Herland Report: Dr. Brenda Caldwell, “Doctor of Hope” speaks to Herland Report host, Hanne Nabintu Herland about Hate and Forgiveness and what we can do to avoid the sicknesses of the soul.
We are fortunate to have Dr. Caldwell participate in a number of TV shows. The first addressed the Drug Epidemic in the United States.
Why do so many turn to opiates? What is wrong in America, and where is the way out? What can be done to ease the suffering of the population?
In this interview with Dr. Caldwell, we attempt to find the answers to why she cares about the lives of so many, spending her time writing books and touring the United States, relentlessly working to better the lives of others.
Hanne Herland, historian, author and founder of The Herland Report: – Dr. Brenda Caldwell, it is an honor to have you on The Herland Report.
You are a psychologist, an empowerment speaker who travels the United States, soothing and helping so many people get rid of bitterness and anger. You’re also an acclaimed author with books such as From Charcoal to Diamond and Surgery for the Soul. What made you interested in the kind of work that brings you in contact with so much pain and suffering in others?
Dr. Brenda Caldwell: – Years ago while volunteering at a local YMCA ,I discovered that I had a sincere passion for motivating and inspiring teens to succeed in life. This YMCA was located in the inner city, serving the poorest youth.
I created a program designed to enhance self-esteem and to teach teens to value their lives as well as the lives of others.
When I began to notice that many of them had anger issues stemming from their home lives, I discovered I had a passion to help both the teens and their parents heal from past hurts and to break generational curses of abuse and soul wounds.
This was the beginning of what has become my life’s work.
Hanne Herland: – In the US, there is a drug epidemic of such proportions that we are left speechless.
7 out of 10 Americans use prescription drugs, according to the Mayo Clinic. 27 million Americans are on illicit drugs.
The numbers are massive, it is a national tragedy. From your experience, why do people begin using drugs?
Dr. Brenda Caldwell: – In my experience, having had a counselling practice for nearly 18 years, I have found that the primary reason that people begin to use drugs is to avoid feeling the emotional pain that lies within their soul from what I call “uns”, unhealed hurts.
It is unresolved issues and unmet needs that most often stem from something negative that was experienced during childhood.
For example, an unhealed hurt may stem from being subjected to verbal abuse or “put downs” as a child, by parents or classmates. An unresolved issue could be the haunting trauma of having been abandoned as a child by one or both parents.
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An example of an unmet need is the constant longing to feel loved because it was not shown or felt as a child.
The problem is that it only compounds the pain by further delaying the ability to go through the healing process.
Hanne Herland: – Was this why you began writing books? Tell us about your work.
Dr. Brenda Caldwell: – For example, From Charcoal to Diamond: Discover the Greatness in You is an inspirational book designed to uplift, inspire and empower readers by offering insight into how the transformation of a piece of coal into a sparkling diamond relates to our own lives.
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Just as coal must go through the refining process in order to bring forth the diamond it was capable of becoming, we too must go through the refining process in order to become who God intended us to be.
Our true, authentic potential to “shine bright like a diamond” lies in our ability to press through the seasons of life that shapes us into becoming our best selves for God’s glory. From Charcoal to Diamond: Discover the Greatness in You unlocks the secrets to realizing our true value, worth, and potential!
Hanne Herland: – You speak much about forgiveness. What is the role of forgiveness in life? Why should we forgive others?
Dr. Brenda Caldwell: – Forgiveness is an inescapable journey that we all must continuously take throughout life if we desire to experience a physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually healthy life.
First of all, it is a non-negotiable commandment found throughout the Bible. Most notably, it is expressed in Matthew 6:14-15, “If you forgive men of their sins against you, then your Heavenly Father will forgive you of your sins, but if you do not forgive men of their sins against you, then your Heavenly Father will not forgive you of your sins.”
In short, if we don’t forgive others of their sins against us, then God will not forgive us of our sins. Period!
Forgiveness is the bridge that helps us cross over from hurt to healing, from pain to purpose, from hatred to love.
Extending the same mercy to others that we, ourselves need daily, keeps peace in our soul, joy in our spirit and divine healing in our bodies.
Even more than that, walking in forgiveness shows others that the love of Christ dwells in us. Indeed, I truly believe that forgiveness is the “surgery that heals the soul.”
Hanne Herland: – Dr. B, you are also an artist. Why do you paint?
Dr. Brenda Caldwell: – Eight years ago, I received a prophetic word that I would have paintings in homes and business around the world. This was hard to believe because I didn’t think I had any artistic ability.
But in faith, I lifted my hands to the Lord and asked that this new gift be an extension of what I was already doing in the earth by way of serving as I like to say, “Hope on two legs!”
Eight years later, I am The Paper Towel Artist®, Creator of 3-Dimensional Canvas Sculptured Art®.
By combining paper towels, paint, and passion, my unique patent-pending process turns paper towels into “masterpieces with meaning.”
For most of people, paper towels are for wiping up spills, but for me they serve a whole different purpose.
My art is influenced by my faith and a deep desire to bring hope, healing and inspiration to others. It is an extension of my work as a psychologist specializing in forgiveness therapy, an empowerment speaker, minister and author.
Because my gift is that of encouragement and spreading hope, I see my paper towel art as symbolic of the correlation between my art process and my calling to inspire others to turn an ordinary life into an extraordinary life by being willing to be torn from negativity, soaked in positivity and molded in creativity.
Hanne Herland: – You say in one of the interviews with The Herland Report that “We have lost a lot of our values in the West.” Please elaborate. What is the way out of our current cultural decline?
Dr. Brenda Caldwell: – I believe we have lost a lot of our Western values because we have not kept with the Christian morals and values that where once the cornerstone of American culture.
In times past, the Bible was the final authority that shaped our behaviors, our family values, our treatment of others as well as our decision making in both our private and professional lives.
Today, due to the influences of so many distractions competing for our attention such as the advent of technology, social media, degrading music and other forms of entertainment, it is clear that the morals and values once held dear, have taken a back sit to self gratification and self indulgence in many ways.
I believe our way back to restoring what has been lost, is if those who are professed Christians in their beliefs, would do what 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) declares, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and heal the land.”
I believe if the remnant of true believers would pray for the power and boldness to begin to demonstrate the love of Christ even in the toughest of situations without cowering to fit into the pattern of the world’s ways, then we would ignite a desire for those who do not know Christ to genuinely desire a true relationship with Jesus Christ that would in turn, have a ripple effect on the world. It could even cause a revival unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
Hanne Herland: – There is so much suffering in the world and many seem left without hope today. What is your remedy to those who feel hopeless?
Dr. Brenda Caldwell: – First of all, I believe that one of the main reasons so many people are living a life of despair and hopelessness is because they do not have a sense of purpose for their lives.
Therefore, as one who feels called to spread the message of hope, I believe the first major step for those who struggle with hopelessness is to invite Jesus Christ into their hearts as Lord and Saviour. This means truly surrendering to God’s will and plan for their lives, while receiving the gifts of joy, hope, faith and love that Jesus went to the Cross to make possible for all who believe in Him.
The second step is to allow God to reveal a sense of purpose and meaning for their lives. As Jeremiah 29:11(NIV), “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you, and plans to give you hope and a future.”
The third step for those needing hope is to use their mouths to create a habit of speaking positive “hope giving” affirmations over their lives daily, because words are powerful and transformational. Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
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