Friday, March 08, 2013

The Power of the Word



            Therapy has been called “the talking cure.” In a culture that often looks to medications and surgeries for healing and transformation, the idea that words can heal seems almost superstitious. Yet, the spoken word has been a central component to Christian faith since the beginning. Genesis 1 tells how God spoke the world into existence. Then God tasked Adam and Eve to name all the animals, a job requiring words. John 1 describes Jesus as “the Word.” Throughout the Bible we learn that God is a God who speaks and produces transformation.
            Words are transformative. In therapy, we recognize that talking about problems and facing them honestly produce changes. Incredibly, therapy is often found to either match or outperform the efficacy of drugs in reducing symptoms of mental health conditions, many of which we know are due to “neurochemical imbalances” and other biological causes. It’s such a mystery how words can actually transform our bodies and minds but I sure am thankful they can.

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