In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness month, I’d thought I attempt to answer a critical question and get something off my chest.

It’s time for a confession—I personally have a love/ hate relationship with the mental health industry. On one hand I love that people understand that their mental state is a serious indicator of their overall health and I love that my profession can help people get through some difficult moments of life while feeling supported. The Bible does say after all that “Where there is no guidance, a people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).

On the other hand, I hate that mental health has been reduced to a series of health codes that are recorded for insurance purposes and people have to be formally diagnosed in order to get basic help with life issues such as grief, critical transitions of life, etc. My biggest issue is that the industry does not accept Biblical Counseling as a sufficient method for helping anyone struggling with mental health concerns. Though the ethical code allows for religion to be considered in treatment on a client by client basis, the message boils down to seek professional help only via a licensed clinician that can apply a specific mode of therapy and medication towards your problem and if needed involve religious beliefs.

I am a licensed professional counselor, so I understand the level of training and practice it takes to be effective, and most of the rules and ethics we follow are designed to protect the therapeutic relationship, but God’s view of mental health goes beyond what man can train for in the classroom. Just like in all other areas of life, we must depend on the Holy Spirit for true discernment and seek Him in prayer as we help others to heal. My licensed training did not teach me that until I took my final class of my graduate career— Spiritual Direction.

Can you imagine the eye-opening moment I had when I realized that therapy and faith can be thoroughly integrated if by the Holy Spirit?? That is the relief I want to bring to you today knowing that the mainstream rhetoric around mental health is not the only way. Therapy and mental health can be for Christians but I caution you to take the time to seek a quality Christian Spirit-led therapist because we have too much at stake to trust the traditional medical system that disagrees with God’s design for healing. I suppose the real question at hand is- what should Christian Believers seek in a therapeutic relationship? Here are a few questions to consider:

• How can this therapeutic journey lead me closer to my relationship with God?
• Have I submitted my life to be led by the spirit? Have I submitted my healing to be led by the spirit?
• Am I willing to explore and wrestle with what the Bible has to say about my issue(s)?
• Is this clinician spiritually and professionally equipped to walk this journey with me?

I want to help you prioritize your mental health needs via ongoing educational content on my social media channels. I am asking for your help to complete a mental health opinion survey so that I can better craft my message around faith and therapy integration. Click here to answer 10 quick questions!