Religion & Mental Health Therapy!
Hey everybody, Happy Thursday! Do you guys remember this background? So cool I got this at CB2. Many of you asked. It’s been years ago. Purchased it. Pretty sure they don’t have anymore. It’s been like ten years, but it’s like a throwback. TBT, it’s Thursday! Oh, full circle. Look at us, coming together. What today’s video is … no not Harry Potter, Coffee and a Chat. And hot off an espresso machine, just the way I like it. Oh yeah. Okay so today’s topic is something that a lot of you have asked me about. And I’ve heard from you, both sides of it, so what’s the thing I’m talking about? Therapy and Religion I’ve heard from many of you that you are not religious, and you in some way feel that your therapist, You found out that they’re religious. Or you feel that they’re pushing you to be more religious and pray, and things like that. Or on the other side I’ve heard from a lot of you that you are religious and you’re concerned about seeing a therapist who is religious and shares the same values as you. Or on the third portion of it, I guess, I’ve heard from a lot of you that you’re seeing someone at church who Is not a licensed mental health professional. And you’re curious my thoughts on that. So there are three things we’re gonna talk about, so let’s get into it so this video isn’t crazy long. So the first part is if you’re not religious and you in some way feel that your therapist Is kind of pushing you to be religious or is religious themselves and that bothers you. There are a couple of things we can do, as always. And this is something you can blanketly give to any therapy situation, and that is if you don’t feel like you can communicate with your therapist or if you have communicated and they’re not listening to you, and they’re still kind of pushing their own agenda. I’ve heard that with regard to medication from many of you, but with regard to religion, If you’ve told them you’re not. You prefer that not be part of your therapy practice, But they keep bringing it up I would have a conversation with them about it. And if they still aren’t hearing you, I would ask for referrals. That’s okay. I know that a lot of you feel really nervous about doing that, and I know that many of you have told me, but I just can’t imagine myself saying that to a person. Remember that therapy is different than a regular friendship or relationship in general. It’s not about the therapist. It’s about you, the client. If You don’t feel comfortable. If they are making you uncomfortable even though you’ve spoken up about something, then it’s time for you to find someone who hears you and respects your point of view. Because everyone has different views when it comes to religion. I’m not saying in this video that you need to, don’t need to, should feel some way. Everyone has the right to practice their own religion in the way that they see fit. Or not practice in the way they see fit. That’s all, that’s everyone’s choice. That’s what, we, you know, that’s what makes life wonderful. So with regard to that, I would speak up. I would tell them if you still feel that they’re pushing it on you, I would express your discontent about that. And ask for referrals, and find someone. Even you can ask that when you see people. I’ve had clients ask me, hoping that I was Jewish. I’ve had a couple clients ask if I was Jewish and I’m like, “oh, sorry I’m not. But are there certain things you want me to incorporate or would you like some referrals?” That’s fair. You can ask it straight up. First session or even on the phone before you make the first session, okay. That’s the first part. Second part: if we are religious. I need a sip of coffee before I get Into that one. Okay, if we are religious and religion Is very important to you, and you want it to be part of your therapy process Just like I said before, you can ask when you call. And there are tons of therapists, even the one actually the therapist that I share an office with, she is a Christian based therapist. And that’s something that she does. She was one of my teachers at Pepperdine and that’s how come I found her. And that’s why we share an office. But Pepperdine is a religious school. It’s a Christian School. So she practices out of that base, that religious base. Now she doesn’t do with all of her clients. I actually asked her about it, so that I knew who to refer to her. She’s like “I don’t do it with all my clients, but I’m happy to pray with them. I’m happy to talk about scripture with them. Whatever they need in order to feel better and recover.” So keeping that in mind, you can ask around. Ask right away. See what it is, if they do, if they don’t. If it’s important to you, then it should be important in the therapy process. Because on both ends of the spectrum, if you don’t want it or if you do want it that’s all part of who you are and what’s important to you. And I think that being able to speak up about that and be able to have a conversation with someone who’s on the same page as you and understands where you’re coming from can be really beneficial. And it can be sometimes hurtful if we feel that they’re not respecting that choice. Am I right? So speak up about it. Ask about it. Oftentimes churches will have a whole referral list of people in the area or maybe members of the congregation that they can refer you to. And to note if you run into someone, so let’s say you are seeing a religion based, like a Christian based therapist, and you yourself, a Christian, you end up going to the same church and you bump into them. You don’t have to say hi unless you want to, and they will not say anything, because that, we hold your confidentiality. I would never, even if I was walking on the street and saw a client, I wouldn’t be like hey. They have to say hi to me first, and then I would say hi, because you have to acknowledge me. I don’t want to say hi, and then your friends say like how do you know that person, who’s that? And you have to answer that. So just to keep that in mind, especially with regard to church. Now the third portion Is if we’re in church, and we’re going to see someone who likes works as part of congregation. Often they have like what they call counselors or … They’re not licensed professionals. If you have licensed professionals in our church that’s wonderful. I’m glad they have that resource, but often times you’ll talk to your pastor, your preacher, the priest, whoever it is you talk to in, and I know I’m leaving out other religions. That’s only because of my, you know, off the top of my head knowledge. That is in no way discrediting anything else. But you’ll talk to a member of your church, whether it’s the leader of the church or one of the people who works within it. And you can often ask them a lot of questions, and they can give you a lot of advice from a spiritual place. I want you to understand that there is a limit to what they can offer for you, because of their knowledge base and schooling. If they don’t have a license and haven’t practiced different therapy techniques, you’re gonna find that they often don’t have those tools to give you. So recovery can take longer. You may, it may just be more advice given from a religious background. That’s honestly what it’s like; advice but it’s from a religious place. And that can be great that can be great. I’ve had many clients talk about how it was really great for their marriages or it was really great for their children. So there’s definitely a place for it. I just want you all to be cognizant of the fact that they haven’t gone to school for it. There’s gonna be some ways that they’re very limited in the tools that they can give, and the things they can recommend to you and the support that they can offer. Yes they have that whole other component which gives them a leg up, if that’s important to you. But just keep that in mind, because I’ve heard from some of you that you’ve been given, what I would call some horrific advice in the therapy world, not from a religious standpoint but in the therapy world. Had been given some advice that kind of goes against what we would learn in school, and so just be cautious. Proceed with caution when it comes to that. And if you’re just seeking a little bit of support and advice, you just need to vent, you’re upset about something, and it’s something that you could go to a friend about, but you’re wanting someone who is kind of outside of the situation to hear it. That’s what it’s there for. That’s what they’re there for. That’s what I think Is best. Because otherwise I’m afraid that if we’re recovering from addiction or eating disorder or self-injury, It’s a little bit out of their scope and over their head because they haven’t gone to school for it. They don’t really know how to treat it. And I just want to protect all of us in this situation, making sure that we’re all getting the help and support that we need at the level that we need. And there’s room for everybody. We have friends and family and all sorts of support systems in our life, and I think it’s Important to keep those. Just making sure that when we really need serious professional help that we’re getting it. What do you think? Let me know what you think about therapy in religion. Do you think it has a place in it? Do you think it doesn’t? Have you had experience with it? Let’s chat in the comments, because everyone’s gonna have a different point of view. And like i said this isn’t me saying that one is good and another’s bad. These are just my thoughts, because this is what you requested. So i hope you all have a wonderful day, and I will see you tomorrow on a Live Stream. I’m getting better. I’m so much more technologically savvy. I can switch from YouNow after 30 minutes and pop over to Patreon, just like I promised. And we’ll be doing that Friday at 11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, so I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye!
I’m Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos!
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48 Comments
I ended up doing some combo of therapy and spiritual practice. I definitely did some of that spiritual bypassing with yoga, meditation, and shamanism. But going to therapy who I felt as being pretty open to those ideas, the combo of the two in my life was essential.
#AndrewYang2020
Once again, great stuff Katie. What your advice be? I had another therapist approach me about some of her clients wanting to incorporate spirituality into their counseling but the therapist was not “well practiced” in this area. We work for a community mental health agency with SPMI clients. Thoughts?
Hi Kati , I recently found out I was in a cult. Do you have any advice for me. I have a fear they put a chip in my nose. My mother made an appointment for me and they ended up doing surgery I did not need on my nose. I could breathe just fine. They said I needed hearing aids and I never got those. But I got surgery on my nose. Please help. I am traumatized.
I was in a mental hospital that gave religion based therapy. They didn't push it too far, but they did expect us to be in chapel on Sunday morning. The therapist there didn't push religion. She did have her problems, though. I think she was depressed.
What is patreon?
So, I am a Christian, and also go to therapy with a therapist who isn't necessarily super big into talking about religion necessarily. But I know a lot of what I believe. And I have friends in the Christian community that can give me solid advice, already knowing what I struggle. There is no doubt that some Christian professionals give horrible advice for struggling mental illnesses. But, not all of them. And many of them at this point actually will suggest for extreme mental health concerns that a person seek more professional help from a licensed professional. However, they will still try to give help if they can. That has been my experience as someone who is in both areas of this.
I was vey religious which is one of the reasons i need therapy. I felt religion disenfranchised me from my own feelings. Catholic school really can mess people up.
I don't have much of an issue with anything that you say, but I wish we had more of an acknowledgement of the variety of creeds around.
Without God and the Virgin Mary I would be alone. Totally alone.
I feel like belief and faith helped me so much growing up. However when i got to college it all fell apart and has been a struggle ever since.
Great video, I think you performed that balancing act really well! 👍
To answer your question, I agree with what you said in your video (i. e., it's up to the person seeking help). For me personally, I have purposely chosen to identify with God, so religion in therapy would be ideal (with a therapist who actually "gets" me from a religious perspective, 'cause we all know there are many who claim to be religious when they're really not). Unfortunately, I literally cannot find any therapists near me who are actually true Catholics … 👎😜😠
(… and since I know some smart alec's going to try to use that as an incentive to convert me to something else, don't bother wasting your time or mine, I love God and my religion, and I ain't switching …) 🕆📿❤😆
Christianity is not where i want my therapy to be… I want to have a religion free therapy…i'm pro meditation…
hold on katii! what if religion has a positive effect in mental health, im thinking it may…X'D. or kinda a opened question to answer it but what if religion has a evidence based spectrum where religion helps mental health? what kinda of preferable practices might help! is advice just fundamental for practical support? sorry for the big what if..but id love to comeback to this topic! thanks for your support. been listening to the stories, evidence, and advice! thanks kati. appreciate everything hope to hear back! bye!
What about a therapist dismissing your religion as part of your mental illness?
My therapist works in a Christian-based non-profit. I'm super LGBT and atheist, but our differences have never been a problem. Thanks for making this video!
From a Christian standpoint there are pastoral counselors which are licensed in some states. When I started I counseling I started through a pastoral counselor and he was wise enough to say that this was a first step to go through therapy who is more equipped to handle my situation. There are some who won’t make that referral. Those are the one that people need to be cautious
i'm an atheist.yet i do respect all religions what folks who did identify as.whatever works for them.more power to them.
I wish we were friends.
I’m currently in seminary and part of the Pastoral Care class (its essentially what to do when someone calls you for help) is that a Clergy members should only meet with a congregant on a single issue a max of three times. After that they should refer you to a professional. Pastors are not suppose to do therapy work (unless they have actually gone to school for it).They should have resources to make referrals and may, depending on the size of the church, have funds to help pay for the first few sessions.
I love that I can go to my therapist & talk about God without her thinking my faith is irrational or whatever. I go to a Christian Clinic. I’d never go to a secular place.
What happenedrmto for me was pretty lucky for me. Being LGBT is a big part of me and something I was trying to figure out when starting therapy, but I also wanted someone who was a Christian. My therapist is bi and a Christian and went to the same college my parents went to which I find pretty cool. What was really helpful was that she said I shouldn't go to said college because they are extremely homophobic, so I was able to go deeper into that and figured our that college is not going to best for me. So it ended up being a perfect fit
Christian counseling can be a more affordable option while therapy is super expensive. I would love to see a video on affordable therapy for those who need something more than counseling/Christian counseling but don’t have access to it financially.
My therapist is a Christian but she never talks about it luckily
In fact I worked once with a psychosocial support team where it was meant to listen to people and relieve them or at least make their pain less , one of our activities was to let people know that mental illness is not necessarily caused by spiritual things only it can be and it may be not ,It may be sth chemical or a serious health or mental illness that needs educated enough psychiatrist and psychologist to solve it. I am religious and in most of my time it helps me to stay strong or be inspired or have hope .But still we can never blame anyone for what they feel or how they think or assume reasons for that but we can help let them see things differently or detect the real problem ,by the way we were not qualified but we were volunteering and we were students of so many majors and it was a nice experience in my life I guess .I love your channel Kati I have enough courage to solve my own psychological and mental issues and relieve myself from a lot of guilt now ,you helped me to take a decision that might change my whole life to the better in future ,Thank you so much
I am seeing a licensed therapist who is Catholic, as I. We do not pray together nor read Scripture but my faith has kept me afloat & if I have a Faith based moment she is happy I have that. I certainly do not believe your therapist should use religion if it is not a presence in your recovery. Just sayin'. Today she recommended I try guided meditation because my anxiety level is through the roof. It will be Christian based although she did not say it should be. ❤️ I believe she's a very good therapist.
I had a therapist suggest that my perfectionism was a symptom of my religion. Maybe they had a point, but I was a teenager and it was not an appropriate suggestion the way she made it. I immediately felt defensive and it wasn’t helpful.
Can you do a video on religious trauma and spiritual abuse?
Religion makes people crazy.
But listen to what Tracie Harris of the 'Atheist Experience' says about this subject. She rails against mixing religion with therapy which is supposed to be a scientific field of inquiry. She raises many horror stories of people sent to "therapists" only to find out they are Christian fundies who want to impliment their hocus pocus in the therapy.
It also is not fair to actual legitimate therapists by asking them to engage in prayer with religious patients. If you want to be comforted by your religion… fine but ask to see a pastor or clergy. Do not expect scientifically trained clinical professionals to be purveyors of supernatural solutions.
I couldn't agree more with the dangers of seeking therapy from a religious leader! I used to be a Jehovah's Witness, and professional therapy is extremely frowned upon. JW's have to go to the elders for not only spiritual advice, but for all advice, including things that they are NOT trained or experienced to handle. If you are depressed or experiencing anxiety, you aren't reading your bible enough, praying enough, or going out preaching enough. It keeps members trapped because they are only seeking help internally. So glad I am free from them and I am studying to be a mental health counselor so I can help provide REAL advice for people who are struggling.
Basically, if you're religious then you need therapy. Religion is about conformity and dogmatic belief in things that cannot be proven. Anyone who is drawn to that ALREADY needs mental help, their attachment to religion is a symptom of that illness. To be clear, doing good, being spiritually connected to your higher self, striving for health, doing the hard work of emotional growth and maintaining a constant and endless search for the truth are good things. But those are not things taught by religion. Any of the big 3 religions, first and foremost seek your submission; what does that have to do with any of those good things above? They seek your submission to their version of history, to their book(s), to their specific rules of conduct, etc… The bottom line is that we are on this planet to grow, if you farm out your thinking to someone else then you're losing. It's fine to learn from others, but no one can interface with YOUR higher self other than you, get busy.
I was an ordained minister for 35 years, often serving as a pastoral counselor. I have a degree in social work and many graduate classes in pastoral care and counseling under my belt. But I am not trained as a therapist. Still, there is an important place for clergy among other helping professionals. I thought of myself as a sort of EMT, often the first counselor of any kind on the scene of a crisis, and the first counselor of any kind that the person had ever seen. I considered it my job to give them a good first experience, and then, if more help was needed, refer them to someone on my long list of therapists that I always had at the ready. I was like a paramedic, but unfortunately many clergy don’t even have that much background. Generally, you can depend on the fact that they are well-meaning, and will not mind if you ask for advice on how to proceed with a therapist. For true mental health issues, I would rather have a very good therapist then a well-meaning but ineffective Christian therapist. Now suffering from PTSD, I see a licensed marriage and family therapist who also has a degree in ministry, an M.Div.. I couldn’t be happier, but I had to seek this person out and even cease a relationship with a therapist after two sessions who didn’t have what I needed. Just make good choices on this. When we are feeling weak, I am convinced it is opportunity time. And God bless you!
If my therapist started insisting, probably even once, that I go to church or pray, I think I would feel comfortable enough to ask them to stop, but it would REALLY trigger me because of how awful my relationship with my Southern Baptist mom is. She's unable, after years of me telling her to stop, to keep her "world is ending, need to get saved or you'll go to hell" rhetoric under control. I'm actually super worried that she's going insane, silly as that may sound to you. The stuff she says just isn't realistic. I kid you not, she said that "the U.S. Government will declassify the existence of UFOs, but they won't be UFOs, they'll be demons, hearkening in the end of the world."….I'm not kidding, she actually said that. She also told me that being bisexual was the reason God made my kidneys fail, though, so I do my best to not talk to her anymore at all. Thus, should my therapist bring up religion in any capacity, I'd be really, REALLY triggered, and would have trouble seeing them again.
Thanks for tackling these hard and sometimes uncomfortable questions.
Proper counsellors, DO NOT, push God onto unbelievers,they do not offer advice or tell the client what to do.
They DO, however support the clients choices or ideas to help the client on their journey to find their goals!!! 😎
I was receiving counselling at University and after two suitable counsellors I was assigned to a Buddist counsellor who was rude on my first visit and told me not to talk. I don't believe in Buddhism. I should have responded to the red flag right away but was too passive at the time to do so. When I complained the supervisor said I should meet with the Buddhist counsellor which I didn't want to do. What should I do? I haven't had any counselling since then and I have had some serious issues occur in my life since then. Should I complain to the oversight body? I don't think that religion should be involved in psychological therapy because they are diametrically opposed. Religion is a state of communal delusion due to lack of education on the reality of what is being espoused and that itself is a psychological problem.
Interesting and relevant.
The nice thing my therapist is Christian and so am I. Im very blessed?
I suffered with schizophrenia for 10+ more years necessarily because my "counselor" pastor told me to never tell a psychiatrist I heard God speaking to me. He believed God was really speaking to me and that I was "close to the holy spirit".
Im an ex-athiest and I’ve been having panic attacks lately daily for a while. I can’t imagine having a panic attack without having a belief in God. i can imagine the despair that comes with unbelief to be dreadful and my heart goes out to you guys. (I dont mean to put down non-religious people in saying this, im just saying that my personal life has benefited greatly for my treatment for my belief system, and I sympathize with people who might not have access to spiritual support system) For those that are religious, I know mental health is very cemented societally as a “professional mental/medical science” but your faith system can be a great tool for improvement in combination with these therapies, so please don’t neglect trying out the option of combining therapy and faith. As someone who wasn’t into religion but had therapy before and after i came to became Christian, I can definitely see how non-religious mental health guidance can feel like it’s “not enough” for soothing your mind. In the same vain though, when i was atheist, I used to be really annoyed when scripture/faith was brought up with my religious therapist and felt it was professionally questionable, distracting and i felt unheard.
So basically: PLEASE don’t hesitate to cancel and switch around till you find a good therapist, because that’s REALLY important for treatment. Also consider that religion could be one of the most helpful tools for treatment or a really bad distraction for your improvement depending on your personal path. So REALLY consider your options for mental health and call ahead to see what methods your therapist prefers to use for your treatment.
My experience with Christian counseling has been that the symptom (addiction) was interpreted as the main problem. Seeing a professional psychologist these days, we have now established that the addiction is just a symptom (way of reacting) to the main problem. Also, I don't feel ashamed and condemned anymore 🙂
My conservative pastor and his wife encouraged me to use them as part of my support team for bipolar 2. After two-plus years, I was feeling like they questioned the "realness" of bipolar and they definitely second-guessed my psychiatrist. Finally, in a shockingly uncharacteristic, accusation-filled monologue, my suspicions were proven accurate. I'd been told before that I don't need my psych meds, that I should throw them out and pray more, etc. Church has the potential to be a great source of healing and support, yet the ignorance of my pastor and others effectively blocks that potential. I am leaving that church to literally save my life and soul. God knows my belief and I know that I can nurture my faith better alone than as a member of an ignorant community.
Is it possible for a person whose world-view includes supernatural intervention to ignore it when 'helping' someone? No. Religious based therapy is a contradiction in terms; cognitive dissonance is no friend of those seeking mental therapy.
I'm willing to bet you're bi polar. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I actually think it can be a strength in many ways.
5:20 Scope of Religious Leaders. Therapy and Religion. Meetings with Religious Leaders. Spiritual Advice and Therapeutic Advice. Schooling and Licensure.
Saving for my reference.
When you said Happy Thursday I left your video.
Atheist are attacking Christians everywhere