You may wonder how to integrate your Christian faith into what feels like a secular “world of mental health.”
Christian therapy combines our God-designed brains and bodies with the current mental health research. The goal is that your faith is strengthened as you grow more emotionally healthy. You can honor and respect God by learning ways to care for your body and mind as a good steward. The end goal is that you may live life more abundantly, and with greater love for God, self and others, more like the life that God designed for you.
What Makes Christian Therapy “Christian”?
In Christian therapy, you may pray with, or have your therapist pray for you. Your therapist may share spiritual practices or disciplines with you that support your goals in therapy. Bible verses may be shared, relevant to your experience. In some instances, personal experiences of the therapist’s faith journey (that relate and may serve your goals) may be shared, too.
If you would like to incorporate your Christian faith into the counseling process we will talk about your preferences around how you would like to do this.
I Want To Hear More about the Bible and Christian Therapy
Within the Bible, there is a wide range of very human characters (imperfect like we are and flawed) that God has used in powerful ways to point to Christ! There are Bible characters like Saul, who actively defies God then experiences redemption, and others, like Boaz, who brought healing and change to unhealthy, harmful family relationships. His actions caused a change in the trajectory of his family.
David, in Psalms, was very comfortable talking openly to God about his life experiences. He models praising God and alternately, offers a model for respectful complaining to God in a way that builds faith and trust in God.
There’s also a beautiful example about women speaking up for justice in the Bible, in the story about the Daughters of Zelopehad. They knew that their family lineage was going to end as their father had died, and left no sons. Historically, the firstborn son would receive land, and thus carry on the household with this support. With no brothers, these women knew the outcome- their family line would stop with them. This prompted these five daughters to action. They went together, to the leader, Moses, a priest, and the whole community, and shared about their complicated situation. Moses spoke to God about this, God agreed with their request, and as a result, God instructed Moses to change the laws. Land was given to these women, and this created better structure to support future families with similar situations.
Meleah’s Church Experience
Meleah is a Christian, and has served in many volunteer ministry roles within church
- Youth Ministries Intern
- Marriage Class Co-leader
- Women’s Ministry Leader, +10 years
- Women’s Ministry Speaker
- Small Group Leader
- Sunday School Teacher
- Chalkboard Artist