PM:At New Life Clinic where Im the medical director, we have 450 therapists in 100 different clinics and see about 4,0005,000 patients a week. I was with a group of these leaders for a meeting and we all took a test to analyze our gifts. I came out zero on leadership, but I came out very high on compassion or sensitivity. I think Ive always been a compassionate, sensitive person. I think God has been able to use me primarily as an inspirer. Thats probably why I love to teach, I do radio, and answer peoples questions have tried to be an inspiration. I grew up in a legalistic church where anything fun was sin. It was a sin to play cards or go to a Disney movie. My dad was pretty strict, my mom was more loving, and my dad became more loving the older he got. When I was in third grade and the other kids learned how to squaredance, my pastor wrote a note to my teacher telling her to not let Paul Meier square-dance.
He insisted that God had killed 14,000 Jews for dancing. He didnt mention they were dancing to Baal. I felt sorry for all the kids who grew up like I did in that kind of legalism, even though I had a nice mom and dad. I had a real burden on my heart to set people free from legalism…to help Christians get the best kind of psychological help and health that they could have. When I went into psychiatry, I saw people in other kinds of prisons, like the prison of sexual or physical abuse in childhood or in horrible relationships or involvement in things where they were being taken advantage of. I think the thing Im most proud of doing is helping Christians accept psychology and helping psychology accept Christians.
What would you say to someone who is entering the field now or in the next five years?
PM:I train people all the time. We take interns in Dallas, and Ive got a day hospital where people come and stay two or three weeks. I see young interns who come in, and I train them how to do insight-oriented therapy, Gestalt therapy techniques, and all that sort of thing. What I tell them is, “Dont get locked into any one field of psychology.In fact, if I was hiring a therapist and the person said, “Im a Rogerian therapist,I wouldnt hire the person. If he said, “Im a Gestalt therapist,I wouldnt hire him. If she Paul with his wife and daughter at the AACC Soul Conference in 1999 where he received the Lifetime Achievement Caregiver Award. said, œIm a psychoanalytical therapist,I wouldnt hire her. But if the person said, Im eclectic.
For this kind of patient, Ill do more of this technique, for this kind of patient Ill do more of that,thats the kind of person I want to hire. Christian counselors need to be biblically based but willing to look at all the different techniques and modify the patient care to the patient, rather than having their own set theory, cognitive or otherwise, making every patient fit into their paradigm. I would encourage young therapists to be open minded to a lot of different techniques, making sure they dont contradict anything in Scripture, meditating on the Bible every day, being sure they are doing this primarily as a ministry. I would also suggest that they develop a good family life, good friends, and stay balanced, because they are not going to do their patients any good if their lives are out of balance. They should let God lead them. Its a great field to be in and this is the time! There are probably only 10-20% of Christians who reject Christian psychology now. Back when I was starting, there were only 10-20% of Christians who would accept Christian psychology. Now, I think its 80-90% of Christians who are open to Christian counseling and Christian therapists. There are still 10% on what I call the paranoid fringe.
Who has been most significant to you in your development in the field and as a believer?
PM:The list is long. Prior to entering psychiatry, Paul Tournier, through his writings, helped me to be compassionate and analytical. In medical school, Frank Minirth was a strong, steady influence, because he always quoted Scripture and prayed about decisions. Bill Wilson, my mentor at Duke, was probably the strongest influence of anybody, because he really pushed for excellence and yet he had a heart for the Lord. He really hand-tutored me. When I left Duke, he cried because he wanted me to stay and teach there. One of the residents I got to know in Bible study at Duke was David Larson. Hes my prayer partner. I call him often, we confess to each other and pray for each other and for our kids. Ive already mentioned Leighton Fords sermon at Paul Littles funeral. Gary Collins taught me how to have a heart for ministry that was inspirational when I taught at Trinity Seminary. Haddon Robinson was my boss for many years at Dallas Seminary. He encouraged me, critiqued me, and taught me that its OK to not know the answer to every question a students asks.
Where do you see yourself going in the future?
PM:Right now, Im planning on doing what Im doing until Im too senile to answer questions on the radio. Then Ill retire. Id like to keep writing one novel a year. I dont feel any pressure to write any more psychology books. Ive written over 50 books now, and I really feel as if Ive covered every topic that Ive wanted to cover. But I enjoy doing the novels. Im going to be doing a series of psychological novels and maybe some childrens novels in the future. If I write more books on psychiatry, it will be because I have some burden in the future to cover some area. I cant even think of a topic I want to write on anymore. Web counselor plays a vital role for the welfare of society.
The last book I finished with Frank was Mastering Your Moods, and it was on the genetic disorders. This is one area that many Christian counselors have overlooked: obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, PMS, schizophrenia, and the genetic disorders. I really enjoyed writing that book even though it took a lot of research. If I died today, Id die happy, so now I am going to sit back and relax and do what Im doing until the Lord takes me home.
Pamela T. Campbell, M.A., is Director of Publications for AACC and a graduate student at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in the Chicago area.