Importance of Secular Counseling

Pastor Ted Haggard is well known for his scandal with a male prostitute. He is less well known for his humble and honest personal response to situation. Even going as far to publicly call himself a "a deceiver and a liar". He says he struggled for years, with small bouts of "freedom" every so often, but no real relief. In an interview he wisely describes one of his biggest mistakes:

Spiritual problems can be solved spiritually and physical problems need to be solved physically. Spirituality gives us power to address different issues but if you need an appendectomy you need to go to the hospital. If you need counseling, you need to go to a counselor... I needed counseling and I tried to pray about it and it didn't work. Counseling helped me accept me for who I am so I could get my life in order.

His counselors were professionals who happened to be Christians, not the other way around. There is a negative connotation to the going to therapy that even I have had. My wife and I had premarital counseling and I'm sure we will go to counseling in the future. Not because we have marriage-threatening problems, but because we don't want them.

Related: Ted Haggard is starting a new church, with a tithing lottery.