Faith and Mental Health
If you wonder what role faith plays in mental health, and vice versa, you're in the right place. There seems to be two polarizing extremes on this topic; one that says faith supersedes or replaces mental health treatment, and another that says mental health and faith are tightly intertwined and you cannot separate the two. Most people land somewhere in between. Let’s talk about this.
WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
There are two scriptures that I’ve seen most commonly used in connection with mental health struggles:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:7
As with any scripture, when taken as a snippet, out of context, the meaning typically shifts from the intended to what the reader personally interprets with the limited info. Reading just these two references, you may start thinking “well, maybe I just need to pray more and rely more on Jesus or God to get me through this”. I’ve encountered so many strong, faithful Christians who struggle with real and severe mental health and emotional struggles, forego treatment because they wrongly believe their faith just is not strong enough to get them through it. The problem with taking pieces of scripture out of context and relying on that message alone is that many times it also takes you out of context of life and relying on a skewed perspective of reality.
In the last half of 1 Thessalonians 5 Paul talks about the community there in Thessalonica and offers encouragement to continue acknowledging the workers and helpers in the community, asking them to encourage the disheartened, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. It’s a good example of Christians being encouraged to rely on and support those around them. This suggests that God provides support not only from circumstances he sets in motion, but also through the believers and communities and people that he puts in your life.
If you’re struggling with whether or not to seek treatment for mental health struggles, ask yourself this: If you were to break your leg today, would you only pray over it, or would you also go to the doctor? If you were to do this for a physical problem, why would you not seek help for a mental problem? Just as God gives each person talents and gifts, God puts people with those helpful gifts to you in your life. Doctors are trained and skilled at healing physical matters. Therapists are trained and skilled at healing mental and emotional matters. There is nothing I’ve read in scripture that would dissuade me from seeking help for a problem I am having and cannot solve on my own.
TALKING TO A MINISTER/PRIEST VS TALKING WITH A THERAPIST
The biggest difference between these two options are in training and licensing. Many states’ laws allow ministers or “clergymen” to call themselves counselors and offer counseling services without requiring them to have specific training or a license. This is a big problem in many areas, as occasionally there are specific mental health and emotional problems that are left unaddressed in these situations. Licensed Therapists and counselors, however, have specific training standards and licensing requirements that involve not only initial education, but continuing education and training throughout their careers to enable them to provide effective, evidence-based services to their clients. The state license also serves as a way to protect the public from obtaining services from individuals that are not trained and may cause harm rather than help. This is why I encourage people who seek “Christian Counseling” services to make sure they get those services from someone who is licensed and trained. Some ministers do also have a counseling license, and are better equipped to address mental health issues as well as spiritual struggles or questions.
As part of our training as mental health professionals, and our licensing standards, we are trained to not project our own beliefs and values onto the clients we work with. Many professionals, however, also specialize in working with people of a certain faith, typically of which they also subscribe. I am one of those, in that I offer a Christian perspective in my counseling services to those that want this type of treatment. I am also, however, able to work with people who do not necessarily want a Christian perspective, or want their faith to be known, but not directly addressed. Therapy, after all, is not about the therapist, but about the client’s needs and goals.
HOW DO I ACCESS CHRISTIAN COUNSELING FROM YOU?
If you’re interested in getting counseling services from me in any capacity, the first thing to do is to schedule an appointment with me by calling or clicking the button below. Once we get an appointment set, I will set you up in the client portal so you can easily fill out any necessary paperwork prior to coming to your first session. If you’re interested, I do offer a free 15-minute phone consultation that you can request by the same means. I am able to provide in-person therapy in my Little Rock, AR office, and online therapy in AR, TX, OH, IL, FL, and OR which are the states where I am licensed.