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ABOUT US.

We have assembled a strong team dedicated to helping our clients move from where they are to where the Lord wants them. Each of our team members are passionate about what they do and are driven to help you experience hope and healing. As much as we believe it is important to discover what got you stuck, our approach is to not dwell on the past, but move you forward in your live. We generally employ a Hope and Solution-Focused method of moving you in the direction of your goals.

OUR TEAM

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Dr. Mark Painter, D.Min-PC, BCCC
Board Certified Christian Counselor

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Jody Painter, BC-MHC
Certified Marriage Mentor

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Charlotte Braithwaite, C-MHC
Addictions Support Coach (Intern)

Dr. Painter is a Pastoral Counselor, IBCC Board Certified Christian Counselor (BCCC), and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Jody is a Certified Marriage Mentor and Board Certified Mental Health Coach specializing in parenting and relationships, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Charlotte is a Mental Health Coach Intern specializing in Family Addiction Support and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Working Philosophy of Correction

We believe that the One who created us, divinely inspired all biblical scripture and that the Bible is the absolute final authority on all things pertaining to humanity – including human behavior. As such, all teaching is biblically-based and tested, all correction goals are biblically aligned, and goals and outcomes are evaluated according to biblical standards.

 

“Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

 

It is our firm belief that it is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and an intention to emulate Him, that His children (of all ages) will mature and develop a strong Christian worldview. We believe this Christian worldview, and an abiding faith in the authority of Jesus Christ allows Him to fully function in one’s life. Moreover, the LORD is fully and independently capable of providing deliverance from all things causing emotional anxiety and behavioral dysfunction, giving way to a secure, faithful, and hope-filled life of peace (Psalms 34:4).

 

For Christian counselors, psychology provides a set of tools that can be used in helping identify how one’s humanity affects a client’s connection to the LORD. We do not believe this conflicts with the truth of 2 Timothy 3:16, but that 2 Timothy governs a filtering process that makes the use of science possible.

Biblical Filter for Science

In accordance with our belief that the God is fully capable, actively engaged, all-powerful, and is the final authority on all truth and understanding, we confidently study the findings of psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, medical doctors, biologists, sociologists, geneticists, and other persons who have researched the mind and brain. We understand that the mind, brain, soul, and spirit are creations of God and that persons surveying these creations are powerless to change them. All information presented by science, that stands in contradiction to the Bible, is cast out of consideration, whether its violation is due to intentionality or error.

Christ-Centered Psychology

Our concept of Christ-Centered Psychology (C-CP) is, unfortunately, a unique approach to psychology. Conventional psychologists who are Christians, find it necessary to make a concerted effort to integrate a Christian worldview into their psychological perspective. On the surface, this sounds great. However, such a perspective suggests that science without God can be legitimate for the non-believing participants - and it cannot.

 

What is different about our concept of C-CP is our understanding that it is not necessary to integrate the Lord into psychology. We believe that psychology is the study of a created being’s mind, which includes personal and social behavioral patterns, emotional response, and cognitive function. By extension, psychiatry and neurology are also studies of the created brain from a function, and treatment-potential standpoint. Therefore, Christ-Centered Psychology is simply a way of acknowledging that the mind and brain are creations of God and that any study of either is naturally a study of that which God created. As such, it is unnecessary to purposefully practice the integration of the Bible, God, and Christianity into the discipline – He is and has always been, “in it”.

 

Acknowledging God in everything should be as natural as seeing.

 

For Christian counselors, psychology provides a set of tools that can be used in helping to identify how one’s humanity affects their spirituality or connection to the LORD. There are reasons for everything, and almost 100% of the time, the reasons stem from sin. The acknowledgment of sin and the behaviors driven by it naturally integrate into psychology and the family. It is natural to acknowledge the effects of sinful behavior on relationships (social psychology), parenting (developmental psychology), and individual emotional stability (general and abnormal psychology). Additionally, sin is commonly the cause of physical and chemical trauma (including addiction) to the brain, which employs the disciplines of neurology, psychiatry, and psychology. An example of sin leading to neurological damage might be related to chemical or alcohol abuse.

God and Science

Regarding science, Billy Graham pointed out Daniel 2:22, which reads, “He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him” (KJV). Since it is up to God to reveal the mysteries of all that He created and all He has to say; science is a process of God’s intentional revelation of Himself to His Created (us). Our ability to discover is an attribute and gift provided by the LORD. Daniel could not have known what God was saying through the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar if God had not provided the information to him (Daniel 2:19). As such, man only knows that which was a mystery yesterday, because the LORD reveals that information to him today.

 

Daniel proclaimed to Nebuchadnezzar that it was God who provided him the needed information. Following Daniel’s lead, those who practice Christ-Centered Psychology acknowledge that it is only by the revelation of the LORD that science has and does expand in knowledge.

 

Continuing with the Daniel 2:22 concept, Billy Graham said: “The fact of the matter is that science and faith complement each other, and there is no conflict between true science and true religion. Together they give the best foundation for wholesome faith and courage for daily living.” Every day the world drags man farther and farther from the LORD, and every day the LORD provides man more and more proof of His authority. Some of those revelations are through science.

 

Still, the question remains: Can a Christian evaluate a client based on discovered scientific information, theorized on by science, or otherwise provided by a non-Christian researcher? If everything stated above is valid, the answer is yes – provided it does not violate God’s word.

ADDRESS

1756 University Blvd. S,

Jacksonville, FL 32216

Tel: 904-445-8410

FrontOffice@BaymeadowsCenter.org

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HOURS

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Monday - Friday 10:am – 4:30pm

Saturday - By Appointment

 Sunday: Closed

No Walk-in Access

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© 2023 Baymeadows Center for Hope & Healing, Inc., Jacksonville FL 32217

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