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David Nehring (USA)
Coping with Stress – Dr. David Nehring
Christian Perspectives is a licensed Clinical
Psychologist at and
Clinical Director of
Stress is often defined as “the demands of the Bethesda Christian
situation threaten to exceed the resources of the Counseling out of
individual” (Lazarus & Folkman 1984). Hans Sioux Falls, South
Selye also gives his famous definition “the non- Dakota.
specific response of the body to any demand for Bethesda is a Chri-
change,” (cited in Schneiderman, Ironson and stian mental health
Siegel , 2005). The first time I ran across truly services agency serving locations in Iowa, Min-
traumatic stories as a young psychologist assi- nesota and South Dakota. He maintains special
stant (trainee) I spent ten minutes after session interests in guilt, shame, reconciliation, for-
throwing up in the toilet. Both of the definitions giveness and repentance; marriage and fami-
of stress fit my response at the time. Van Der ly counseling; cultural identity and meaning;
Kolk (2014) describes polyvagal dynamics of masculine psychology, church functioning and
fight, flight and freeze and how the emotional family dynamics in rural psychology, Christian
and behavioral relates to the neuroanatomy, spirituality, Christian Psychology, and Jewish-
which describes what my clients, and to a lesser Christian relations.
extent myself, were going through at the time.
The ventral vagal complex picks up assessments
coming in from the assessments in the hippo- deal with intractable problems, irrational but
campus and amygala, undercutting some of the deeply committed thinking, chronically con-
activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, leading flicted relationships and occasionally horrible
to autonomic arousal (fight or flight), initiated stories. In order to cope with stress in working
by the hippocampus and amygdale leading to with theory and practicing the delivery of ser-
the activity mediated by the hypothalamus- vices of Christian Psychology, it is important
adrenal-pituitary axis (Wehrenberg and Prince, to develop perspective on how the typical ap-
2007) and its production of agitation, stomach proaches to this, coping mechanisms, self care,
issues, primitive, black and white thinking, and and internal therapeutic work, fit in the broader
a cascade of cortisol which they (and I) may be context of living, thinking about and growing
leaking for months or years to come. in a an authentic Christian life. And if we take a
But these “demands … [that] threaten to exceed somewhat different perspective on both theolo-
the resources of the individual” is what life is, gy and psychology, and look more deeply at suf-
ultimately, especially for the Christian (John fering and faith, a deep conversation with God
16:33b). Knowing the details of the stress re- begins to emerge that defines the life of faith.
sponse helps to understand what we and others I first begin teaching stress management while
are experiencing, but becoming grounded in assigned to an active duty base in Air Combat
God in a way that places relationship over sub- Command of the United States Air Force where
ject matter is vitally important in dealing with we were tasked with training personnel in stress
the stresses of work and life because our con- management in situations where they were in
fidence must not be from my knowledge or turn training for combat entailing stresses de-
technology but from a God who is acting and signed by an opposing force to overwhelm
who loves me and loves my clients (Phil 3:3). them. Part of my job was training personnel in
It becomes about what he is doing as He, the the psychological aspect of “self aid and buddy
real doctor, is doing the real work. I have my care” which typically included concepts such
part to do as well in which I am to be faithful, as being aware of the stress performance curve
and I can be confident in the technology that (cf Anderson, 1976) taught us by Col. Karl O.
constitutes my part, which I use to help clients “Skip” Moe., guided imagery, relaxation brea-
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