You Can Have Faith and Still See a Psychologist

For months, Rachel had been quietly searching online for a psychologist. Late at night, after her family had gone to bed, she’d open one website after another, scrolling through profiles that all started to blur together. Each time she hovered over the “book appointment” button, a familiar unease settled in her chest.

Shouldn’t I be able to handle this? she thought. Maybe I just need to pray harder… trust more.

Lately, she’d noticed how much harder it was to get through the day. Her thoughts raced at night, replaying worries she couldn’t turn off. Mornings brought a heaviness that no amount of coffee—or prayer—seemed to lift. She found herself snapping at her children, feeling down, ruminating over problems, forgetting small things, and struggling to concentrate at work. She felt anxious, disconnected, and deeply tired in ways she couldn’t explain.

One evening, after another sleepless night of restless thoughts and quiet tears, she whispered a prayer: “God, if getting help isn’t wrong, please show me.”

A week later, sitting across from a psychologist who listened without judgment, Rachel realised that this too could be an answer to prayer. Therapy didn’t replace her faith, but it could play a role in helping her cope better with life’s challenges.

Like Rachel, for many people of faith, seeking help from a psychologist can feel like a complicated decision. Faith offers deep sources of comfort, meaning, and connection—but sometimes, faith communities have sent confusing or even discouraging messages about mental health care. Although there has been growing awareness in faith communities of the benefit of psychological or counselling support, some still promote ideas that prayer or trust in God should be enough, or that mental illness is a sign of weak faith, sin, or spiritual warfare.

In reality, psychological therapy and faith are not directly opposed. They can work together in powerful and restorative ways. People of faith bring unique strengths, values, and spiritual perspectives that can shape the healing process. And psychologists using faith-sensitive approaches can help you explore how your beliefs and experiences interact with your mental health.

This article draws on current research into the lived experiences of Christians with mental illness to explore why it’s okay—and often beneficial for people of faith to seek psychological support when they are experiencing mental health challenges.

The Complexity of Faith and Mental Health

For many people in faith communities, church is one of the few places where they feel safe enough to disclose personal struggles. Congregations often serve as extended families—spaces where vulnerability, prayer, and mutual care are expected to flourish. When someone shares openly about mental health concerns, they are not only revealing emotional pain but also extending deep trust to their community. How that community responds can either foster healing or reinforce shame.

Faith and mental health have always had a complex relationship. For many, faith provides a sense of hope, belonging, and meaning that protects against despair and isolation. Studies consistently show that people who identify as religious or spiritual often report higher levels of life satisfaction, hope, and resilience (1, 2). Yet, people of faith are not immune from experiencing a range of mental health challenges, and faith communities are not immune from stigmatising those who experience mental health challenges.

In some contexts, mental illness has been spiritualised—interpreted as the result of weak faith, demonic influence, or personal sin (3). While often intended to bring spiritual guidance, these interpretations can have unintended psychological consequences. They may invalidate the person’s experience, increase self-blame or shame, and discourage them from seeking evidence-based professional help. For those already struggling with depression or anxiety, being told to “pray harder” or “trust God more” can reinforce the inner belief that they are defective or failing spiritually—a belief that closely mirrors the Defectiveness/Shame schema often seen in therapy (5).

A 2023 meta-synthesis by Lloyd and colleagues examined over twenty qualitative studies on Christians living with mental illness and found that church experiences often included both compassion and misunderstanding (4). Congregational support and faith leaders who listened with empathy were described as profoundly healing—restoring dignity and reinforcing the belief that mental health struggles do not negate spiritual worth. Yet others spoke of being excluded from ministry roles or silenced after disclosing their mental health history. Such mixed experiences highlight how critical it is for faith communities to develop mental-health literacy, understand trauma, and cultivate cultures where honesty and help-seeking are encouraged rather than penalised.

When churches respond with acceptance and informed care, they become protective environments where individuals can integrate both their faith and psychological recovery. When the response is dismissive or moralising, the church itself can become a source of injury—a form of spiritual or relational trauma that undermines both trust and belonging.

When Faith Supports Mental Health

Faith offers profound psychological benefits when expressed in healthy, compassionate, and grounded ways.

1. A Framework for Meaning

Faith gives suffering a context. Many people of faith make sense of hardship through sacred narratives—seeing trials as part of a larger purpose, or trusting that God (or the divine) can bring growth out of pain. This “religious meaning-making” is linked to greater psychological resilience and lower levels of hopelessness (5).

For instance, someone who believes that “God is with me even in my depression” may experience less isolation and more motivation to persist in treatment. In this sense, faith can be an anchor—helping people locate meaning even when life feels unravelling.

2. Connection and Community

Faith communities can offer tangible and emotional support—meals when someone is unwell, prayer, encouragement, or simply being present. The Lloyd et al. (2023) review found that congregational warmth and nonjudgmental relationships often buffered the effects of mental illness (4). Being part of a caring community gives people a sense of belonging and value, which are vital for recovery.

3. Hope and Compassion

Faith often nurtures hope in times of uncertainty. Many religious traditions encourage compassion toward others and oneself. A person who learns to view themselves as inherently valued and loved, despite flaws or suffering, begins to counteract internalised shame and self-criticism. From a psychological perspective, this is a major protective factor against depression and anxiety (6).

When Faith Creates Barriers

At times, however, aspects of faith expression or community culture can inadvertently worsen distress.

1. Spiritualising Mental Illness

When faith leaders or community members view depression, trauma, or anxiety solely as a spiritual problem, people may feel blamed for their suffering. Comments like “you just need to trust more” or “this is a spiritual attack” can invalidate the very real biological, psychological, and social factors involved in mental health (7).

Imposing spiritual explanations can create shame—leading individuals to hide their symptoms, stop medication, or avoid therapy. Some even withdraw from their faith communities after feeling misunderstood or rejected (4).

2. Stigma and Silence

Stigma within faith settings remains a significant challenge. In some communities, mental illness is equated with weakness, a lack of discipline, or poor character. This can foster secrecy, preventing open conversation about mental health struggles (8).

The Lloyd et al. (2023) review noted that many Christians kept their distress private for fear of being judged or excluded (4). This isolation can intensify depression and anxiety, as support is replaced with silence and self-blame.

3. Cognitive Dissonance: When Suffering Challenges Belief

People of faith may struggle deeply when mental illness feels incompatible with their theology. They may wonder: “If I believe in a loving God, why am I still suffering?” or “Does my anxiety mean I lack faith?”

This dissonance that experiences when one’s experiences and beliefs clash can lead to guilt, confusion, and despair. Psychologists recognise this as a form of religious struggle, which, if unresolved, can contribute to poorer mental health outcomes (9).

Integrating Faith and Therapy

Psychological support does not replace faith, but it can enhance and deepen it. A faith-sensitive psychologist can help you explore how your beliefs interact with your mental health, validate both spiritual and psychological dimensions of suffering, and support you to find balance.

1. Respecting Spiritual Identity

A faith-sensitive psychologist won’t pathologise your faith. Instead, they’ll respect your values and worldview, and if you wish, explore how your beliefs shape your coping. Therapy can help you distinguish between aspects of faith that are life-giving (grace, hope, connection) and those that have become burdensome (guilt, fear, self-condemnation).

2. Building Healthier Meaning-Making

Therapy can also help reframe unrecognised or subconscious spiritual beliefs that contribute to emotional distress. This process isn’t about changing a person’s core faith or values, but rather bringing to awareness the unspoken beliefs that may have formed early in life or during times of hardship. For example, through gentle exploration, a therapist might help a client uncover a deeply held assumption such as “God is punishing me.” When invited to hold this belief up against their broader understanding of their faith, many people recognise that it doesn’t align with their actual theology or image of the divine.

In therapy, these moments of insight open the door to reconstructing meaning in a way that remains true to their spiritual framework—perhaps shifting from “God is punishing me” to “God sees my pain and desires my healing.” Cognitive and schema-based approaches are particularly helpful here, as they identify and reshape core beliefs (or “schemas”) that drive emotional suffering. This allows clients to integrate their spiritual and psychological worlds more harmoniously, without undermining belief or identity.

It is important to note that the psychologist does not play the role of spiritual teacher or advisor here, their role is to help understand your underlying thoughts and schemas, and it is up to you, potentially alongside faith leaders or your faith community, to decided if these thoughts are consistent with your faith and helpful.

Healing Is Not a Lack of Faith

It takes courage, not weakness, to seek help. Just as faith communities value medical care for physical illness, psychological care addresses emotional and relational pain. The Bible and other sacred texts often describe seasons of lament, doubt, and despair. Figures of faith—Job, Elijah, Jeremiah, or even Jesus in Gethsemane, all expressed anguish and fear. Their stories remind us that emotional suffering is part of the human condition, not a failure of belief.

Recovery is rarely linear. Healing often involves professional support, spiritual reflection, medication for some, and compassionate community. It may also include learning to relate to God or your faith tradition in new ways.

A psychologist’s role is not to replace faith or the guidance of faith leaders, but to help you understand how your thoughts, emotions, and life experiences are influencing your wellbeing. A faith-sensitive psychologist supports you in engaging with your faith more freely—without shame, fear, or pressure—so that it becomes a source of comfort and strength rather than distress.

Moving Forward: Creating a Faith-Friendly Healing Space

If you are a person of faith seeking therapy, consider the following reflections:

• Find a psychologist with whom you feel comfortable sharing all parts of yourself with, including our faith. It’s okay to ask how they approach spirituality in sessions.

• Bring your faith into the room if you would like to. Share the scriptures, prayers, or rituals that bring comfort—or distress. Therapy can help you make sense of both.

• Be gentle with yourself. Healing takes time. Faith can grow through struggle as well as peace.

An Invitation for Support

If you are struggling with your mental health or finding it difficult to reconcile your faith and emotional wellbeing, you don’t have to walk through it alone.

At Refuge Psychology, faith and professional care are not in conflict. Kylie provides faith-sensitive psychological support and counselling, offering a space where you can bring your whole self—spiritual, emotional, and psychological—and receive compassionate, evidence-based care.

Book an appointment here:👉 Refuge Psychology Bookings

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Disclaimer

Any stories or examples provided are an example only and do not describe a specific client, person or event. Some of the information we provide on our website may be information related to health and medical issues, but it's not meant to be health and medical “advice”. We provide this information for your general use only. While we try to provide accurate information, it may be historical, incomplete information or based on opinions that aren't widely held. Your personal situation has not been considered when providing the information, so any reliance on this information is at your sole risk. We recommend seeking independent professional advice before relying on the information we provide. Find the full terms of service here: Terms of Service | Refuge Psychology

References

1. Shattuck, E. C., & Muehlenbein, M. P. (2020). Religion, spirituality, and health: An integrative review. Journal of Religion and Health, 59(1), 244–263.

2. Counted, V., et al. (2022). Hope, wellbeing, and spirituality: A multidimensional exploration. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 14(3), 250–264.

3. Lloyd, C. E. M., & Panagopoulos, M. C. (2023). Spiritual reductionism in Christian understandings of mental illness. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 15(4), 298–307.

4. Lloyd, C. E. M., Cathcart, J., Panagopoulos, M. C., & Reid, G. (2023). The experiences of faith and church community among Christian adults with mental illness: A qualitative metasynthesis. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

5. Park, C. L. (2005). Religion as a meaning-making framework in coping with life stress. Journal of Social Issues, 61(4), 707–729.

6. Neff, K. D., & Dahm, K. A. (2015). Self-compassion: What it is, what it does, and how it relates to mindfulness. In Handbook of Mindfulness and Self-Regulation (pp. 121–137). Springer.

7. Coombs, R., et al. (2022). Faith-based barriers to mental health treatment: A review. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 25(8), 874–888.

8. Caplan, P. J. (2019). Stigma and silence: Mental illness in faith communities. Social Work and Christianity, 46(3), 291–307.

9. Fitchett, G., et al. (2004). Religious struggle: Prevalence, correlates and mental health risk. Social Indicators Research, 68(1), 117–135.