Greg Gifford challenges mainstream mental health assumptions in new book

Dr. Greg Gifford, a professor and certified biblical counselor, is arguing that Christians should question secular therapy models and look to biblical principles instead. His new book, Lies My Therapist Told Me, targets common mental-health ideas, from trauma-centered explanations to the medical framing of addiction.

Why it matters: - Gifford is pushing back on ideas that shape how families, churches and clinicians explain anxiety, addiction and behavior. - The book argues that Christians should not assume diagnoses, medication or past trauma are the main explanations for present struggles. - Gifford says biblical counseling can offer a more complete framework for change, relationships and mental health.

What happened: - Dr. Greg Gifford released Lies My Therapist Told Me: Why Christians Should Aim for More Than Just Treating Symptoms. - The book presents a Christian critique of secular psychiatry and psychology. - Gifford says a turning point came when he and his wife met with a school psychologist about their sixth-grade son. - The psychologist wanted the child tested, which Gifford viewed as a possible path toward diagnosis and medication. - Gifford is a professor, certified biblical counselor, author, speaker and host of the Transformed with Dr. Greg Gifford podcast.

The details: - Gifford challenges ideas he says have become widely accepted, including “the body keeps the score” and the idea that addiction is a disease. - He contrasts secular approaches to anxiety, narcissism, OCD and Binge Eating Disorder with biblical counseling principles. - He argues that personal responsibility, beliefs and thought patterns deserve more attention than diagnosis alone. - Gifford says harmful behavior should not automatically be blamed on the past, trauma or a diagnosis. - He says Christians should not assume every struggle is primarily a medical problem. - Gifford says his counseling approach helps people communicate better, reduce conflict and anger, and build healthier marriages, families and relationships. - Gifford is Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling at The Master’s University. - He is also the author of Heart & Habits: How We Change for Good and Helping Your Family Through PTSD. - Publisher Broadside Books is releasing the book. - The book’s ISBN-13 is 978-0063416734. - The book is available from Amazon. - More information about Gifford is available at his author page.

Between the lines: - The book lands in a broader debate over whether modern therapy overstates diagnosis, trauma and medication. - Gifford’s message is explicitly religious, so its appeal will likely be strongest among readers seeking a faith-based alternative to secular mental-health frameworks. - The argument is less about rejecting care altogether and more about redefining what healthy change should look like.

What's next: - Gifford is likely to keep using his book, podcast and speaking platform to advance a biblical counseling model. - The book will test whether there is appetite among Christian readers for a direct critique of mainstream therapy culture. - Broader discussion may follow around how churches and families balance medical treatment, counseling and faith-based guidance.

The bottom line: - Gifford is telling Christians to question the mental-health assumptions many people treat as settled fact.