LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Faith and Mental Health: Integrating Faith into Counseling
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
14/2022
Did you know that 55 to 59 percent of Americans indicate that religion is "very important"
in their life? Whether you're Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, or walk another path
of faith, it likely impacts every part of your life if you believe that religion is important.
Including mental health. But how do you align faith and mental health in counseling when
your counselor might not share the same faith as you?
What if we were to tell you that the right counselor doesn't need to share your religion to
incorporate it into your sessions? Are you intrigued? Keep reading to learn more about how you
and your therapist can work together to integrate faith into your therapy.
What's the Connection Between Faith and Mental Health?
Faith connects to mental health at its core because it often gives you meaning and purpose
in life. Religion can give people a sense of control and hope, especially during tough times. For
some, this might be the only thing keeping them afloat. When people are struggling with their
mental health, it's important to find ways to connect with that part of them that still has faith.
This could look different for everyone
Healthy Behaviors
Every belief system has certain tenets that those who follow it live by. These tenets often
encourage behaviors like not doing drugs or drinking. However, it goes beyond that; maybe
your faith encourages you to take time for prayers and meditation. When you invest your time
to practice self-care activities, even those dictated by your faith, it helps improve your mental
health and reduce your stress. Prayer, worship, and other spiritual activities like this specifically
help with mental health because they trigger the relaxation response.
Community
If you're going to church, mosque, temple, or another place of worship, you get the
opportunity to build community. Community is a great way to build up support around you.
And there is no doubt that social support is important for mental health and wellbeing. When
you're part of a religious community, the people around you can encourage you in unique ways
because they understand what you believe.
In addition, being part of a religious community isn't only about what the community can
give you. It's also about giving back to that community yourself. You might even spend time
with your community giving back to others who don't necessarily believe the same as
you. Giving back can have a powerful effect on your mental health. Studies show that people
who give back with their time or money are much happier than those who do not.
Hope
Hope is sometimes a difficult time to hold on to when you're caught in the midst of your
depression. However, hope can help you find your way through that dark cloud. Religion can
help create that feeling of hope. You have hope that your higher power will work things out for
you. So even though things might not be working out right now, you can hold onto the belief
that it will get better.
Purpose
When you have a strong sense of purpose, it's easier to hold onto hope. Religion can give
people a sense of purpose by giving them something to do in this world. It doesn't have to be
anything big, but it should be something that helps you connect with other people and feel like
you're doing something good.
Counseling and Religion
When you recognize the importance of your religion on your mental health and life, it
becomes evident that including it as part of your counseling is essential. However, only 30
percent of psychologists report discussing religion with their clients.
When it's this important, why aren't they asking? The simple answer is that many mental
health professionals aren't sure how to address faith with their clients because of a lack of
training. Because of that, if you want your faith addressed during counseling, it's crucial to find
a counselor that can have those discussions. If you're getting therapy, it's essential to know that
you'll be able to factor in a part of your life that's as significant as religion. There are several
ways faith can be incorporated into counseling. However, it all starts with a discussion.
Discussions about Faith in Therapy
When you start counseling, you go through the process of intake and assessment. During
this time, a counselor will ask you about your history and what's going on in your life
currently. They might also ask about faith during this assessment. If they don't, it's okay for you
to bring it up. You can ask your counselor about incorporating your faith and how that can be
done. This can open a door for conversations about how your faith impacts your daily life, and
how you want to address it during counseling. Your counselor can take your lead in determining
how religion is incorporated into your treatment plan. It will also allow for future conversations
about what coping mechanisms can be found within your faith. If during your assessment
you're not meeting with your counselor, this will also give the person completing the evaluation
the knowledge they need to help match you with the right counselor.
What if Your Counselor Doesn't Share Your Faith?
This is a valid question; if you are part of a minority faith, it might be hard to find a
counselor who shares your faith. However, if you find the right counselor, they don't need to
share your faith to help you integrate it into your sessions.
Most counselors are open-minded and want to help their clients in any way they can. So if
you explain to them how important your faith is to you, they will likely be willing to work with
you. There are also a few things you can do to help make the connection between your faith
and mental health. You can bring in religious texts or symbols that are important to you. You
can also talk about how your faith impacts your mental health. This can be a great way for your
counselor to understand how religion is impacting your life.
When it comes to faith, your therapist should never impose their own beliefs on you, or
make you feel judged because of your religion. They can believe differently and still support and
guide you.
The right therapist will welcome the integration of religious and spiritual themes in your
sessions, and often discuss your beliefs, values, and traditions.
In doing this, they'll be able to ask you questions that will help you identify how your faith
influences different areas of your life. It's possible that different types of therapy will use
different techniques to do this; however, ultimately, your counselor has the ability to
incorporate your faith even if they hold different beliefs.
Find the Right Counselor
Faith and mental health have important connections that are necessary to address. The
best mental health treatment is done within the context of viewing you as a whole person. And
that includes allowing you space to discuss your spiritual beliefs and the connection those have
to what’s going on for you right now. While your counselor does not need to have the same
faith as you, they do need to feel comfortable discussing faith with you.
If you're ready to find a counselor that can incorporate your faith into counseling, we're
here for you. Aspire Counseling has therapists who identify as Christian, Jewish, Agnostic &
Athiest. But often, we have clients who have completely different faiths that don’t fall into any
of those categories. Just know, that we want to support you and your mental health regardless
of if your therapist shares your specific belief system. We know that your faith is important to
you and welcome those discussions in counseling sessions.
