DOES JESUS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH COUNSELING OR THERAPY NEAR MARYVILLE OR KNOXVILLE, TN

You catch yourself mad‑cleaning, yelling at someone inside your head. Nothing works, you can’t even find the energy to clean. You feel dark, alone, and like you are dying inside. You show up at church every Sunday—maybe you used to teach and help. You believe in Jesus, sort of. Sometimes you’re not so sure. He seems distant or even absent. Your faith feels weak and you don’t know what to do next. You go through the motions, but so much has gone wrong. You thought you were doing it right, but the bottom fell out and life fell apart. You fight hard; all you want is to help the people you love. You watch them hurt and your heart breaks, but you cannot let them see you cry. You try to fix it, no matter the cost. Now you’re mad‑cleaning, feeling hopeless, wondering if it’s worth it. You cry out to God, “Where are you? How could you let this happen? I thought I was doing the right thing. Will this ever end? What else are you going to take from me?” The list of questions goes on and you wonder if you need professional help. You wonder if you’re having a nervous breakdown or losing your mind. You wonder who to call. You don’t want anybody at church to know how you feel. You might be the pastor, his wife, or the worship leader, and if they found out how you really feel…

DOES JESUS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH COUNSELING AND WHAT KIND OF PROFESSIONAL DO YOU NEED?

Showing up at church doesn’t work. Praying isn’t working for you either. You’ve heard that therapists and counselors use techniques and hold beliefs that are the opposite of what you believe. They’ll say, “Your views are welcome here,” but then you hear them tell you to empty your mind, which you know is not the correct answer. The Bible tells you to be filled with the Spirit, but you already feel empty—maybe you feel full of junk, weighted down and heavy. Whatever it is, you don’t know where to turn.

Yes, I am a licensed therapist and I do believe that Jesus has everything to do with counseling and therapy. Many licensed counselors and therapists will tell you that Jesus was good and that you can learn a lot from loving as He did, but when you look closely, they do not see Jesus the same way you do.

SILENCE IN THE DARK

You believe Jesus is (yes, is, not was) both fully human and fully God. You don’t fully understand it, but you believe it most days anyway. You feel like Job when he sat there listening to everyone, even his wife, telling him to give up. I believe you might be a lot like Job. I’m not saying God allowed an attack from the enemy just to prove you are faithful, but John 15 gives us another picture of why you may be experiencing so much silence and darkness. Someone once said, “The teacher is always silent during the test.” It suddenly occurs that if God is light, then the darkness we feel during a test makes sense. John 15 explains what happens in the dark:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful… You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you… No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me… If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned… As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love… My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

THE GRAPEVINE

When the Bible refers to a vine, it is usually a grapevine. Have you ever seen a vineyard right after it was pruned? The vines in the pictures have no branches at all—everything is cut back. That pruning can feel like your life circumstances or rebellion have stripped you bare, leaving you stuck in the dark.

Cultural teaching often reduces Jesus to “a good man or prophet” who wants us to love one another. That’s true, but before He tells us to love each other, He tells us to love Him first. He says to “remain in me” (or “abide in me”). You need to hang out with Him first. When you do, He cleans you. You feel dirty, dark, and junk‑filled; the test is hard, the teacher is silent, and the lights are off. Jesus says to stay connected to Him day in and day out.

YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE

Two clear examples of the gardener pruning branches close to Jesus: Judas and Peter. Judas betrayed Jesus, ran to the enemy, and ultimately chose death. Peter denied Jesus three times, but then ran back to Him, became a leader, wrote part of the Bible, and lived a life bearing fruit. Both felt darkness, but their choices diverged.

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR Isaiah 9:6 calls Jesus the “Wonderful Counselor.” Yes, your brain may need medication, but more likely you need to run to Jesus, rest, listen, and learn from Him. The world’s approach often tells us to love others for credit, forgetting to love Jesus first. When we prioritize Him, He prunes us so we can bear the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self‑control.

You can go to the world, to therapists who deny Jesus, or you can choose a Christian‑aligned counselor. There are plenty of therapists and counselors in Maryville and Knoxville, TN, who will help you decrease pain and increase happiness. You decide whether to live separated from God. If you choose to see me, I will respect that choice and offer love, kindness, and gentleness, because the Gardener respects your decision and because He loves you.

I am Vickie, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Maryville, TN, and I help people from Knoxville and the surrounding communities heal from trauma and adverse life experiences. TN License Number 579. Verify my license here: https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/pcmft-board.html

I can help you. Click the link at the top of the page so we can talk.

SUMMARY Jesus is central to Christian counseling; He is the “Wonderful Counselor” who invites us to remain in Him, be pruned, and bear fruit. Seeking therapy that honors His teachings can bring healing, peace, and spiritual growth for anyone in Maryville or Knoxville, TN.

CITATIONS

American Psychological Association. (2023). Evidence‑Based Treatments for Anxiety and Depression. APA Publishing. (supports the effectiveness of psychotherapy for the symptoms listed) American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM‑5). (defines clinical criteria for panic attacks, insomnia, depressive symptoms, etc.) Proverbs 12:15 (ESV). “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” Proverbs 11:14 (ESV). “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” James 5:16 (ESV). “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” John 15 (ESV). (entire chapter quoted for theological context) Isaiah 9:6 (ESV). “For to us a child is born… and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor…” Focus on the Family. (2023). Living in God’s Peace: Biblical Foundations for Inner Calm. https://www.focusonthefamily.com/peace‑in‑Christ (conservative‑Christian perspective on counseling and spiritual integration) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (2024). 988 Crisis Hotline. https://988lifeline.org/ (emergency contact information)