Alternative To Rehab

In this episode I am reading from my new, soon to be published book "I'm a Christian, so why am I still..." This is a section from the final Chapter, chapter 12. In this chapter we are looking at how to personalise this approach, as well as some tips for making progress, and some important methods going forward. I then speak about the ideas in the chapter and in the book generally. I do hope you have got a lot from listening to these readings. There will be an ebook as well as a hard copy from all good booksellers shortly. If you want to support the channel further, I will be producing an audio book, available to my patreon subscribers at https://www.patreon.com/BuildingRecovery

One of the more common mistakes I see in Christians of all levels of experience is not making a clear enough distinction between salvation as an event and transformation as a process. In my work I have a saying "God does the healing and we do the recovery". In this episode you will hear how these things are different and how not making that clear distinction can lead to major difficulties in your progress. Than you for taking the time to listen to this. Please subscribe for notification of new episodes.

What is your expectation of life? When so many modern messages are telling you that you should be having a care free, exciting life without any problems, it's understandable that you may be disappointed with your life and what you can achieve. In this episode we take a look at what the Bible says about this life and what to expect. having lined ourselves up with the truth, it will become a lot easier to manage our lives and to make progress. There are three steps to this idea and once you have digested them all, you will be better equipped to face the issues in your life, even managing to turn these things into learning experiences. if you have any questions or need further help, please email info@davecoopercounselling.org.uk

In this Chapter I share some experiences from my own journey of recovery and development, particularly about the effect of this approach on both my personal experience, as well as my expereince as a therapist. It amazes me every time I work with someone in this way. To see the transformation of experience every time someone is brave enough to begin the work of recovery. I hope that listening to some of my experience as I developed my skill and understanding as a therapist over the past 25 years, you will be encouraged to begin your own journey of learning and development along Biblical lines.

In this next episode in the series "My New Book" we have an excerpt from Chapter Ten, which is the first time the idea of connecting what Jesus actually did (discipling) with your recovery process (inner discipling).  In this exerpt you will begin to see how to translate what you read in the Gospels to actual practice in your spiritual progress and addiction recovery. If you want more instruction here is a link to my youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAsb75VHrRCMWT0tK9u0tGQ

Reading from the ninth Chapter of the book I find myself talking more about the important aspects of this idea. What is it like to try to put this stuff into practice? This offered me the opportunity to talk some more about the sort of difficulties I see people facing all the time. Ths like "if I don't fight this thing, it will overwhelm me!" And "How can I fkeep forgiving myself so easily?" Please bear with some of these difficulties as all will become clear as part of the practice. As you learn more and more about the Biblical wisdom of who you are and how you have been designed, you will benefit tremendously from this approach. Leave any comments you have and I will respond. Here is my you tube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAsb75VHrRCMWT0tK9u0tGQ  

In this episode I am reading from Chapter Eight of my new book. This chapter is all about putting the ideas into practice. Turning the theory into a method. This is the first step of that process and it includes a very important Biblical idea, the upper room. You have your own upper room, and you can internalise this room in the same way you are learning to internalise the other ideas covered in previous chapters.  Remember, this is not an audio book, I am not reading the whole chapters. Just enough to help you understand and consider the ideas in the book.

In this chapter I am reading about the first steps in learning about 'inner disciling' as an effective method of personal spiritul growth. You may be shocked to hear how much our culture has taught us to 'blend' everything about us into one thing. But the Bible dosesn't say that! The Bible says you are complicated and multifaceted (just like God). Don't take my word for it, study Romans Chapter five through eight and see if you can find any mention of Satan. Paul is helping us nderstand OUR sinful nature, and Jesus showed us a way to work with it. This has become known in my book as 'inner discipling'. It is Jesus own way forwards and he left it for us to learn from and practice.

One of the main questions I get when teaching this Biblical approach is "how do I know when I am in my authentic state"? In this episode we take a look at what Jesus teaches about this, how to understand it, and how to relate it to the Kingdom of God. This episode is a supplement to the episode on 'Everything starts with your state'. So maybe check that out first. Once you understand the primacy of your state in the context of your progress, then this episode will make more sense to you. Blessings and I hope you get a lot from this. Leave me a message if you want your church or charity to get involved with this approach. We can set up training days for you, online or meeting together. www.buildingrecovery.org

Here is an interview with a client I have been working with over the last two years. It includes a section on what the issue was and what this clint had tried. It also includes what was challenging and different about this approach. Finally, we talk about what is happening now and some of the exciting things in the future. This would be useful for anyone considering trying this approach. Especially if you think you have tried all the alternatives! This is not a medical approach, so it's not based on psychology or psychiatry. It is based on neuroscience and the advances that have been made recently in our understanding of the human condition. I hope you get a lot from this but if you want to discuss any of these ideas further, send me an email to info@davecoopercounselling.org.uk. I offer a free assessment session. 

In this excerpt we are entering the main idea of the book and its method. Inner Discipling is the idea of taking Jesus' work with the Disciples and reproducing this teaching internally.  I am also touching on the therapy method of growth. It's a process I have used for many years and helps us make a good start on the progress we want to make.

So here we are at the heart of this approach! It is at this stage that we begin the real journey! I am reading from another section of the book and offer an exercise that I often use with my clients. Remember to be patient with yourself as you try this. It is very typical for people to revert back to the medical model when they start. This is because we are saturated in this iew of ourselves and it is often the only way we can think of making sense of ourselves. Don't worry! This is a journey and you ahave made a start.

In this section I am reading from the last part of the book before we get into the main method. So there is a lot of emphasis on the relationship with yourself. Unless we get the relationship with ourselves right, we cannot hope to create the type of inner harmony needed to make spiritual progress. Whatever your issues, making progress in your inner life will help you to outgrow them. 

In this section of the book, I am looking at the contrast between how the medical model defimes us, and who the Bible says we are. You may be shocked to find, not only how much of your thinking about yourself is based on mans wisdom, but how much of these ideas have got into the Churches teaching. Never before have we had the tools that neuroscience offers us. It is clear to me that in this way science is now catching up with the Bible by proving what the Bible says about us. That we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that we are Gods masterpiece.

In this third session, I am reading from the main body of the book which covers the dysfunctional pattern that I see every day in my work. The same pattern that Jesus was talking about in Luke 15, the famous Parable of the Lost Son. It's a long episode so I don't add much to the reading, except to underline things from my own experience and to highlight the difference between the Biblical approach and the Medical approach. Hope you get something from it. You will be able to preorder the Book early in the New Year.

Here is the second episode in the series 'My New Book' which gives me an opportunity to introduce the book as well as speak to some of the ideas covered by the content. In this eposode we are looking at making a clear distinction between healing - which comes from God, and recovering or growing - which comes from you! There are also a few things that might just challenge you as a Christian and what you have been taught. Enjoy!

In this new series I am reading from a copy of my new book. The working title is 'I'm a Christian, so why am i still...'. I want you to add your own ending to this title. If there are still things that irritate you about yourself, and this doesn't have to be outright addiction or dependence! Then this book will be for you. We hope to make this book available in the Spring of 2023 but, until then, I wll be reading from it and speaking to some of the ideas. Enjoy!

I've written a post on this but thought that some would prefer the audio! So here is a podcast based on some of the findings of neuroscientists recently. Namely that your consciouseness could not have come from your brain! Of course our main interest is in how can we use the observer position and consciousness to make progress. Here is a link to the article. https://neurosciencenews.com/physics-consciousness-21222/ 

There are other episodes which offer a more basic description of this method but, in revisiting the idea I am taking a deeper dive into the ideas around this method and what makes it so effective.  I looking at awareness and how precious a gift it is I want to go beyond the basic ideas of self awareness of what we are thinking and feeling to include the idea of relational self awareness, encouraging you to ask the question "what is it like to be around me"?

In this episode I interview Dave A who has been using the A2R method for about a year now. We look at this background and upbringing as well as the things he tried before discovering the A2R approach.  We then look at the difference he has found in using this approach and why he believes it has worked for him.