The field of mental health counseling continues to grow. A trip to the therapist was once considered a taboo activity, reserved for people with only the most explicit mental health disorders. Nowadays, it’s considered a perfectly normal part of individual growth that many people not only participate in, but also openly discuss. Over the past few decades, individuals have become increasingly likely to seek out a therapist. And while severe mental illness will always be present, the issues for which most people see a therapist are often considered to be less extreme, such as life transitions, loss of loved ones, or anxiety. However, this growing popularity is not without its detractors. Some within the Church assert that the Bible is the only thing needed for our personal growth and well-being. Any other method for growth besides God’s Word is manufactured by humankind, and thus considered unnecessary at best, or dangerous at worst.
What relationship should Christians have with mental health counseling? Are there any aspects of Christianity that would push us towards embracing mental health practice or are the two diametrically opposed? How does spiritual formation interact with mental health? Do these ideas represent two approaches to the same goal or do they serve separate purposes? Is the Bible the only thing necessary for personal growth in Christians or should we embrace modern, scientifically-based methods? All that and more on this edition of Questions from the Pew.
RESOURCES:
All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir
The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays