Counseling and Physiology Class: Neurobiology of Addiction (or, A Good Thing Gone Bad)

In the first chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s textbook on addictions, Alan Leshner says this: “The brain of someone addicted to drugs is a changed brain; it is qualitatively different from that of a normal person in fundamental ways, including gene expression, glucose [sugar] utilization, and responsiveness to environmental cues.”

Luke 2:22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

This week we bring you an interview with David Powlison conducted by two students from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Powlison reveals fascinating details about how he became a biblical counselor and the early days of the biblical counseling movement, as well as insights into his take on various perceived conflicts between biblical and secular counseling, psychology, and psychiatry.

This week's podcast is part two of a visit inside a CCEF Training classroom, Tim Lane's Counseling in the Local Church class. In a segment of the class titled "Growth in Grace," Tim helps us understand how essential the community of the local church is in the sanctification of each of its members.

Grace, gratify and gratitude arise from the same linguistic root, whether the language is English, Greek, or Latin. The good gift, the deep pleasure, and the heartfelt thankfulness are connected experientially, just as they are linguistically.

From all accounts "Sex Matters," our 2009 CCEF National Conference held this past weekend, was a resounding success. We were both humbled by and grateful for the many comments from conference participants, many saying this year's event was the "best ever."

Counseling and Physiology Class: Psychiatry

This past Monday we started our exploration of psychiatry and psychiatric diagnoses. I asked the class what particular questions and concerns they brought to the table when considering this topic. Here are a few of their responses: