, but therapy may have helped me to pay attention to it.

I love watching the sunset- it makes me feel an appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the natural world. If I happen to be sharing the moment with another person, I feel closer to them because of a shared experience. God didn't make that happen- the spinning of the planet combined with currrent meteorological conditions made it happen.

Same with t. I think she is a good person, I think she has put a lot of time and energy into mastering her profession. I think our work together makes me a better person. I think our ability as human beings to do this work is amazing and evidence of complex evolutionary and societal inputs. I don't think that either one of us are puppets on a string being manipulated by another entity. I think that way of interpreting our (or any) relationship actually cheapens it.

Thankfully, all of us are allowed our own interpretations and the opportunity to discuss them.

[sittingatwatersedge]

. . . . . .

Originally Posted by cantexplain

a question for believers:

Does your connection with t make you feel closer to god?

. . . . . .

No...not at all..

[Wren_]

Yuck, sorry you had an experience with an unhealthy religious believer TG. An ex-bf's ex gf (who I got to know and like) had the same experience. It was really traumatic to have that going on when she was already dealing with serious mental illness. She eventually got through it and has been doing very well for many years now.

Yuck to her experience as well I'm so pleased she is doing well now

I thought more about this question and think that in a strange way despite being an athiest T does encourage me more towards God than a believing T did. That seems so mixed up, I'll have to let him know

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by sittingatwatersedge

CantExplain, didn't mean to hijack. How would you answer yr own question?

I'm not a believer, so it doesn't apply to me.

But I feel that in therapy I'm as close to "saving my soul" as I'm ever going to get.

[Chopin99]

In a manner of sorts. When I see the unconditional love and acceptance in her eyes, it reminds me of God's unconditional love for me.

[Dreamy01]

Yes. Absolutely. In my view, human life IS Divine love, simply expressed in a way that we understand and relate to.

I am not a Christian but have strong spiritual views.

[nicoleflynn]

No....he is also...a pastor! That is the reason I went to see him; he is an expert in spiritual abuse, and that is what my church was doing to me.

My therapist is a Christian and we talk about spiritual things all the time. "She" doesn't really make me feel closer to God, but the talks we have do. I definitely believe that God brought us together. Too much of a coincidence in the way that I found her. I also believe that God uses her to help me work through the rough spots in my life.