Is it important to you to get unconditional support from someone who believes that faith and mental health are deeply connected?

If you’re a Christian, you probably find safety and assurance knowing that your therapist shares your spiritual worldview. Life experiences can leave you feeling the need for more insight and direction. Maybe you’ve tried everything that your spiritual tradition has to offer and you still feel stuck.

You may be suffering from anxiety, depression, trauma, or relational difficulties. But when you turn to other Christians, they may not understand what you’re going through. Perhaps they sidestep your emotional struggles and feel that scripture alone should suffice. They might misapply biblical truth to your experience or implore you to exercise more faith to overcome your emotional distress.

At the same time, the thought of going to a secular therapist doesn’t appeal to you. As a result, you feel at a loss for answers. If this is the case, I encourage you to pursue Christian counseling. My approach is all about understanding your faith, your experiences and helping you facilitate toward a journey of greater peace. I will offer you the best of what faith, spiritual awareness, and the mental health disciplines have to offer.

Many Christians Are Shamed For Struggling With Mental Health Issues

Every person must contend with disappointment. Having faith in God does not immunize you from grief, depression, anxiety, or trauma. However, many Christians face shame for being honest about their mental health which is often perpetuated by the very people who are supposed to encourage them (family members or church members).

Some church communities reinforce the idea that mental health issues are the fault of the individual. Church leaders may insinuate that a depressed or anxious person is lacking in faith or harboring unconfessed sin. Naturally, this leads the suffering person to hide their mental health struggles in order to avoid such shame and guilt. It results in the projection of a false self where on the outside, they appear cheerful and content. But on the inside, they feel angry, confused, and utterly alone.

Women In The Church Often Suffer Disproportionately From Abuse And Oppression

The idea that suffering is the result of sin or a sign of a weak faith has damaging consequences. Many women who endure relational abuse are often told to suffer righteously, to submit to their husbands, or to pray harder for change. In their attempt to honor authority and please God, their circumstances continue to produce untold emotional, psychological and physical hardship.

In cases of abuse, the sad reality is that church leaders often side with the abusers, causing women to suffer in silence rather than risk being ostracized by their faith communities.

If you’re experiencing oppression in the church, you most likely won’t seek Biblical counseling from people in your church. This is why Christian therapy is invaluable. It offers a chance to get the best of both worlds: a counselor who is trained in theological viewpoints who can relate to your worldview and also provide the best that psychology and neuroscience has to offer.

In seeking Christian counseling, you can avoid any fears that I will lead you away from your faith and values. You can feel safe knowing that I will understand your theological perspective while also drawing on all the best practices of the therapeutic profession.

My approach operates on the assumption that faith and mental health are not exclusive realms—they are deeply connected. Together, you and I can explore your preferences regarding how much or how little spiritual integration is offered in your counseling experience. We will focus on helping you overcome your barriers using the best of what spirituality and empirically-based psychology offer.

What To Expect In Christian Counseling Sessions

I am experienced in a wide range of interventions and I believe that each intervention should be uniquely suited to the client. That said, it is often valuable to explore where and how your core beliefs were formed so that you have a safe space to evaluate the assumptions that influence your thoughts and behaviors.

For instance, maybe you grew up with angry or abusive parents and that experience with authority was transferred onto God. As a result, you may associate God with guilt and punishment rather than love and compassion. Therapy can help you connect the dots between your view of God and the way you were raised. The goal is to increase your self-awareness so that you can identify the beliefs that improve your spiritual health and to challenge the beliefs that don’t. We will also explore how self-care is an essential component to your emotional and spiritual well-being.

In the end, my hope is that our work together will help you to recognize the benefits of integrating spiritual and mental health. Through counseling, you will be given the chance to explore your faith on a deeper level and experience spiritual healing and transformation.

I’m afraid I will be judged and viewed as wayward in my walk with God.

Your struggles are not the result of sin or a weak faith. The human condition is one of extraordinary complexity. To say that a person’s suffering is their fault is harmful and untrue. It is a core principle for any counselor—Christian or not—to recognize that there is no place for judgment. Meaningful healing and transformation can only happen in an environment where there is complete safety and acceptance. I am not here to judge you, I’m here to empower you.

I’m worried that my worldview is going to be challenged.

As your therapist I will not prescribe solutions. I will respect your autonomy and help you find yourself in your faith journey; I will help you find your faith as you see it. We are instructed to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, so I believe I must respect and honor each unique approach and application of your faith. With my theological training and personal faith journey, I can help you think more deeply about Christian concepts and Biblical truths.

What is your view of how God sees women, especially those who are being oppressed?

When it comes to oppression or abuse of any kind, I pride myself as a champion of female empowerment. Just as Christ stood unreservedly on the side of the oppressed, I believe we are called to do the same. I know how often women in the church face judgment and oppression. That is why I strive to create a therapeutic environment where women are accepted and empowered and have a safe and sacred place to share their story.