*Excerpt from the book PRAYER THERAPY STOP HURTING
Minnie Claiborne, Ph.D. LHD
Christian Counselor
A basic definition of the word therapy is the treatment of illness and disease.This applies to physical and mental illnesses. There are many common types of therapies or treatments as we know.Drug therapy, surgery, radiation chemical or chemotherapy are common types of therapies used to treat physical illnesses.
Psychotherapy is the treatment of mental or emotional disorders by psychological techniques such as counseling and other methods.
Prayer Therapy is the practice of using prayer therapeutically in a clinical, intensive treatment and learning session for the purpose of emotional and mental healing and wholeness.
Prayer Therapy engages the person’s SOUL (mind, will, and emotions) in a conscience process of TRANSFORMATION; rather than just praying for them to be healed.
LUKE 4:18 ROMANS 12: 2 II THESS.5:23
Prayer Therapy is NOT deliverance in the common usage of the word, although deliverance (freedom from demonic oppression and affliction will occur).It is our observation that ‘deliverance’ is relatively easy; but if the affliction is not healed and the mind renewed, the condition will often re-occur, in a relatively short time.
I can pray for God to take away the demonic oppression (deliverance) but I also need to pray for Him to heal your broken heart ( an open door for demonic oppression and mental torment) and I also need to teach you Scripturally based truths and techniques to help you to MAINTAIN, to continue to walk in emotional wholeness. This is the core essence of prayer therapy.
HOW I USED ‘PRAYER THERAPY’ TO HELPMOLLIE overcome years of molestation. Mollie thought she was okay. She had learned to live with her past pains and since they were hidden, no one could see them. She did not come to see me because of the molestation. She came to see me because she was in the process of making some important life decisions. She told me that she had problems saying no to sexual advances.
You may or may not be able to make a connection between being molested and not being able to say “NO” especially to sexual advances; but it is common among people who were molested during childhood. They often become promiscuous, for a number of reasons related to the molestation, one of these being they actually feel powerless to assert their will. A person may be 25 years old now, but they were violated at an age when their perpetrator was more powerful physically and mentally. When the perpetrator was a parent or other adult, the confusion is deeper, because by and large children are taught to obey their parents and other adult authority figures.
After several sessions in which we dealt with the molestation, Mollie received help for many other behavioral problems that were related to the molestations.
Unfortunately dangerous, ‘prescription drugs’ are being doled out by the millions.DRUGS ONLY ALLIEVIATE SYMPTOMS; OFTEN WITH DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS THAT ARE MORE SEVERE THAN THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT.
If drugs are ABSOLUTELY necessary in order to stabilize you, your emotions still need to be healed. Emotional wounds are just as real as physical wounds. Our emotional wounds, though not visible, need care and attention just the same. If they are not attended, they cause ‘infections of the soul’. PRAYER THERAPY can change that.
The soul has perhaps been the most neglected area of twenty-first century people. People have had MANY experiences, that caused them great emotional pain, and the pain still remains.
Traditional therapy can sometimes locate the point of pain. PRAYER THERAPY invites the ‘God who Heals’ into the process. You can do it alone or with someone who you trust. It does not have to be a professional.
*If you or someone you are helping are too ill, or are in crisis or an experience is too painful to handle alone, or is life-threatening, do not hesitate to go to a reputable hospital, Psychologist or Psychiatrist or call 911
You can still employ prayer therapy in the hospital if that’s what you have to do.
WHEN THE CHURCH ANATHAMATIZED PSYCHOLOGYWE THREW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER Many of the early “Fathers of Psychology” were students of Sigmund Freud and others who were atheistic in their interpretation and application of Psychology; so the Church in general, rejectedallaspects of Psychology. Our rejection of the pure scientific facts of Psychology have cost us.
The unbiased study of human Behavior, and the documentation of these observations is just pure science. There is nothing religious or non religious about the observation that a child who is deprived of love, affirmation and security often grows up with ‘rejection syndrome’. However it is in the application of treatment that the problems with traditional Psychology and the Church occurred. I agree with the Scriptures; but does that mean that we ignore the problem? The distress that millions of Christians are experiencing should NOT be ignored or DENIED.
God heals emotional hurts, no matter when they occurred. Jesus came to …”heal the brokenhearted…..Luke 4:18.This is good news, this too is the gospel.Let’s teach it, let’s preach it, and let’s apply it. When we pray for the sick, please include those who are suffering emotionally and mentally.
Comments from 8 Azusa Pacific University Students who used “PRAYER
THERAPY” and My Book, “PRAYER THERAPY STOP HURTING”, as part of a
Spiritual Formation class in 2009...
A review by Nahomie Moїse, MS, LMFT - Prayer Therapy: What is it?...
Dr. Claiborne’s Model of Prayer Therapy I first
heard of prayer therapy through a friend who went through Dr. Minnie
Claiborne’s lay counselor training. I had never heard of prayer therapy and
thought that it was probably another Christianize fancy word for a secular
model of treatment. But once, I started the prayer therapy training with Dr.
Claiborne and her assistant Evy, I realized this was not just another inner
healing model, plain prayer, or another Christian model of counseling, but
something different and very powerful, and anointed.
What exactly is prayer therapy and where does it originate? Prayer as a form
of healing is nothing new to the modern or the ancient world. It is
something that people, knowingly and unknowingly, have been practicing for
the relief of stress and distress for centuries among all people groups. The
Bible, especially the book of Psalms, has numerous records of people
petitioning God for things and crying out to Him in time of distress. God,
Himself, commanded us to pray for healing for ourselves and our land (2
Chronicle 7:14). In the New Testaments, we see Jesus using prayer as part of
his healing ministry; and the Apostle Peter stated, “If anyone among you
suffering? Let him pray…” (1 Peter 5:13-15).
Prayer therapy as a specific therapy model and technique utilized in the
clinical therapeutic setting did not evolve until around 1960s and early
1970s. Prayer therapy was studied and founded by Dr. William Parker from the
University of Redlands, and later one of his students, Dr. Doyle Edson,
joined him in his work. The original prayer therapy model that developed at
the University of Redlands is still in practice this day by Dr. Doyle Edson,
in Newport Beach, CA. (Prayertherapy.com, 2010).Dr Parker’s model and other
prayer therapy models practice in the Clinical setting (or ministry
setting), “seeks to target the spirit, primarily, to ensure spiritual well
being that establishes greater potential for a healthy body and mind.”
(wisegeek.com, 2010).
The prayer therapy model practiced by Dr. Claiborne differs from the other
general models of prayer therapy.The main difference is that this model does
not just seek to ensure spiritual well-being, but it is “for the purpose of
emotional and mental healing and wholeness” and “engages the person’s soul
(mind, will and emotions) in a conscience process of transformation, rather
than just praying to be healed” (Claiborne, M., 2010). Dr. Claiborne teaches
that the spirit does not need healing and is free, but the soul is the seat
of wounds and pain, and prayer therapy is used to bring about healing in the
soul. This model seeks to work with roots of problems and not just symptoms;
and include the 7 secrets which help the individuals gain a better
understanding of the root of their problem. Understanding the root of the
problem through the 7 secrets serves as a map for the client and for the
therapist on the focus of each session.
Prayer is used, not just to engage the client, pray for, teach them how to
pray, or guide them in prayer, but it is used as an instrument, a tool for
exploring the heart’s (soul) past, present or future distress and stress to
bring about healing. The therapist (Clinician) serves as a facilitator or a
coach in helping the client utilize prayer as a tool of understanding the
self, exploring feelings, and releasing those feelings. The therapist neither
tells the person how to prayer or manipulate the prayer to bring about an
intended result. Rather, the therapist creates the context and the
invitation for the Holy Spirit to come in as He will, through prayer as an
instrument, to help the person explore and solve their problem. In this
model, most of the talking is between the client and God, and the therapist
is the facilitator.
Dr. Claiborne teaches that there are 3 types of
prayer that can be utilized in the therapy context, depending on the issue
or where the person is at. The first type is passive or General prayer –
this is when the therapist prays for or with the person for strength or for
the person to be comforted. The second type is Partial Therapeutic Prayer –
this type of prayer utilizes a prayer or scripture to provide logical
insight to a situation, but it does not analyze, bring healing, or relief to
the emotions. The third type is Holistic Therapeutic Prayer – this type of
prayer is concern with all factors of human make-up (spirit, soul, body) and
gives vent, voice and prayer to the silent, often subconscious thoughts,
feelings, emotions, and arguments that often sabotages one’s faith and life
(Claiborne, M., 2010). This model comprise of 4 steps that the person has to
go through, in the order given and thoroughly, and is known is CARRY: Cry
out, Ask, Receive, Release, and Yield. This is a very simple and yet
effective and powerful model. Once the client learn the model, he or she can
practice it on his/her own.
Prior to using this model with a client, the Clinician should experience for
his/herself the model, how it works and its effect. I had the opportunity of
doing the model with Dr. Claiborne and experiencing it gave me a different
perspective than when I previously heard about it. By experiencing it for
myself, I was able to see how simple the steps are as well as how hard it
can be to actually use prayer as a tool of self-exploration, identification
of an expression of feelings. It helped me experience some of the barriers
and difficulty a client might face in expressing their feelings to God.
It also helped me see the power of inviting the Holy Spirit to do His job
with the person, rather than the Clinician trying to bring about words or
saying things that he or she thinks might be helpful. During the CARRY
technique, I received revelation about myself and light was shed on things
that I was not aware of before, and on things that I was aware of and didn’t
realize how deep or how impacting they were. I also received revelation that
only God Himself could have revealed to me, and if Dr. Claiborne had voiced
them to me (as you would in a normal therapy session) or prayed them for and
over me, I would not have received it as well nor would it have been as
powerful. This technique is powerful because it is not just about praying to
God or an unknown higher power, but it is an invitation to the God head to
come and heal. In this model the Christian therapist’s job is truly pointing
people to the Wonderful Counselor (Jesus) and the rest is up to the person
and God.
This model differs from other Christian model of treatment and secular model
of treatment in that it intentionally invites God to come in and shine light
on the situation. Compare to other therapeutic models, this model is much
simpler and the basic theory of understand the problem is very simple. What
would have taken a Clinician using secular techniques multiple sessions
(even months) to discover, took only a matter of minutes. This model
requires work and willingness from the client to engage in and reach out for
their healing. It is not about the Clinician being the expert but about the
client doing the work. But mostly, this model looks at mankind as a whole and
gives in opportunity for the healing of the whole person.
This model is simple, yet effective. I look forward to utilizing it in my
practice. I plan to offer to offer prayer therapy as solely, as separate
method of treatment for those who want it, as well as incorporate it in
other form of treatment method. Thank you, Dr. Claiborne, for being attentive
to the Holy Spirit in creating this model that will bring hope and healing
to so many.
Review References:
·Latimes.com (1993).
“Obituaries William R. Parker; Prayer Therapy Advocate”. Retrieved on November 17, 2010 from URLhttp://articles.latimes.com/19...
·Prayertherapy.com (2010). “W. Doyle Edson, M.A., M.Div., Ph.D.
Prayer Therapy Director”. Retrieved on November 17, 2010 from URL
http://www.prayertherapy.com/i...
·Warren, D. A. (2003). “Prayer as Therapy”. Retrieved on November 17,
2010 from URL
http://ficotw.org/prayerasther...
·Wisegeek.com. (2010). “Prayer Therapy”. Retrieved on November 17,
2010 from URLhttp://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-prayer-therapy.htm