Christian Counseling Today Vol. 21, Iss. 2

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christian counseling today Vol. 21 no. 2 25
problems/stress, mindfulness, cycles and trig-
gers, and mental activities), emotional needs
(e.g., love, encouragement, joy, and peace),
spiritual needs (e.g., hope, knowing your
identity, finding purpose, spiritual growth,
and living in community), and relational
needs (e.g., family and friends, resolving
conflict, overcoming stigma, opportunities to
serve, and forgiveness). The Church’s holistic
view of man offers those struggling with a
mental health problem a more complete
framework for recovery and transformation.
Third, accessibility is, perhaps, the biggest
problem with our present mental healthcare
system… but imagine what could happen if
churches were equipped to effectively serve
in the gatekeeper role that the system expects
of them. This would mean individuals in
psychological distress who seek out assistance
from the Church would be quickly identified
and appropriately referred for professional
care. In rethinking mental healthcare, what
if churches were equipped not only to be
effective gatekeepers, but also places where
peer-led mental health services were avail-
able onsite? These services would not replace
professional mental healthcare but, instead,
serve as an adjunct to those resources. Basic
helping, such as crisis intervention, psycho-
education, mental health coaching and
support groups, are ideal for implementation
in a church setting. Services such as these, led
by non-professionals, have been shown to be
effective in managing symptoms and main-
taining stability, as well as the added benefits
of minimal cost and maximum accessibility.
Finally, a supportive community is a
necessary factor in successful mental health
recovery. Churches can offer individuals and
their families an accepting and supportive
environment where they can pursue healing
and wholeness. The call of the Church is to
“bear one another’s burdens” and “love one
another.” This makes available to the afflicted
and their families a community of care and
respite from the struggles associated with
For 50 years Fuller’s School of Psychology has planted the cross in the
heart of psychology with such faculty as Arch Hart, Terry Hargrave,
and Siang Yang Tan. Our MSMFT programs today in Pasadena,
California and Phoenix, Arizona will equip you through
INTEGRATION Cultivate biblically based clinical virtues as a
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A PIONEER IN
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8611-15-03-Fuller_AACC-02.indd 1 3/6/15 4:34 PM
More disturbing
is the fact that
60% of adults and
50% of children/
adolescents
diagnosed with a
mental disorder
receive no treatment
at all.