KDP Select Promotional: May 1, 2013 - May 5, 2013
Dr. McAvoy is a licensed psychologist who has been counseling for over twenty years. It is not surprising she is very interested in how people change. Through the course of her work, she has discovered that interpersonal safety and acceptance which exists in the context of the therapeutic relationship are instrumental in creating the necessary environment for clients to explore their psychological conflicts, unmet emotional needs, and dissatisfying relationship patterns. This insight gave her the inspiration for this devotional: Jesus, The Ultimate Therapist: Healing Without Limits.
Currently this is the second of two books in the devotional series, Living Life 2 the Fullest. Originally Dr. McAvoy intended both devotionals to be a single book, but discovered there was too much material. Each book, however, can be read as a stand-alone devotional.
Dr. McAvoy included meditation exercises and musical playlists with each chapter. She added these tools to encourage the reader to go deeper with the material through the practice of other spiritual disciplines. By interacting with the subject matter the reader gains a deeper perspective of each chapter's topic.
Traditional style of questions typically found in most Bible studies were not used, instead she utilized psychologically-oriented questions to challenge the reader. It is her belief that one can only change oneself when underlying assumptions and beliefs are identified and challenged.
The intent of this book is to deepen the reader's understanding of Jesus Christ's desire to have a rich personal relationship with each of us. Since Jesus is, by his very nature, love, then he is able to perfectly cherish, encourage, and care for us. Our relationship with him goes beyond any human example of community or therapeutic alliance.
Writing this book strengthened Dr. McAvoy's faith. Being a romantic at heart, she expected the chapter which explored Jesus as our bridegroom to be her favorite. She discovered, however, the chapter on friendship with Jesus which she dreaded writing the most turned out to be her favorite.