Recently I met with an inmate who is incarcerated for murder. He is struggling with depression and is experiencing symptoms of PTSD. I had already completed a screening, a mental health assessment, and a tx plan during the first two sessions so I had already built a thx alliance.
I explored with him about his trauma narrative and then helped him to process his feelings about his past. I explored with him any hope that he might have for his future. He pointed out that he believes in God and thinks that God has forgiven him. I inquired about whether he has forgiven himself. He shared that he hasn't forgiven himself and he's still carrying around all that weight from 20+ years ago. He expressed that he remains hard-hearted towards himself for his actions and his lifestyle he lived that lead up to the murder.
Since he reported that he believes in God I asked him if he recalls the story of David. I proceeded to tell him the story of David who plotted the death of Bethsheba's husband, Uriah, to hide his affair and pregnancy with Bethsheba.
I explored with the inmate who/why he is holding all the weight of his past transgressions for if he can't go back and change the past. The inmate expressed remorse but he will be unable to rehabilitate if he can't let go of the past so I counseled the inmate on the effects of continuing to have a depressed spirit about a situation that happened twenty years ago.
I also reminded the inmate of a passage in Psalms written by David, "Create in me a clean heart, O God And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation. And uphold me by Your generous Spirit."
I helped the inmate process his feelings about the Psalm. His face brightened up, then he smiled and said that maybe it was time to let go of all that weight he's been holding onto.
I'm not suggesting that the inmate should be released nor am I advocating for taking another's life but I do believe that sinners can be forgiven and healed...just as David was. Sometimes we forget how big God's heart truly is.
