Who You Are

'Who am I? It's an age-old question we all ask, a quest for which we all want an answer. In our modern world, we are told to look inside, search yourself, you be you--but Judy Cha knows better. In Who You Are, Judy points to the ancient Scriptures containing timeless truths about our God-given identity. Read her look into the biblical remedy to our contemporary ailment, and learn who you are.' * <b>Kyle Idleman, bestselling author of Not a Fan and When Your Way Isn’t Working</b> * 'A timely invitation back to our identity in Christ in a cultural season that overemphasizes the therapeutic self apart from God. Judy Cha carefully acknowledges the multifaceted complexities of the soul from a biblical and psychological perspective, not shying away from the realities of our survival strategies that keep us stuck and provides a framework for internalizing the gospel. This was a refreshing read, and I highly recommend it for anyone hungry to remember who they are in light of the gospel.' * <b>Colleen Ramser, licensed professional counselor, Colleen Ramser Counseling </b> * 'Dr. Judy Cha's Who You Are is a most welcome contribution to a discussion that will only continue to intensify in importance--namely, 'How do we minister the gospel effectively to individuals shaped by wounds incurred in an increasingly diverse and complex world?' For years Dr. Cha has led a group of New York City counselors who are astute to the insights of evidence-based psychotherapy but animated to the core by their love for Jesus Christ, their trust in his Word, and their conviction that his gospel is powerful to liberate, heal, and restore. In this volume she pulls back the curtain on their insights and methods. The included optional exercises give readers an opportunity to experience healing along the way.' * <b>Dr. Jay Harvey, assistant professor of pastoral theology and executive director, Reformed Theological Seminary, New York City </b> * 'For Christians seeking to understand the world around us and their own emotional struggles, this book is a gift. Dr. Cha takes complex psychological material and makes it accessible and compelling. She argues persuasively that theology matters in our lives and particularly in our experience with feelings, but she doesn't stop there. She goes on to demonstrate what can be done about it. This is a tool kit for spiritual and psychological growth. Dr. Cha offers her heart and her years of experience as a therapist listening to people's pain, distress, and self-shaming. She tackles the why of these common human dilemmas and presses on to offer a path toward healing and release in changing how we see God and God's redemption project, seeking to restore us to a relationship rooted not in our efforts to be successful, but in the wide expanse of God's love and grace. Take time to read this book slowly and thoughtfully. Allow Judy to help you see yourself and your world through a new lens.' * <b>Gwen M. White, PsyD, director, Circle Counseling, Philadelphia, and professor emeritus, Eastern University </b> * 'Identity formation is not just one of the 'big issues' of our time, but because identity is, by implication, central to who we are, it is the lens through which we see all other issues. Who You Are is an outstanding book to help us navigate a way forward in this important and emotionally charged area. Judy Cha writes with a rare blend of gracious insight honed through 10,000 counselling sessions and gospel truth applied in an integrated and thoughtful way. She is particularly adept at giving tools to the reader to help bridge the stubborn gap between head and heart so that the gospel takes root in our identity. The book also makes important points for the church to engage with on the integration between body and mind in pastoral care, as well as the destructive nature of shame as a distinct corollary to guilt. Whether you are a counsellor seeking to develop in this vital area of identity or a layperson wanting to live free from shame, knowing more fully the grace of Jesus Christ, this book really is a must-read.' * <b>Pete Nicholas, senior pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church Downtown</b> * 'If you think psychotherapy isn't deep enough or biblical counseling isn't helpful, this book is for you. Judy brings the best of both together to get to the heart of what needs to be fixed in our broken lives. The answer is wise and clinically researched and gives hope to all through a new identity in Christ. Judy is an exceptional counselor, and this book shows why. Her wisdom, compassion, humility, and experience are found on every page. Her model developed at Redeemer Counseling over the past three decades combines the best of sound biblical theory and carefully researched therapy. The GIFT approach enables lasting change at every level of a person's identity in Christ.' * <b>Andrew Field, pastor, Redeemer Church West Side </b> * 'Judy Cha's Who You Are will immediately strike a chord with you. Cha puts her finger on a timeless human problem we all struggle with: What is our identity? Cutting through the cultural noise with biblical precision and compassion, Cha helps us navigate biblically faithful ways to understand ourselves and our situation. Because of her long and deep service in the counseling community, I thought at first glance the book might be specifically for counselors and those we speak with, but after a thorough reading, I'm convinced this is a book every human being should read and take in.' * <b>Jonathan D. Holmes, executive director, Fieldstone Counseling </b> * 'Our perception of who we are and whose we are affects every area of our lives, both positively and negatively. This much-needed book will help you identify the why behind your struggles and how to move forward in truth and freedom.' * <b>Ben Bennett, author, content creator, director of Resolution Movement </b> * 'Shame tells a story about us: what we have done, what has been done to us, and who we are. The gospel also tells a story that covers our shame and gives us a new identity. Who You Are takes us through a biblical process of transformation grounded in decades of practice at Redeemer Counseling Services. I can tell you this approach of facing your pain and internalizing the gospel will require a lot of hard work, but it is filled with hope and healing that you may not even be able to imagine now. Therefore, I recommend the life-giving process this book offers to us.' * <b>Dr. Bruce O’Neil, pastor, Redeemer Church LSQ </b> * 'The work of Redeemer Counseling Center, spanning decades, has been a lifeline to thousands of New Yorkers experiencing the transformative power of the gospel. Under Judy Cha, the counseling center has grown to be an institution that is critical to the mission and health of gospel renewal in New York. Judy's leadership and work in the field has paved the way for gospel-centered clinical therapy in ways the Christian counseling world has long needed. This book not only unpacks gospel-centered clinical therapy but also beautifully weaves in Judy's personal narrative and her own work in fully experiencing her identity in Christ. The book is the culmination of the collective wisdom and research of Judy's counseling team and staff.' * <b>Mai Hariu-Powell, executive director, the New York Project, Redeemer City to City </b> * 'This book is a journey that delves into the depth of who we are. It unravels the intricacies of our true identities while not missing the shaping influences we have had along the way. The book skillfully addresses core issues with biblical wisdom, equipping you to know and understand yourself while giving you a roadmap to true healing found in deeply connecting with God through your identity in Christ.' * <b>Eliza Huie, LCPC, director of counseling at McLean Bible Church </b> * 'Using her personal experience and decades of work as a counselor, Judy Cha tells us how to find our true identity and greater intimacy with God. She shows us how to discover and gain freedom from our deep idols and how to be healed through the gospel of grace. She demonstrates how wholeness is found only in Christ as she reveals the hidden dangers found in our own self-defeating strategies. Cha is a wise and courageous guide who shows us that we can know who we are only in relationship with God and others and also shows us how we can give that gift to others.' * <b>Michelle Lee-Barnewall, affiliate professor of New Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, and author of A Longing to Belong </b> * 'What is wrong with us? I often have this thought when reading the news, playing sports, driving home, watching a movie, or even listening to my own family. Our world is broken, and I am part of the problem. In Who You Are, seasoned counselor Judy Cha reveals the real problem and unveils the ultimate solution. There is only one thing that can make us right--the gospel of Jesus Christ. Read this book and find out who you are.' * <b>Caleb Kaltenbach, bestselling author of Messy Grace and Messy Truth </b> * 'Who You Are is a book for our times. Many are feeling the hopelessness of an unstable identity and a disconnection from God in an unstable world. Judy Cha guides us through today's difficult emotional terrain of countless 'triggering' events and longing for a certainty that won't annihilate who we are. She does so using the timeless truths of God's Word, hard-won lessons of her immigrant experience as a child, many years of counseling experience and access to sound psychological and brain research. This book is jargon free. It echoes Tim Keller's grace-filled teaching. It can be understood by Christian and non-Christian alike. I see now how my own lay counseling--and my self-counseling too!--have not gone to the root of the problems we all suffer from. For example, buried pain/shame coupled with Band-Aid solutions we reach for unconsciously. If you are willing to start the pathway Judy lays out, please do it! You will find the gospel of Christ moving from your head to your heart in transformative hope-filled ways. It will be worth every bit of your investment in yourself.' * <b>Lourine A. Clark, executive coach and management consultant </b> * 'Wise, personal, and practical, Judy Cha's beautiful book will awaken you to an experience of God's love so you are freed from shame and empowered to live with greater wholeness, joy, and lightness of being.' * <b>Ken Shigematsu, pastor of Tenth Church, Vancouver, and author of Now I Become Myself </b> *