For years, Kandy Ingersoll underwent therapy for the physical, emotional and sexual abuse she experienced as a child. But not until she attended a Careforce Lifekeys seminar in Australia did she truly begin to heal.

"I just sobbed," said Ingersoll about the sexual abuse class she attended in 2000. "God took me away from all distractions, and I knew I was chosen to receive this message."

Three years later, with Ingersoll's help, Yakima's First Presbyterian Church hosted its first Careforce program. Today, numerous eight- to 10-week programs are taught to hundreds of Yakima Valley residents throughout the year, helping them deal with everything from grief and divorce to depression and addiction.

Through the courses, lay people are trained to teach the faith-based program. That helps relieve pressure on the pastoral staff, giving them more time to lead theology instead of being overburdened by counseling duties.

To date, an estimated 900 people have taken the offerings in Yakima.

"Secular counseling doesn't touch on the spiritual side," Ingersoll, 56, said. "Now I can talk about (being sexually abused). It's not on the back shelf anymore."

The courses were developed by the Revs. Allan and Helen Meyer in 1992. Launched in Australia, the teachings are now offered in more than 2,300 churches and organizations in over 20 countries.

In each of the classes, participants come together to view a 45-minute video. Then they separate into small groups to discuss how the video's message applies to the specific challenges they face.

Scott Henyan of Yakima, a co-coordinator for Lifekeys, said people who take a class realize they aren't alone in their struggles.

"We think we're the only people out there who have weird thoughts. But then there's an 'aha moment' when we realize we're normal, that we're not alone," he said. "That's when the magic happens. The Holy Spirit's help comes in."

However, Henyan is the first to admit that getting to a place of healing is difficult.

"When you realize you are not alone, pain increases, emotional intensity increases," he said. "It has to happen to flush out the pain."

One of the courses offered through Careforce Lifekeys is Valiant Man, where men discuss sexual discipleship. Through the program, men learn how to be disciplined with their sexuality and "tame their wild thoughts," Henyan said.

"I understand their fight," he said. "We never totally control it. But going from a 100 percent man to a 90 percent godly man is total freedom."

Gregg and Glenna Hires agree on the merits of the class. The couple specialize in marriage and family counseling and have worked together in their Yakima practice for the past seven years.

Glenna, who took the Understanding Your Valiant Man course, learned the addictive component of pornography. About 40 percent of the men she and her husband counsel have issues with it, she said.

"I think this topic isn't discussed openly in our society," she said. "There are no tools out there for how to help people who want to be in a committed relationship."

Gregg, meanwhile, said Valiant Man taught him to be more empathetic with the struggles men face. Even those who want to live a righteous life are ignited by "a chemistry set in their brains," he said.

Through this program, though, men aren't judged or lectured. Instead, they are given tools for how to become the type of men they want to be, he said.

"God made sex. It's a gift for marriage and requires exclusivity," he said. "This program connects a lot of dots. You know if you don't win this battle in your head, it'll come out in your behavior. If it comes out in your behavior, it becomes a habit."

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 509-577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.

Careforce Lifekeys courses

Search for Intimacy: Teaches people about the need and rules of sex that will empower them to live successfully in a sex-crazed environment.

Search for Life: Designed to help people understand the cause of their most basic struggles and how to find solutions.

Woman to Woman: Shows women how to free themselves from the past and focus on the future.

Door of Hope: Designed to give women survivors of sexual abuse new strategies for living and healing.

Making Marriage Better: Teaches couples how to enhance or rebuild their marriages.

Valiant Man: Teaches men how to develop and maintain healthy, sexual relationships.

Understanding Your Valiant Man: The companion program to Valiant Man, the course enables women to see and understand the journey men take to develop and maintain healthy sexuality.

Man to Man: Focuses on the man and his relationships, exploring the effects of family background on the way a man thinks, feels and behaves.

Facilitator Training: Curriculum includes behavioral, emotional and spiritual aspects of recovery.

Three classes offered

WHAT: Valiant Man, Understanding Your Valiant Man and Making Marriage Better classes.

WHERE: First Presbyterian Church, 9 South Eighth Ave. in Yakima.

WHEN: 6 to 8:15 p.m. April 7, 14, 21 and 28; May 5, 12, 19 and 26; and June 2 and 9.

COST: $35 per person or $55 per couple. Scholarships are available.

MORE INFO: Contact Kandy Ingersoll at 509-248-7940 or kandyingersoll@fpcyakima.com.

ALSO: Classes at Memorial Bible Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church are pending.

ONLINE: www.careforcelifekeys.org.