I’ve heard that in the Bible Belt, it can be nearly impossible to find a therapist who does not have some kind of faith influence on his or her practice, but here in California, I usually hear the opposite. It’s difficult to find a therapist who is going to line up with our beliefs and values. We can often tell just by the website or the first glance at the therapy office, based on the symbols and décor the therapist chooses. Did your therapist have overt symbols such as a lotus flower or stack of rocks? Or did she have a cross or a dove? In my course Faith Integration for Therapists, I explain how initial choices like décor and marketing symbols influence the kind of clients therapists attract. Today in the blog we are going to talk about why it matters.
Soul Grit Resources has a two-fold mission: one is to make mental health care more accessible to Christians, and the other is to equip therapists to integrate Christian faith into practice.
The first part of the mission requires a multi-faceted approach and a significant amount of time. How can I break down decades of distrust of psychology and stigma around mental illness? Surprisingly, it’s not too hard to find a church on any given Sunday that gives its congregants the message that seeking mental health care is not ok. As good Christians, we are taught to pray more, read the Bible more, attend more church gatherings, and have faith. All these things are definitely vital to the Christian life, but none of them cure mental illness (unless the Holy Spirit provides a miraculous touch). What does happen, however, is that many committed Christians end up feeling ashamed that they can’t pray their way out of depression or anxiety. They either feel bad about themselves for not being able to muster enough faith to move this mountain, or they start to doubt God’s goodness in laying this burden on them. Many Christian leaders promote distrust of psychology and of therapists, downplaying the need for mental health care except in really extreme cases. Rather than understanding mental health conditions as medical problems, they lead Christians away from seeing medication and therapy as an option that can lead to a fulfilling and purposeful life. I wonder if more Christian leaders knew that there are Jesus-loving, Bible-believing therapists out there, would they be more likely to refer their flock to counseling when the need arises?
Through the blog, social media, and in-person events, Soul Grit Resources is attempting to help Christians understand the nuances of mental health and mental illness, congruent treatment options, and how faith plays a role in all-around health. And you’ve heard it here first: in 2021, Soul Grit will be releasing a new podcast, full of timely information to help Christians understand and make good decisions around their mental health.
As I mentioned above, here in California, it’s more common for me to meet therapists who are either secular or quietly Christian, than to meet people who consider themselves to be “Christian therapists.” I got to wondering why, if you love Jesus and you know how to do therapy, would you hesitate to integrate your faith into your practice? After doing some research, I determined that many therapists are held back by some of these obstacles:
- They didn’t receive training in faith integration.
- They don’t know how to market as a faith-based counselor.
- They are afraid of being pigeon-holed as only providing Christian counseling.
- They do not know what the legal and ethical requirements are.
- They believe the counselor should be totally neutral and not reveal personal faith.
Most therapists who are Christians, but don’t offer integrated therapy, will struggle with at least one of these obstacles, but there are other individual reasons, as well. Soul Grit is meeting this challenge by offering various resources for therapists who want to learn and become emboldened to integrate their Christian faith into their therapy practices. One of these offerings is a free, five day challenge that prompts therapists to dig deep in considering what areas are already strong and what areas have gaps that need to be filled when it comes to knowing and applying integration techniques. On top of that, I’ve developed a self-paced, five-module, online course that covers everything from calling and identity, to practical strategies, to marketing, to legal and ethical considerations. Called Faith Integration for Therapists, this course is a one-stop shop for laying a foundation for good integration work. Yes, I said “good” integration work, because there is “bad” integration work. In another article I’ll talk about the dangers of trying to apply faith to counseling in an inappropriate (even abusive) way.
Besides the course, Soul Grit Resources is offering in-person and online training, coaching, and consultation, because I can’t wait to get up close and personal with you, your practice, and your faith.
If you know a counselor who needs support and encouragement to make true, healthy, faith integration is possible, make sure you invite him or her to check out everything Soul Grit Resources has to offer.
Coming up in the blog, I’ll talk through each of the major obstacles that prevent therapists from integrating faith into the counseling practice.
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