Blog 25: "Biblical Parents," A Spiritual View

A Spiritual View
I bet you all are thinking that my encounters with "Biblical Parents" was easy, right? Simply because they already believe in the paranormal world? Plus, given their Biblical beliefs they would know what to do to handle a child who can see ghosts, correct?

Not True At All!

Biblical parents were much harder to work with because of their foundation in spirituality. That knowledge would make some of them afraid to face the challenge of seeing ghosts within their children. Other times, they would be afraid because there was automatic belief that their children were being possessed by Satan. However, the most difficult Biblical Parents were the ones who could see ghosts themselves, but deny that their children had the same ability to see ghosts. 

At times, biblical parents presented with some degree of anxiety about their children's ability to see ghosts, which was also evident to their children. Examples of quotes from children:

"My mom doesn't like that I see ghosts"
"My dad believes that I am possessed"
"My parents think that I am crazy"
"My mom refuses to listen to my stories about ghost sightings"
"My dad/mom makes me carry a Bible"

Missing Link
Missing links for Nebulous Children of Biblical Parents was always, how to cast out demons for themselves to impove their activities of daily living. Interesting right? To me as well because, the Bible clearly discusses how Jesus was able to cast out demons in various scriptures, including how He did it, and why. Not to mention, the paranormal world is discussed plenty of times in scripture. Most importantly, Biblical Parents knew how Jesus died on the cross to give us (humans) the power to not only resist Satan's temptation, but to cast out demons in God's name. 

Ironically, the Biblical parents that I encountered were fully aware of the paranormal world, and how to cast out demons from themselves. They also understood how to teach their children to pray and to demand that demons leave them alone in God's name. Acting upon these known truths posed a problem for Biblical Parents. Reason being, many of them would not entertain the mere fact that their kids told them that they could see ghosts. Instead, they believed that their children were solely afflicted with conditions of mental health. Changing their thoughts about their children's ability was a difficult task, and took a lot of careful problem solving.

In defense of Biblical Parents, it is hard for any parent to come to terms with the fact that their child can see ghosts. Think about that for a moment. If my own children told me that they could see ghosts, I would probably be just as shocked and/or need more problem solving strategies with therapists to come to terms with it. Considering their reservations, defenses, and sometimes disbelief, I worked with them for as long as they needed to come to terms with their child's ability to see ghosts. I may have been more trusted because I kept a Bible within my office. More than likely, that helped with establishing rapport and trust; however,  I also never steered away from speaking with these parents about their beliefs about God and the paranormal.

What I Appreciate About Biblical Parents
A lot! First, they are not resistant to learning more about how to improve their Nebulous Child's quality of life once they start to accept it. Imagine Biblical Parents this way,

• You meet the Biblical Parent(s).
  
• They enter your office preaching the word of God in defiance of their children seeing ghosts
  
• A few weeks later, they stop preaching the word of God as much to defend their stance
  
• Then, they embrace the idea(s) that you present to them regarding their child
  
• Afterwards, they start working on it by embracing your recommendations
• Then I incorporated Biblical principals

After all of this, can Biblical Parents still be a bit challenging? Yes, but eventually they will open up to their child's ability to see ghosts. Similar to most parents, they need a helping hand to understand it better spiritually, and from their child's perspective.

How To Work with Biblical Parents

• ​Tell them the truth 
• Share their child's ability to see ghosts with them
  • Do not cover up the facts, tell them what you know
  • Include how their behaviors may be impacting their child
  • Be the voice for the Nebulous Child
• Be their guide into understanding Nebulous Children
  • You are the expert
  • Remember why these parents chose you to help their child
  • Keep in mind that these parents do respect you
  • Continue to provide them with respect as well
    • Never make them feel as if their feelings/concerns about spirituality does not matter
    • Meet them where they are and work to unpack their reservations
• Thoroughly explain the Nebulous Child's ability to see ghosts versus mental health
  • Continue to reassure these parents that you will address their concerns about their child's mental health
• Your level of spirituality does not matter
  • It only matters if you behave as if it does
  • Get comfortable with these parents
• Their Biblical beliefs can be intimidating
  • Remember they are learning from you about their child's mental health
  • Stay focused
  • You can still help them even if you are not well-versed in the Bible
  • Improve any resistant behaviors 
    • Monitor those behaviors and how they impact their child 
    • Teach them flexibility in thinking toward their child's perceived challenges
    • Keep an open mind 
      • The more that these parents trust your judgment, they will try harder to remedy the perceived problem(s) with the Bible along with your professional recommendations