How can one escape the darkness of suffering, and find hope? Many lose faith after enduring hardships. I understand how suffering can extinguish hope. Many carry burdens most of us could never endure. This book is offered as a measure of hope for those who have become defeated along the way. Suffering is a part of life. We all struggle. Some suffer less; others struggle much more. Some stay lost in the crevasses of their pain and eventually concede to futility, while others journey through the thicket of what they have become and seek light in their suffering. With over 45 years of experience as a psychotherapist and a background in Christian faith, my mission has always been to offer the best of myself to those experiencing distress. This text shares the intersections and divergencies between Christian teachings and scriptural insights while integrating psychotherapy treatments and practices. These two measures are the cornerstone of this text and offers primary foundations for those enduring persistent suffering. This text offers a discussion about the "why's" of suffering, even to the extent of experiencing God's unconditional love. It also provides detailed descriptions of the Triune God, the Father, Son, and Spirit in light of suffering. In addition, this book highlights various psychological conditions that interfere with one's ability to deal with suffering, as well as corresponding scripture with cognitive, affective, holistic, familial, and behavioral psychotherapies, concerns of addiction and the need for boundaries. It also recognizes the significance of attachment and its effects, and the nature of traumas, and efforts toward recovery. Unconditional love (Christianity's command), or absolute positive regard (primarily used in humanistic psychology) is at the heart of defeating suffering. As we shake off our defenses and genuinely engage in compassion for ourselves and others, we can enter a space of self-discovery. With the renewal of our minds, we can alter how we define our suffering and how we plan to cope with it. Oftentimes, we do not have control over our circumstances, but we do have some control over our suffering. Although suffering is a normal process, extensive and defeated suffering oftentimes leads to further anguish and hopelessness. Thus, as we gain new insight through scriptural and psychotherapeutic practices, there are options to recovery.
