Cecelia Bernhardt, M.Div., is the director of counseling at CCEF. She has completed the Advanced Counseling Certificate through CCEF and also has a Master of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary. She specializes in women’s issues, singleness, young adults, depression, and sexual abuse. She was the president of the women’s ministry in her church for three years. She enjoys her large family, reading, music and flowers - live and in water color.
Shame and guilt are often overarching and lingering issues for adult survivors of sexual abuse. A sense of being unclean and isolated can permeate a survivor’s sense of their own identity, warp their view of the reality of God’s world, and impact relationships long after the abuse has come to an end. There are also complex and confusing questions of guilt relating both to the original abuse and also to sinful struggles that develop as time goes on.
Life in a fallen world is painful and broken. As Christians endure hardship and suffering, it is common to feel angry at God in our hearts. Our job as counselors is to help people face the reality of the anger they feel, express it, and repent of it so they can move forward. Listen as Alasdair Groves and Cecelia Bernhardt discuss how to come alongside and help those who struggle in this way.
More and more people are living as singles in our culture today. How can we keep a vibrant relationship with the Lord and intimate relationships with people around us as we live our busy and fragmented lives? How can singleness be something that brings us closer to God and others, rather than something that isolates us?
The traumatic, long term affects from sexual abuse are well known. They can range from paralyzing fears to physiological symptoms, often causing identity struggles which impact survivors themselves and the relationships that they hold most dear. For many believers who experienced sexual abuse two important questions tend to be: “Where was God?” and “Why didn’t He stop it?” We will focus on both the reality of long term affects from sexual abuse and how the survivor can find grace and freedom in learning how to trust in the love of God.
This week our host Andrew Ray sits down with Winston Smith, author of the book "Marriage Matters", and Cecelia Bernhardt, to discuss how to love a spouse who is walking through depression.
This week our host Andrew Ray sits down with Cecelia Bernhardt and Winston Smith to discuss ways biblical counselors measure the effectiveness of their counseling.
