Healing begins when the church learns to talk about what it has long avoided.

In many churches, mental health is still a quiet or uneasy subject. Some worry that talking about depression or anxiety will look like weak faith or a lack of faith. Others just do not know how to start. But silence often makes pain worse. When we talk about mental health with honesty, we show real care and reflect the love of Christ. This week, try naming mental health in a prayer or announcement to open the door for conversation.

What Stigma Looks Like in Churches

Stigma is not always loud. Often it shows up as small comments, assumptions, and avoidance.

Here are common examples:
• “Just pray more and it will go away.”
• “You don’t need therapy, you need deliverance.”
• “If you were really trusting God, you wouldn’t feel anxious.”
• “We don’t talk about those things here.”
• “Mental illness is just attention seeking.”

Sometimes stigma is not what people say, but what people do. Leaders change the subject. People stop checking in. A person becomes “the issue” rather than someone who needs care.

Understanding the Roots of Stigma

Stigma grows when we do not understand. If people are unsure what mental illness looks like, they may react with fear or judgment. Learning together is the first step toward care. Pastors can help by mentioning emotional health in sermons or Bible studies. When trusted leaders speak about mental health, shame starts to fade. This week, consider sharing a simple fact about mental health during your next gathering.

Free Resources: Clergy Self-Care Checklist and Clergy Self-Care Checkup

Why Stigma is Spiritually Harmful

Stigma does not protect holiness. It protects silence.

And silence does damage.

When people feel shamed for struggling, they tend to hide symptoms until they escalate. Marriages strain. Parenting gets harder. Addictions deepen. Ministry leaders burn out. Some people begin to believe God is disappointed in them for having a nervous system that is overloaded.

But Scripture gives us a different way. The biblical story is filled with people who experienced deep distress: fear, grief, exhaustion, despair, and trauma. God does not shame them for being human. God draws near.

A stigma-free culture is not a culture that ignores sin or avoids accountability. It is a culture that refuses to confuse mental health symptoms with spiritual rebellion.

The Power of Honest Stories

Stories help people feel less alone. When someone shares how faith and counseling helped them heal, it shows that following Jesus and seeking help can go together. Real stories turn ideas into hope. Churches can invite people with lived experience or mental health professionals to share what has helped them. This week, ask someone to share a brief story or resource during a group or service.

A Pastoral Reframe that Helps

One of the most helpful shifts for faith communities is this: mental health is often about capacity, not character.

Many struggles are connected to chronic stress, grief and loss, trauma history, sleep deprivation, medical factors, relational strain, ministry overload, and major life transitions.

A person may love God deeply and still be depressed. A pastor can preach faithfully and still have panic attacks. A volunteer can serve joyfully and still carry trauma.

When leaders communicate this clearly, people stop treating mental health as a taboo topic and start treating it as part of holistic discipleship and care.

Creating Safe Spaces for Conversation

Every church needs places where people can speak honestly without fear of judgment and feel safe. Small groups, prayer partners, or spiritual care teams trained in basic listening skills can help. The goal is not to replace therapy, but to offer understanding and guide people toward the help they need. This week, review your group guidelines to make sure they encourage honest sharing.

What to Say When Someone Opens Up

Here are simple phrases that help:

• “Thank you for trusting me with that.”

• “You’re not weak for struggling.”

• “I’m really glad you told me.”

• “Can I ask what support looks like for you right now?”

• “Would you like help finding professional support?”

• “Are you safe today?”

If someone expresses suicidal thoughts, move from comfort to action. Ask directly about safety and connect them to immediate support.

A Theology of Wholeness

Scripture shows us that God cares for our bodies, minds, and spirits. Psalm 34:18 says, ‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.’ When the church shows this same care and compassion, it becomes a place for real healing. Speaking openly about mental health is not about following trends. It is about living out the gospel, where love drives out fear. This week, remind your team that caring for mental health is part of faithful ministry.

What Leaders Can Do to Reduce Stigma Right Now?

You do not need a large budget to shift culture. You need consistent language, wise boundaries, and visible compassion.

1) Say it out loud from the pulpit and platform

Stigma loses power when leaders name reality. Try simple statements like:
• “If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, you are not alone.”
• “Getting help is not a lack of faith. It can be an act of wisdom.”
• “We believe God works through prayer, community, and appropriate care.”

Make this a regular practice, not a one-time mention.

2) Teach the difference between spiritual care and clinical care

Pastoral care is essential. It is not the same as therapy. You can say:
• “Pastoral care provides spiritual support, prayer, guidance, and presence.”
• “Clinical care helps with diagnosis, treatment, coping skills, and deeper healing work.”
• “For many people, the best support is both.”

This language gives people permission to seek help without feeling like they are choosing “therapy over God.”

3) Equip your care team with a shared response plan

Create a simple ministry response plan: how to listen without judging, how to respond when someone shares suicidal thoughts, when to refer to professional support, what not to promise (“Everything will be fine”), and how to follow up after a hard disclosure. Need help establishing a counseling ministry, visit: churchmentalhealthtraining.com/services/counselingministry

4) Stop using mental health struggles as sermon punchlines

Avoid illustrations that mock depression, “crazy” behavior, addiction, “psycho” stereotypes, or trauma responses. Model respect. If the church laughs at pain, people will hide pain.

5) Normalize support for leaders, not just members

Shift culture by encouraging sabbath and rest rhythms, creating a confidential support pathway for pastors, budgeting for counseling support (even small stipends help), and naming that burnout is not a badge of honor.

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If you or someone you know is in crisis or may be at risk of self-harm, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline resource.

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Source: Adapted and Edited from OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (ChatGPT 5) [Thinking]. https://chatgpt.com