Faith vs. Therapy

An Interview with Tiffany Bartell and Joseph Khabbaz

I wrote this Q&A piece for a magazine writing class and as part of a project for 71.5, a Seventh-day Adventist youth culture magazine. It was published in "The Wellness Issue" in the spring of 2022. To write the article, I interviewed two sources on "Ignite," a TV show produced by the School of Journalism and Communication at my university. We discussed the stigma surrounding therapy in Christian communities.

Mental health is a hot topic that became all the more relevant when COVID-19 hit and home became our workplace, our school and our church. Awareness is certainly rising. Institutions are taking it more seriously. Yet, there seems to be a stigma within the Christian church surrounding mental illness and therapy. And I hate that.

I hate watching friends forced to choose between seeking help or facing judgment. I hate hearing over and over again to “just pray about it.” What I hate most of all, however, is that this stigma seems, well, in many cases, justified.

Yes, it seems justified — because as Christians, we believe God can solve every problem, guard our minds with unfathomable peace, rescue us in our darkest places and pass with us through the storm. If God is enough, why would a Christian need therapy? Why would they need medication? I didn’t know how to answer those questions.

So, I turned to the experts. On October 5, I met with Southern Adventist University’s Vice President for Spiritual Life and Chaplain Joseph Khabbaz and Counseling Services Coordinator Tiffany Bartell, who is a licensed professional counselor and mental health service provider. We met on the set of “Ignite,” a student-led TV show sponsored by Southern’s School of Journalism and Communication. Together, we discussed how to reconcile faith with therapy.

The following Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Have you observed a stigma surrounding mental illness and therapy within the Christian Church? If so, why do you believe this stigma exists?

Tiffany Bartell: We have gained an understanding of what mental health even means or encompasses relatively recently. So, there is a bit of stigma in society. And I think, as we're fighting stigma in society, we have to expect that we're going to fight it in the church as well. As we’re gaining understanding, hopefully we're decreasing stigma and increasing help seeking.

Joseph Khabbaz: Mental health within the church is sometimes related to someone's spiritual maturity. People think if you're looking for mental health support that you're not praying enough, you're not reading your Bible enough or you're not spending time with God enough. You might think, “Well, maybe I shouldn't be looking for help; I'm not spiritual enough.” But, as Tiffany shared, we're part of one larger community, so that stigma impacts the church as well as wider society.

Q: Some Christians seem to equate seeking therapy with spiritual failure. As Seventh-day Adventists, we uphold the Bible as an infallible guide to life. So, what does the Bible say about therapy?

JK: The Bible says that we all fall short of the glory of God. That's Romans 3:23. So, if we all fall short, the idea that we need help is just evidence of the reality of that verse.

TB: One thing that comes to mind when I think about mental health or therapy and the Bible is all the stories in the Bible when someone was struggling with some kind of grief or suffering, and Jesus repeatedly came close to those people and ministered to their hearts. The Bible talks about how He captures our tears in His bottle and records them. While there are many things in our present-day vocabulary that may not be present in the canon of Scripture, those concepts can be found. If you look through Psalms and Proverbs, there's a lot of mental health in there.

Q: Is it possible that some people who receive therapy replace God with their therapist as their primary source of guidance and peace? If so, how could one avoid doing so?

TB: I think Christians have a lot of fear of dependence on human beings because we have that pivotal relationship with God. I think it's helpful to understand the training that counselors go through. Part of what we learn in school is how to have appropriate boundaries and what our role is, so it’s helpful to start off with understanding that therapy is all about a counselor who's trained coming close to a client who is struggling and helping that client find their own healing and wellness. So, it's less of a dependence on the therapist and more of the therapist having skills, information and helpful coping strategies for somebody who's struggling.

JK: I do think we're always at risk — no matter what our situation is — of replacing God with something. I do think, as Tiffany shared, that counselors provide the tools, but God ultimately provides the healing. Remembering that He is the ultimate healer is really important for someone receiving counseling.

Q: Christians believe that God is all-powerful; and, if we pray to Him, He will guard our minds with a peace that surpasses human understanding. Is it necessary then for people to take medications for mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety?

TB: It's easy for us to forget that our brains are just another part of our body. Your brain may not produce serotonin, dopamine or these things that it needs to function well. Remember that your thoughts and feelings are chemical and electrical, and sometimes, we can have emotions and thoughts that are not healthy and make it difficult to function. And just like you would amend any other part of your body and seek help, we want to give our brain the help it needs. Medication is not magic, and it's not a crutch. It's helping something to be righted that's off a little bit. Just like you would take an antibiotic for a severe infection or insulin for diabetes, if your brain is telling you through thoughts and feelings that something's not right, you should listen to it and seek help.

JK: When it comes to medication, we have to realize there are some Ellen White quotes that make some people feel like we shouldn't be using drugs or medicine. But back then, the kinds of drugs they were using were very chemical-based. They were using people as trial and error. These drugs now are very much tested for public consumption. We have to take statements within context and realize there are medications that are very helpful to people today.

Q: Are there mental health issues pastors are not qualified to deal with? If so, what are they?

JK: There are a number of them, almost like “all of the above.” When I went to seminary, I took two psychology classes. Tiffany took a lot more. So, looking at it from a pastoral perspective, we have to know our scope. We have to realize where our limits are. And, if we don't realize where our limits are, we can do more harm than good, just like a doctor that doesn't know how to use certain tools on the operating table. There are pastors that have done extra studies when it comes to counseling. But, still, there'll be times when a referral will be needed when there’s complex trauma involved. So, yes, there are limits for pastors, and most pastors do know this scope and can refer people to the appropriate help.

TB: To piggyback on what Joseph is saying, sometimes, the word “counseling” is broadly used. I think there is a place for church communities and pastoral support for people who are struggling with their mental health. Therapists might not have all the Bible verses that would be really comforting and helpful in a time of grief, loss or trauma, whereas a pastor could. When we're thinking about the structures that support us as healthy human beings, it’s everybody in our lives. It's our friends, family, church community and pastoral support. All these things knit together, and as long as we stay in our roles and know our scope, then it can be healthy.

Q: Should Christians seek only Christian therapists or counselors? Should Seventh-day Adventists seek only Seventh-day Adventist therapists or counselors?

TB: I again go back to the medical model. If I need surgery on my foot, I'm going to find the very best foot surgeon in the area. So, I would say it really depends on what you're needing. If you're seeking some pretty intensive trauma treatment, you should find the person that specializes in the modality that you need. And, if you're able to find someone who has some similarities to you with a faith background, that’s great. I would encourage people to find the expert in what they need. And then, if there's a variety of options, you can start to filter down to preference.

Q: What advice would you give a Christian struggling to reconcile his or her faith with therapy and afraid to face the judgment of others?

JK: You don't need to worry about what people think when you need help. God can use others. He can use medicine and professionals as tools to answer our prayers. So, if you're needing help, do not hesitate to reach out and say, “Hey, I'm struggling here.” We live in a broken world, but God has provided a ton of gifts to His people so they can help and minister to each other.

TB: I always go back to self-compassion because the voices around you will never speak louder than the voice in your own head. Sometimes, it starts with those punitive statements, the shaming statements, the blame that we give ourselves when we're feeling sick, especially if it's an invisible illness. So, start there, and ask, “Am I talking to myself in a healthy way about the fact that I need help right now?” If you practice that compassion, then you’ll be able to filter and hear the encouraging voices around you. When reconciling therapy with faith, understand that any kind of illness can be a detriment to your spiritual health. If you're in a depressed state, struggling with anxiety or have unresolved trauma, it's really hard to have actualization in that relationship between you and God. So, if you're thinking that seeking help and therapy is going to pull away from your faith, I think I challenge that. I would say that it can actually strengthen it, and it can remove barriers to you having that intimate relationship with the Lord.