The transcript for "Christ-Centered Healing for Depression and Low Self Worth," recorded in 2005 by Carrie M. Wrigley for the BYU Education Week series, is available here at this site :
Transcript, "Christ -Centered Healing from Depression and Low Self-Worth
Hopefully this will be a helpful resource for the many people over the years who have requested a transcript of the talk, to study it more intensively, and to be able to apply its concepts more effectively. An index and summary of ideas presented in the talk appear below:
----- Quick Index to the Transcript -----
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p. 1 - Introduction
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p. 4 - Understanding the Stages of Healing
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p. 6 - Three Ineffective Approaches
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p. 9 - Learning by Study, And Also By Faith
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p. 9 - The Diamond, Part 1 - Relationship Triggers
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p. 11 - The Diamond, Part 2 - Thinking
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p. 12 - The Diamond, Part 3 - Behavior
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p. 13 - The Diamond, Part 4 - Spirituality
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p. 15 - Applying the Diamond - Identify, Replace, Assimilate
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p. 16 - Conclusion - Drawing on the Savior's Power to Heal
----- Summary of the Talk and Its Core Principles -----
"Christ-Centered Healing from Depression and Low Self-Worth" describes a hopeful, spiritually-centered process of healing from depression; and contrasts that process with the more common "treatments" for depression which may temporarily moderate symptoms, but do not promote full recovery from the core underlying causes of depression. It provides a comprehensive look at what creates depression, what complicates it - and what, over time, can help cure it.
The talk is designed to teach strategies for proceeding through the full range of the healing process. Likening the emotional healing process to recovery from a physical illness, Four Stages of Healing are identified:
- Assessment and Diagnosis
- Intervention and Treatment
- Recovery and Rehabilitation
- Wellness and Relapse Prevention
The talk observes that some of the more common treatments for depression begin with diagnosis, and then proceed with treatment... and more treatment... and more treatment. This contrasts with the healing process exemplified by Jesus Christ, whose healing had the impact of making people "whole" - of restoring full wellness and functionality, rather than creating permanent dependency on ongoing "treatment." The four stages of healing defined above can mark a clear path through a complete healing process, beginning with diagnosis and treatment, and then proceeding all the way through to recovery and wellness.
The talk is based around the idea of the "Diamond," a treatment model developed by Carrie M. Wrigley, LCSW, to describe the process of full emotional healing. It begins with an assessment of "Relationships" - triggering events, usually in the context of an important relationship, that create initial vulnerability to emotional distress. It then proceeds to examine "Thoughts" - attitudes and interpretations of triggering events and their implications, that escalate distress. These thoughts then inevitably lead to "Behavior" expressing the distressed feelings launched by the depressive thinking. This depressive behavior (whether in the milder form of inactivity and isolation, or in more serious forms such as self-harm) trigger a series of consequences that then have negative impact on the individual's "Spirituality" and "Relationships." The cycle can continue around and around, with deepening pain for the struggling individual, and for those around them. Often, multi-generational depression can be triggered by this cycle - children being impacted by the depressiove behavior and attitudes of their parents, and so on.
The good news, however, is that the Diamond is useful not only for "Assessment" of depression, but also to guide "Treatment" and "Relapse Prevention." In each of the four areas of the Diamond, as people become aware of the many factors that trigger and complicate their depression, they can learn, in a strategic, intentional way, to identify and then replace these various factors with more positive "relationships, thoughts, behavior, and spirituality" - and in, this way, grow incrementally toward full recovery and wholeness. And very often, the multi-generational cycle of distress can be brought to a close - replaced with a more satisfying, joyful pattern.
Philosophically, the "Diamond" approach is guided by statements in the early 1970's by several prominent LDS leaders, teaching the importance of self-reliance and positive action in overcoming emotional distress. This same philosophical basis (though not religiously grounded) is also evident in treatment strategies such as CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), IPT (interpersonal therapy), and various skills training approaches - all of which are referenced and applied in the Diamond model. The scriptural injunction to "seek learning, even by study, and also by faith," (D&C 88:118) is applied in this model, as spiritual concepts are applied through practical strategies developed within these secular disciplines. Blending the strength of spiritual vision, with the practicalities of psychological treatment models, makes "The Diamond" a synergistic model to guide recovery through the full range of the Four Stages of Healing.
KBYU-TV, who recorded the talk, provided the initial verbatim transcript; it has now been edited and formated by its author for publication here.
Transcript of "Christ-Centered Healing from Depression and Low Self-Worth" (PDF, 16 pp.)
Video of "Christ-Centered Healing from Depression and Low Self-Worth" (55 minutes)
