Working in the field of clinical counseling as a Christian, I am thrilled when scientific findings actually support biblical truths. Dr. Caroline Leaf’s “The Perfect You” shares much of her research, which aligns and supports teachings from the Word of God.
In the Bible, we are told how we are made special – that we have unique characteristics, personalities, perceptions, and talents. “The Perfect You” provides evidence to support these claims as she gives specific instances of our individual differences. She illustrates how two people can experience the same set of circumstances yet carry away different memories, feelings, and significance from that shared event. (Think about how the 4 Gospel writers experienced the same things together yet shared different stories and details.)
A big chunk of the book is dedicated to a tool (her Unique Qualitative Assessment Tool) where the reader answers questions on a variety of topics. You are prompted to reflect and answer questions on seven subject areas (interestingly aligning with Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences) to help measure and show just how unique you are. Because of this assessment tool, I would encourage you to use a hard copy of the book rather than a digital copy (sorry to my Kindle readers).
Christians are also taught in the bible to control their minds and direct their thoughts. Many practices such as mindfulness and meditation echo practices of focusing your thoughts in an intentional and premeditated way. Leaf’s research seeks to show that our minds (thoughts, perceptions, and feelings specifically) are actually separate from our physical brains, and that by controlling our minds we can in turn repair and alter our brains. She shares accounts of patients with brain damage who were told they would never recover. Yet through intentional guided practices, they were able to regain mental functions which others doctors had written off as hopeless.
For those intrigued by neuroscience or the alignment of scripture and science, “The Perfect You” is a fascinating read. The future of counseling is moving toward neuroscience and understanding exactly how our mind and brain intermingle to impact who we are, how we perceive our world, and what we do in turn.
A word of warning to you: This is not a casual or quick read. Though Leaf does her best to explain many scientific principles in layman’s terms, there are many technical phrases that one cannot just skim over. This book and its ideas will take time to read through and digest. Give yourself permission to do so. If you’re willing to do so, the findings are incredibly eye opening and intriguing.
If you’re willing to push through the technical lingo and complete the assessment tools, I guarantee you will learn something new about yourself. Better yet, you’ll come to appreciate the perfect you (pun intended) that God created you to be. And when we can reach a place of appreciating ourselves for exactly who are, a lot of healing and joy will happen!
-Joel D. Walton
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