The name Theotherapy comes from this principle: that God is the one who ultimately heals. He may choose to use various vessels and techniques. It was on this assumption that Dr. Mario Rivera founded Theotherapy. Dr. Rivera grew up in a small town of Puerto Rico. He came to know God as a young man and committed his life to pursuing an understanding of healing. He studied the three aspects of the person: the physical, the psychological, and the spiritual. He obtained Masters' Degrees in physical therapy, clinical psychology and a Doctor of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. As he worked with people, he began to see just a hint of what God sees fully-the complicated interaction of spirit, soul, and body and its effect on the person. From his years of study and observation, he formulated a technique of facilitating the healing process in wounded individuals through theological and psychological absolutes. This healing process would come from the truth of God, administered by the love of God. Thus the name: Theotherapy - God heals. Dr. Rivera has used this in the large church he pastors, the Barbara Ann Roessler Memorial Church in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for over forty years.

Those who are used by God in Theotherapy are those who have experienced a continuing degree of healing themselves. They are in the process of knowing God as Creator, Physician and King. For this reason they can serve as signposts pointing others in the direction of wholeness. Knowledge of the Bible, the Word of God, as well as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is imperative. This is because once lies are discovered and released in a person, only the implantation of truth can remedy the deep wounds of the soul. It is sad that many people attend church regularly and hear the truth of God's word, but because they have never experienced the painful process of uncovering lies, the truth cannot fully enter. The soil must first be broken-up and weeded before it can receive the precious seed.

For our brothers and sisters in Christ who are wary of psychology (which is simply the study of man's behavior), let us assure you that mental health was the domain of the church long before there ever was such a thing called psychology. Just as medical science has helped to identify sickness in man's body, so psychology has helped define the sickness in his soul. We can benefit from their descriptions without having to patronize their solutions (although sometimes their solutions are perfectly in line with Scripture.) I would challenge the reader to find one helpful psychological principle that is not found in the Word of God-forgiveness, resolution of guilt, love to replace fears, etc.

Theotherapy is a modality of Christian ministry based on Christian principles. God is clear about one thing: Man must live as God purposed or he will not be living right. Right living is not based on neurotic guilt or shame that has been projected on us but rather it comes in response to the wooing of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 12 the Apostle Paul gives us a hint on how to live the way God means for us to live.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2 NIV.

In order to live as God meant us to live we need to conform our lives to Him. However, very often inner conflicts block this goal. Consequently, man finds himself facing three core problems.

The first question of the Westminster Catechism that asks: "What is the main purpose of man?" The answer, the final goal of Theotherapy, is, "The main object of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." To this end Theotherapy stands ready to serve.

A powerful tool that the church has at its disposal is Theotherapy. God is faithful to His word and He has promised not to leave you alone. Christianity is beautiful because it enables Christians, with this tool, to deal effectively with the demands of life and at the same time equips them to minister life to other people.

As "people helpers", we are going to give others the love God has placed in our hearts. This is the difference between Theotherapy and other therapies. God touches our spirit, our spirit touches our soul, our soul touches our body and our body touches others, presenting the Lord Jesus Christ.

Theotherapy Helps Us In The Following Areas Of Our Life:

As we keep on growing in the path of Jesus Christ, we will become self-fulfilled. Self-fulfillment is the process in which we become the real men and women God created us to be. Self-fulfillment means to develop the potential that God has given us. It is Christ in us. So, actually it is Christ-fulfillment. Thank God for the freedom He brings to our hearts that gives purpose, meaning, and joy to our lives.

4. In the truth of Scriptures as the primary source of the therapeutic tools and principles for the restoration,      healing, integration and salvation of human life.

5. In the downfall of humanity, in the reality of sin, sickness and death, and in the need for a Savior to restore     individual human beings to an intimate relationship with the Creator.

6. In the church, as the body of Christ on earth through which the Holy Spirit works to bring healing and salvation     to a fallen world.

7. In the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as a real historical event.

Our goal in Theotherapy is to assist you as you go deeper with God, learning to see yourself as He sees you, and to guide you toward healthier, whole connections with others. In Theotherapy you will see a variety of interactions that may be different from what you may have expected to see or experience. This is a brief explanation about why we do what we do. If you have any questions, please discuss them with your seminar coordinator or small group leader. They will be glad to answer your questions.

We teach principles from the Holy Bible that are relevant to the resolution of negative emotions such as fear, anger, guilt, rejection and loneliness. We believe that God's Word is able to heal. "The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 NIV.

Touch is a powerful means of connection. It is said that we need seven hugs a day for healthy functions, and twelve hugs a day for healing. You will see some hugging and holding in Theotherapy. Many persons are isolated and do not get this important need met. God's love for the persons to whom we minister is so real and tangible to us that we spontaneously respond with physical gestures that communicate His love. The facilitators will always ask for permission before having any physical contact with you.

We sometimes use role-play to help a person access deeper (repressed) emotion. In doing this they become more aware of how negative emotions have affected their lives, and the can make a choice to let go of them. Role-plays can be valuable as persons move through the grieving and forgiveness process. King David was candid with God about his feelings (toward God and those who mistreated him). Psalm 4:1-2 NIV says, "Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?" In this psalm David lets God know that he is tired of waiting for an answer. He brings his enemies right into his prayer time as if he is talking to them. He is letting God work on his heart issues; and God honors him by calling him "a man after my own heart." For more detailed scriptural references to role-play, see the insert entitled "More on Ministry Techniques".

God created us with an imagination. Like other gifts that He has given, our imagination can be used for good or evil. We may guide a person to use their "sanctified imagination" by asking them what Jesus might say or do if He was physically present in an experience they had. We have found that this avenue is a tool God uses to heal memories and internalize new beliefs and feelings about troubling experiences. Visions and imagery are a way that God speaks to His people. For more detailed scriptural references to the use of imagination, see the insert entitled "More on Ministry Techniques".

A person who has experienced rejection and abandonment in childhood tends to abandon him or herself. They ignore the pain of the rejection and abandonment or try to "numb" it with some kind of emotional narcotic (food, shopping, sex, work, obsession with church activities, etc.). In Theotherapy we help persons connect to the little child within and minister to this part of them so that they can mature and take hold of all that God has for them. The disciples rebuked the people who brought little ones to Jesus. "But Jesus called the children to him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'" Luke 18:16 NIV.

People repress their anger because they think that these feelings are sinful. When a person's anger surfaces at a seminar, we may encourage them to express this verbally and/or physically (by hitting a pillow with a plastic bat or by stomping their feet). After a person has released these negative emotions in a way that does not harm themselves or others, they will have a greater sense of emotional freedom. Jesus expressed his anger in a physical manner when God's temple had been misused by the moneychangers (Mark 11:12-17).

In addition to the techniques listed above, throughout this ministry weekend you might see other methods such as prayer, writing letters, group interactions and drawing. We believe that God's most creative work can occur as He works through His body of believers to redeem His beloved children. Our facilitators are trained to follow the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit as they guide in the grieving and forgiveness process. They will also depend on the checks and balances of your boundaries and feedback as they are ministering among you.

If you are invited to participate in any of these techniques and do not wish to be part of them, please let your preference be known. It is your responsibility to take care of yourself and to communicate your boundaries. Your needs are important to us and we will respect them, but we can't do this if we do not know what they are.

We also encourage you to be adventurous. Take some risks throughout the weekend. We cannot grow if we never stretch ourselves and become vulnerable. It may seem uncomfortable. Just ask God for the courage to enter into whatever He has in store for you during this ministry weekend and be obedient to His nudge. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christi Jesus took hold of me." Philippians 3:12 NIV

Theotherapy is eclectic in its approach to emotional healing. This means that we draw from various sources in order to accomplish the goal of helping people resolve the conflicts that cause their emotional pain. Theotherapy seeks to utilize only those tools that do not contradict Scripture or biblical principles.

One such tool is role-play. The term role-play according to The Cambridge International Dictionary of English is defined as: a method of acting out particular ways of behaving or pretending to be other people in order to teach people how to deal with new situations. In a Theotherapy setting, trained facilitators use role-play as a tool for helping people recognize and "process" their emotions with the goal of bringing their unresolved conflicts to resolution.

Another tool we utilize is the use of imagination on the part of the person receiving ministry. Sometimes we will ask a person to imagine Jesus coming into a place of pain in their childhood. We understand that time, space or historical events do not limit God. He, being omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent was there when they were wounded or abused though He was not physically seen. When a child is traumatized and rejected, they often believe they were unloved and alone. Believing this keeps them trapped in the fear and rejection they experienced in the trauma. In asking the person to imagine Jesus coming into that scenario, it often helps to diffuse the lies they have believed and to realize that Jesus was present, aware of their pain, grieving with them and loving them through it (I John 4:18; John 8:32).

We serve a God who understands us intimately as His creation. God, being the ultimate Creator is also innovative and artistic in how He communicates His love and desire for us to know Him. The Bible is full of examples of role-play and the use of the imagination to communicate principles of the Kingdom of God. In the Old Testament, God would use role-play and the use of imagination in a myriad of ways. Nathan the prophet used an imaginary scenario with King David when confronting him with the sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah her husband (2 Samuel 11-12). God Himself did a role-play for adulterous Israel by commanding the prophet Hosea (a godly man) to marry Gomer (a prostitute). The whole idea was to present a drama which would parallel Israel's sin of idolatry and her rejection of God as her husband (Hosea 1-14).

God used vivid imagery when commanding the priests of Leviticus to apply blood to a person's ear lobe, thumb and big toe. This was to signify that what the person heard, did and where he went was covered by the blood of atonement (Leviticus 14). The practice of sacrificing lambs and other animals throughout the year in the Jewish culture also was significant as a picture of God's redemptive plan. A specially chosen goat would become the representation of Jesus' atoning work on the cross when the sins of the people would be symbolically transferred to the "scapegoat".

Much of the imagery in prophetic books of the Bible like Daniel and the Prophets is highly visual and profound in its interpretation. The dreams recorded in Daniel and the prophetic dreams interpreted by Joseph in the book of Genesis are all highly visual ways God has used to communicate to His people. God even used a bronze snake attached to a pole to heal the rebellious people of Israel (Numbers 21). Imagine how much heartache could have been avoided in the lives of the Egyptians and Pharaoh himself if they had realized that the plagues were not designed merely to punish them but to give them an opportunity to visualize and embrace the awesome power of the one true God of the Israelites. In the book of Daniel, King Belshazzar saw the fingers of a hand writing a cryptic message on a palace wall warning him of God's impending judgment.

In the New Testament Jesus taught His disciples and others the truths of heaven and God's love through parables. His teachings were full of visual depictions of camels squeezing through the eyes of needles, farmers sowing seed, lost coins being reclaimed and prodigals returning home expecting punishment yet receiving unconditional love.

It was not uncommon for Jesus to use situations from everyday life to communicate a profound heavenly truth in a highly visual way. When it came to tax time, He was not opposed to miraculously arranging for a coin to show up in a fish's mouth rather than a common everyday purse (Matthew 17:24-27). He even went so far as to tell the woman at the well that He was the "Water of Life" and that if she would partake of Him, she would never be thirsty again (John 4). It was in the interpretation of these events that the moral or spiritual truth could be found.
Needless to say, the idea of imagining spiritual armor in the New Testament was to give us the spiritual truth that the weapons of our warfare against Satan are not made of metal and leather, but are spiritual and mighty enough to demolish demonic strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 6:10-20).

Agabus, the prophet, used role-play in Acts 21 to indicate the reality and imminence of Paul's capture and imprisonment. John, who wrote the book of Revelation, used many strange and mysterious verbal pictures to communicate the truth of God's plan. These symbols help us to grasp the significance of what is yet to take place in the future. God is so interested in His people knowing Him that He will even allow a donkey to speak if it will further communicate His character and ways (Numbers 22).

We at Theotherapy encourage you to take time to think about the unbelievably creative and unique ways God communicates His heart to us through His Word. In doing so, we can see that God uses tools like role-play and the use of imagination to facilitate our individual healing.