Is Therapy Good or Bad for Christians?

Can therapy help a person grow in their faith, or does it hinder them? This is a question that I often hear. My response is to follow up with more questions before I answer. Do you have a struggle that you can’t seem to overcome? Are you stuck in pain over an emotional wound that doesn’t seem to heal? Are you struggling in relationships and can’t seem to figure out a way forward? Do you ask yourself, “do I need therapy, or do I just need more faith?” 

In some Christian circles, therapy is still misunderstood. It is seen as weakness or turning yourself into a victim. Or it may be seen as enabling self-centered behavior that focuses on doing what makes a person feel good or happy. Or it can even be seen as trying to replace God’s healing and redemptive work. All you should need to do is pray and give it to God, right? I use the word “misunderstood” because I think that is the best way to explain the confusion some Christians have about therapy. Is therapy solely dependent on a person working to making themself better? Does therapy only focus on the “self” and doing what makes a person happy? The answer to these questions is a huge NO. That is misunderstanding what therapy is, and really what makes therapy work.

Can therapy actually help a person grow in their faith? Therapy that incorporates Biblical truths from a Christian therapist can absolutely help a person in their healing process and help them grow both emotionally and spiritually. I believe wholeheartedly that God can use therapy as a place where faith can grow as a person takes time to intentionally explore their own story and see God’s work in their lives. Faith can grow as a person learns more about themselves and the way God created them with certain gifts. And faith can grow when a person sees areas of their life that need the type of change that can only come from God’s help. 

I talk to people who often feel stuck in certain behaviors and emotions, and they are not sure how to get out of those patterns. Most people recognize a need for changes in their environment, or changes they would like to see in other people, but it takes more insight to recognize the problems within our own hearts and minds that keep us trapped where we are. Incorporating Biblical faith into a therapy process that is focused on changing behaviors and getting out of difficult emotions and patterns can help provide that insight, as well as give encouragement and motivation for change. The Bible has so much to say about our emotions, and ways to love and communicate with others. Turning to what the Bible says about our anger (Prov. 15:1, Eph. 4:26), anxiety (Phil 4:6-7, Matt. 6:34), grief (Psalm 147:3, John 16:22) and other emotions can help us see not just into our own hearts, but to the heart of God towards us.

The best part of my job is when I see someone grow in their faith due to their therapeutic experiences. What does it look like for someone to grow in their faith? It means they trust more in the Lord and His promises. It also means a desire to be more Christ-like and to follow His commands through the gift and work of the Holy Spirit. It means that they see God as the Author of their story and the Healer of their wounds.

Here are some other practical ways that therapy can help someone grow in their faith:

• It provides accountability. Meeting with a therapist regularly means that there is someone with whom you can share your goals and your struggles, and they can follow up with you and encourage you in your progress. 

• It is a place to receive compassion for the pain you have experienced due living in a broken world or due to the sins of others.

• It is a place to recognize the pain you may have caused others, repent, and learn to change.

• It can help you explore who you are and what gifts God has given you.  

• It can help you develop skills to have more discipline in your life to do things like study the Bible and have consistent prayer time.

• It can help you to see different perspectives and improve in communication towards people that you are called to love. 

• It provides a safe space to talk about the hard things. It is all confidential, but it is also a place to be open and honest with someone who is objective and caring. It can be a place to wrestle with conflicting emotions and uncertainty, and not worry if someone is going to look at you or treat you differently because of something you shared. In the practice of being open in therapy, it also helps you to practice being open and honest to God about your feelings and needs.

Still questioning if therapy is right for you? Reach out to me by filling out the contact information below, and I’d be happy to talk to you and help you find the resources that are the best fit for your needs.