Making Of A Christian Psychiatrist

Many people, both physicians and laypersons, view psychiatry, a specialty of medicine, as anywhere from mysterious to menacing. Some of the strongest reactions come from Bible-based Christian people. Most of the people with mental or emotional problems that I saw in Alaska, in my nineteen years (19501969) as a medical missionary, needed more expert professional help than I was capable of giving them. This led to my undeniable attraction to psychiatric training after the Alaska years. Through all my medical years, I have inquired about every patient’s personal faith in God, if any, and what part it played in his or her life. Sometimes either the presence or absence of faith contributed to their mental and emotional state. My years as a primary care physician also served me well in evaluating somatic problems. Every believer in Jesus Christ as Savior is equipped to be a more complete person in this life, as well as a possessor of eternal life. I am equally convinced that any physician is a more adequately equipped professional when he or she trusts the Savior.