Group Therapy

Group counseling provides participants the opportunity to experience and discuss feelings and behaviors within a relational community. Many group participants are relieved to discover that their feelings and experiences are not unique to them – other people have them as well. God made us for relationship and we need the support of others who understand our pain. Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor (Ecclesiastes 4:9).

In many cases, group work augments individual counseling and facilitates the healing process. Our groups allow participants to function in a setting that provides unique opportunities for growth and healing. We all need to explore our hearts in a safe and productive environment. Our clinicians are experienced group leaders.

Redeeming Relationships

A wife, whose husband engages in inappropriate sexual behavior, or addiction, will find herself dealing with the repercussions of his choices. Shame, betrayal, and rejection often stem from a spouse’s unfaithfulness. Pornography, adultery, and emotional “affairs” destroy the covenant of marriage. For the marriage to heal and be what God intended, both husband and wife must be involved in the healing process.

The Redeeming Relationships group for women is designed to help you repair a broken heart by addressing the devastation of unfaithfulness. It is a safe place to overcome the emotional and spiritual damage to the wife whose husband has broken his marital vows. You no longer have to be alone in your journey. Our counselors and other women going through this difficult experience will help you move toward wholeness.

Un-Hooked

Un-Hooked: A group for single men dealing with pornography.

Internet statistic tracking service comScore Media Metrix reports that more than 70 percent of men ages 18 to 34 visit a pornographic Web site every month. By the time they reach early adulthood, many young men are already hooked.

Here are some stages to consider:

• EARLY EXPOSURE at a young age where porn gets its foot in the door.
• ADDICTION develops and you’re hooked; you try everything you know to stop and can’t seem to quit.
• ESCALATION; spending hours hunting for more explicit pornography. Porn you previously found disgusting, now excites you.
• DESENSITIZATION – where you build up a tolerance to the images you see; you become numb to the ‘old stuff…the thrill is gone.” You become desperate to feel the same thrill again, but you can’t find it.
• ACTING OUT – moving from the paper and plastic images of porn into the real world, with real people, in destructive ways.

Single guys must deal with the questions and issues that are seldom discussed in church:

• Am I an addict?
• Am I alone in this?
• What are the consequences?
• “I’ll fix it when I get married.”
• How do I deal with guilt and shame?

For men hooked on pornography, this group offers a chance to tackle the norms from our culture that say pornography is OK. It will give men the opportunity to open up about topics that are not often faced in the church setting.

Un-hooked provides a safe environment for single men to share their pain, shame and struggles with others who understand and share similar Christian values. There is freedom from this devastating problem and our specialists can help.

Sexual Integrity Group

At no other time in the church has sexual sin been such a pervasive issue. These statistics by famous Christian pollster George Barna show how adults in our country struggle with sexual integrity:

• 59% have enjoyed sexual thoughts or fantasies about someone other than wife.
• 60 % of people are living with someone of the opposite sex before marriage. Also known as co-habitation.
• 42% of people have been engaged in a sexual relationship prior to marriage.
• 38% of people have viewed pornographic images.
• 30% of people are engaged in a sexual relationship with someone of the same gender.

Because the effects of pornography and sexual addiction are more prevalent in today’s church, pastors and church leaders need to address this critical issue with consistency. When addressing sexual addiction, it is essential to understand that there are many complex issues that contribute. We believe that our ability to walk in purity of heart and mind comes from God’s wisdom and the direction toward sexual freedom that He calls us to take in our lives.

The Sexual Integrity Group will focus on understanding the origins of this sensitive issue. Healing from a relationally destructive problem must take place within the context of healthy relationships. This group will provide a safe place for understanding, healing and freedom.

A few topics addressed in our sexual integrity group include:

• Why is my wife so angry at me? The impact of sexual addiction on marriage.
• Sexual addiction defined.
• I’ve been caught. What do I do now?
• Understanding the root causes of sexual addiction.
• The guilt and shame associated with sexual addiction.
• The sexual addiction cycle.
• The road to recovery and healing.
• The need for healthy relationships.