In the beginning, God created man after his own likeness (D&C 20:18) And as Thom Harrison likes to say, “God doesn’t create junk.” Our bodies are a wonder. The way all the parts and pieces work together in harmony is nothing short of a miracle. When you were formed in the womb, your heart was the first organ to take shape and begin to function. In beautiful synchrony, it began to play a vital role with other organs and chemicals and hormones to further your physical development. When you were finally born, the heart and the brain had an inseperable bond, working harmoniously together as your explored and discovered your earthly experience. As life goes on, the bond between head and heart can become fractured. Whether through physical trauma, chemical imbalances, pregnancy, life changes, or emotional stressors, mental illness affects all of us in one way or another. We see it in our spouses, we see it in our families, and we see it in ourselves. Somewhere down the line, society began to take God out of dealing with mental illness. Why would we exclude the one being who knows how to reconnect our heads and our hearts better than anyone else? In this week’s episode of the podcast, Thom Harrison talks about his determination to bring God back into the discussion of mental illness. God made you, so he can heal you!
Thomas Harrison has been trained in cognitive therapy, psychodynamic therapy, reality-oriented therapy, and relationship therapy. He has been practicing in Utah with a clinical license since 1977. He has taught at the University of Utah Medical School, Graduate School of Social Work and in conflict resolution and divorce mediation at the BYU Law School.
Harrison has postgraduate training in depression, anxiety, sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, sexual addiction, and posttraumatic stress disorders. He has counseled over 4000 survivors of sexual abuse. He treats dissociative disorders and has served on the neuro-trauma team at three hospitals.
He has 40 years of experience and assists in the resolution of problems quickly and in the long run for less cost to the client. He is knowledgeable in traditional psychotropic medication and nontraditional approaches to wellness. He is a skilled therapist. He is the author of three published books.