Ken Yeow
- Createspace, 2014, £7.99, 204pp, ISBN 9781505415742
- Reviewed by Andrew Sims, Emeritus Professor in General Psychiatry, based in Shropshire
Living the Christian life and walking daily with Jesus is Ken Yeow's theme. The author is a practising Christian and a consultant psychiatrist. He links working out the Gospel in everyday life with better mental health: 'the potential positive impact on a person's psychological and emotional well-being whenever they personally encounter the powerful truths of the gospel is a blessed by-product of belief in and experience of the truth itself, the person of Jesus Christ himself.'
The book is not primarily intended for psychiatrists or other medical practitioners and, although 'mental health' is mentioned quite often, there is little about mental symptoms or psychiatric disorder or debate. The emphasis is a practical guide to the Christian life. The appendix briefly outlines his support for 'Christians and churches having a collaborative, complementary model' when working with professional services. He dispels the fear that some Christians have of mental health professionals.
Personal Freedom is aimed at a Christian readership, as shown by the volume of scriptural references and the use of some language not readily understandable outside the Christian community. Church members who are timid about using psychiatric services will find his approach reassuring: there is no conflict between the Christian way of life and receiving psychiatric care when it is required.
