Descriptions:
Episode 11 of Mental Health Matters for Christians
In this powerful conversation, Christine and co-host Tim Long, a therapist, explore how our experiences with parents, church culture, trauma, addiction, and shame can shape the way we see God. Many Christians know the right answers about God intellectually, yet experience Him very differently in their hearts.
Tim shares his personal journey through pornography addiction, shame, and multiple counselors before his transformation, which ultimately came through experiencing God as present, compassionate, and deeply attuned to his pain.
Christine shares how growing up in a home marked by domestic violence distorted her view of both men and God—and how God used safe, loving relationships to bring healing and restore trust.
Topics discussed
• How distorted concepts of God are formed
• Why head knowledge alone doesn’t produce heart transformation
• The connection between shame and addiction
• How childhood experiences shape our view of God
• Why feeling seen and known is essential for healing
• How God uses healthy relationships to reveal His true character
• The difference between trying harder and genuine transformation
Resources Mentioned:
• Knowing God by J.I. Packer
• Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby
Chapters
00:00 Introduction: Healing Distorted Concepts of God
01:00 Head Knowledge vs Heart Experience
04:30 Can You Know God and Still Feel Distant?
07:40 Tim’s Struggle with Pornography Addiction
10:55 The Girlfriend Who Said “Get Help”
13:00 Why Accountability Alone Didn’t Work
16:30 Four Therapists Later
18:45 Desperation, Shame, and Fear of Abandonment
21:30 Meeting the Therapist Who Changed Everything
23:20 “I Believe You”
26:00 Learning to Feel Instead of Think
27:45 The Hidden Loneliness Beneath Addiction
29:20 Family Dynamics and Childhood Wounds
30:10 Discovering Childhood Sexual Abuse
32:00 Feeling Seen, Safe, and Known
35:30 A Life-Changing Spiritual Revelation
38:15 “This Is How I Am With You”
39:20 A New Understanding of God
40:35 When Church Culture Distrusts Emotions
41:25 Christine’s Distorted View of God
43:15 Healing Through Healthy Relationships
46:00 The Father Figures God Brought Into Her Life
🔹 Connect with Tim
• Website: https://www.kainoschristiantherapy.com/
🔹 Connect with Christine
• Website: https://www.worthycreations.org/