Q & A Questions and Answers Q. Who needs  counseling from SCC? Every Christian can use counseling sometime during his/her life. When we become "born again," we become spiritual.  Spiritual people are open to four forces in the spirit world: God and the devil, angels and demons. Most Christians are not spiritually sensitive enough to know when their spirits are being touched by the poison of the spirits of evil. Deliverance Counseling Sessions are for professing Christians who do not have to be persuaded that demons exist and may be the root cause of their present difficulties. Any professing Christian who thinks that they only hear from the Holy Spirit and who gives no credence or vigilance to guard against demonic influence  is already in trouble and will need either a few sessions or deliverance training to learn how to try the spirits to see if they be of God.   Q. When should I seek counseling? Now! Don't put off your need for help. Time does not heal all wounds. Waiting for life to get better can be harmful. Demons gain territory in your soul through your passivity. Common reasons for consulting DCC include persistent unhappiness, constant tension and anxiety, marital or family conflict, unsatisfying personal relationships, sexual difficulties, spiritual growth needs, fears, persistent worries, depression, and work related issues. A common reason to contact us is when you are tormented with compulsions, hearing voices, victimized by  spiritual abuse from Christians and church leaders and involved in unhealthy soul ties. Q. Will counseling help? Yes! Counseling will help you take steps that will enable you to: identify what is going wrong understand how and why the enemy sets traps for you locate bondages and strongholds  reduce or eliminate the torment recognizing the key issues that have impacted your life preparing yourself for spiritual warfare Q. What can I expect from my counselor? Expect an understanding, strong, caring person who is also capable, well trained, and professional. Expect to be treated with respect and dignity. Expect me to work with you as well as for you. Most of all, expect truth. I will not lie to you.  Expect to be challenged. Expect to receive answers quickly. Q. Can I reach my counselor in the evenings or weekends for emergencies? When you call us at 518-915-1707, your call  will  be answered  as soon as possible, seven days a week, between 11am and midnight, EST. we can usually call you back within a couple of hours, or even sooner. However, at other times we may   not immediately  be available unless previously arranged. When the most pressing needs require an immediate response, you can call the mental health crisis hotline in your local community or  call 911. If you anticipate that you will need to get in touch with us at a particular time, please send an email  so that prompt arrangements can be made. Q. What will happen in the first session?  We  will have examine your faith and question you about your special problem from your point of view.  We will provide insights based upon my findings. Q. How long does counseling take? Every problem is different and each individual responds differently. Most cases involve at least  twelve sessions. Depending on the nature of the problem, you may need more or less time. Remember, learning to walk in freedom and with greater spiritual empowerment  is a process and usually cannot be achieved in only one session. Q. How much does counseling cost? Counseling fees for professional services are established  and paid prior to  the first appointment  at the rate of $50 an hour.   Since we do not accept insurance, my rates are well below standard. Regular sessions are typically 60 minutes and may be extended at my discretion and availability. We also offer 30 minute sessions at the rate of $25 for those who have been in counseling for at least 4 months. Q. What services do you offer? SCC  offers individual counseling for those experiencing torment, ie. hearing voices, OCD,  sexual  and gender issues, demonic soul ties, religiosity, stress, depression, charismatic witchcraft, occult oppression,  self esteem issues, guilt and condemnation, in short---. we are  also available  for deliverance  workshops and seminars. For further information, please call 518-915-1707 or send an email to contact@pamsheppard.com Q. What makes Christian counseling different from all the others? Many counseling centers, both secular and Christian,  offer valuable help. In most cases though,  social work and psychology do not supply all the answers. Here at  SCC, we are  able to apply Biblical truths and principles. We also pray with  and for our clients. We also operate under divine inspiration as the Holy Spirit wills and not according to our will  or the client's will or desire. In most cases, healing comes when the client and the counselor  least expects it.   In short, the most outstanding  difference is the Holy Spirit's  intervention in the counseling process.  Sometimes He is just too incredible for words to even describe.  Q. How  is  deliverance counseling different  from every other   secular or Christian Counseling service or deliverance ministry? Simply put, Deliverance Counseling is a unique therapeutic process.  In terms of strategy, decades of experience highlight that  demons are skilled at taking two or more  opposing positions.  In other words, the enemy will purposefully control all  sides of any situation, so that the deliverance minister  will assume that since one approach is obviously demonic, the opposing option MUST BE GOD, when both approaches and opinions are demonic.   The  enemy's goal is to control every side of every situation,in order to obscure, deceive and confuse---especially in the lives of churchgoing, sincere Jesus lovers,  biblically studious Christians. In this way, the enemy can advance a long term agenda and cause a Christian to walk beneath God's plan for his or her life.  Most often, the enemy's attack is to distract the elect  from root causes so as to maintain power and control.  In Deliverance Counseling, demons  are literally driven away by the client's dedication to and acceptance of TRUTH! Walking in the spirit is akin to "walking in truth"---THE SOURCE OF ALL FREEDOM!!!! In counseling with Christians, together we address the gap and the conflict between what is sung in church on Sundays and what a Christian actually DOES from Monday through Saturday.  Our clients are those who are imperfect, yet they want to learn how to walk moment by moment in complete dependence and trust in the Holy Spirit.  In other words: if you are ready to come to terms with your inadequacies, fears, and failures.... if you are discontent as a Christian with "just surviving"... if you are determined to unclutter your life and walk free from stress..... if you are willing to take the time to examine and question what you really believe.... Then you are ready to enter into deliverance counseling.    Q. What if I have tried counseling before? No Problem.  However, you  probably have  not participated in  counseling that is focused on deliverance.  My  approach is different so I request that you not expect me to pick up where you left off with other approaches and other counselors.  I  also counsel people who are under psychiatric care and who are on medication.  I don't meddle in what the psychiatrist is doing as I try to support the work of other providers,  as best as I can. Clients must see to it that no other workers meddle in what I am doing with them either. For example, I will not argue with a psychiatrist's opinion  as to the existence of demons. Any client that brings about useless conflicts of this kind will be terminated. Q. What makes SCC counseling so unique? Good question.  The answer is simple. The Holy Spirit shows up!!!  First of all, He is the One who  drew you to contact me.  He has helped me to design the model.  He will cause you to reveal important facts from your life to me and then He will guide me, as He exposes demonic hidden agendas.  As you cooperate with the flow of His Spirit,  the Lord  will speak truth directly to your heart. This truth will set you free!!!  Q. CAN A CHRISTIAN HAVE A DEMON?  This is by far, the question that is most often posed. We don't believe that a demon can be "inside" of a true Christian.  Pam is  a good example of a Christian who had a demon move from "inside" of her to  the "outside" . She has been  a counselor for 33 years.  However, she  was also an atheist, a new Age medium, a psychic astrologer and necromancer.  Demons were able to enter her body and speak through her  throat BEFORE she was saved. In her own words:   "They took complete control. I would be possessed completely for about 5 minutes at a time. My spirit would actually leave my body and stand in a corner of a room and look back at myself.  However, once I got born again on March 29, 1977, this has not happened again in over 32 years.  However, the familiar spirit, the demon of divination,  left from "inside" of me but took advantage of my spiritual ignorance and that of the church at large to deceive me for years from "outside" with false dreams, visions and other deceptions.  Once my eyes were opened to the truth, I rarely hear from the religious demon anymore."