Spiritual Concerns in Counseling

Wellspring offers a safe, nonjudgmental place to process faith and spirituality.

Both religion and spirituality can have a positive impact on mental health. For example, they can help a person tolerate stress, maintain social connections, and adjust to life changes by generating peace, purpose, forgiveness, gratitude, and a larger world view. 

Questions about God, faith, and a person’s relationship with God

Without judgment or directive answers, therapists support the personal exploration of a client’s spiritual health and relationship with God.

When bad things happen in life, it is common for people to wonder about God’s existence, character, and ways of relating with humans. Common spiritual questions related to mental health include: 

  • After a tragedy or loss – Why did God allow this? Did he see? Does he care? 
  • After sin or failures – Is God punishing me? Am I unworthy of his love? Can he forgive me? Is there hope for me? 
  • When angry with God – Why doesn’t he fix things? Where is he? Why didn’t he answer my prayers? 
  • When God seems absent – Does God exist? Where is he? Does God see or care? How do I know or find him? 
  • When feeling ashamed or unworthy – Am I rejected by God? Am I insignificant to him or in the world? Does he think I deserve this? 
  • When depressed or hopeless – How do the Bible verses about hope or change relate to me? 

·       When lost or purposeless – Does God have a purpose for my life or in my relationships? How can my faith help me adjust to my life stage, change, loss, or disappointment? 

Church Hurt

When Christians fail to lead or love well, it can be painful to others. But hope can be found.

Find healing from “Church hurt”, such as:

  • Moral or leadership failures by Christian church or ministry leaders.
  • Direct mistreatment by a Christian leader, identified Christian, or group of Christians.
  • Painful experiences as a Christian leader, such as being unduly criticized, attacked, or maligned by constituents.
  • Lack of protection from church or ministry leadership of abuse.
  • Feeling taken advantage of or mistreated within a church or ministry organization.
  • Painful church/ministry experiences such as being ignored, not fitting in, or dismissed.
  • Ministry leader burnout.
  • Painful experiences with identified Christians, such as betrayals, poor business dealings, poor Christian witness behaviors.

Implications of faith to specific topics

Therapists will support clients as they explore how their religious beliefs relate to their personal circumstances.

Specific topics that may relate to the Bible or teachings of faiths include topics such as abortion, divorce, gender/sexual identity, moral dilemmas, suicide, or other issues. Wellspring therapists will help clients think through their concerns about these issues but will refer the client to seek answers about doctrinal controversies to the religious leaders of the clients’ faith or if they have none, to well-matched local church or religious partners. 

Types of Therapy

Counseling options tailored to your needs

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“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life”
– Proverbs 4:23

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