Pastor or Therapist: Where to Begin

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss recent findings from the CDC National Health Interview Survey which showed that approximately 14% (or 1 in 7) of adults in the U.S. received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional as of 2024. This is a significant increase from 2019 data, and behind the rise are mainly young adults, those between 18 and 34 years old. So what's behind this growing rise in counseling, and are all types of counseling created equal?

Episode Links

A general knowledge of the world of mental health has increased in recent years, and the stigma behind seeking treatment for mental health issues has decreased. Anxiety has been one of the greatest mental health issues of our day. Dr. White recently gave a message at Mecklenburg Community Church called “The Anxious Generation” that you can find HERE.

They also discussed how Christian beliefs may play a role in discouraging therapy. For example, some Christians might question whether therapy replaces God or minimizes the healing that God is able to provide. The truth is that even some of the leaders within the Christian faith have struggled with depression and other mental health issues. Dr. White wrote a blog to help dispel this stigma called “Suicide and the Church” that we'd suggest you to take a moment to read. There is also a past podcast episode we'd encourage you to go back and listen to called CCP36: On Mental Health that addresses this subject as well.

Finally, Dr. White mentioned the writings of Dr. Larry Crabb, author of Inside Out and Connecting, who wrote how treating mental health issues only as psychological disorders may cheapen the mysterious battle raging deep within the soul. In other words, therapy is not the answer for everything. Faith and prayer do still come into play. This is why it's so important to seek out Christian counselors who've been specifically trained to provide both clinical counseling and spiritual guidance.

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