By Marnita Coleman
Special to the AFRO
Finding a therapist is not as easy as receiving a referral from your primary care physician (PCP). It’s a tricky task that places the patient in the driver’s seat– unlike when specialists are needed and come with a doctor’s recommendation.
If your appetite is for a religious practitioner, don’t lose heart, it’s no longer a needle in a haystack. Several communities offer counseling options including Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, Christian and integrative therapy.
When faith is central to your life, locating the right therapist becomes critical. For many individuals and families, particularly the faith-based, it’s not just about qualifications and experience. Those seeking a faith-based mental health professionals might consider if the therapist is culturally aware; if they understand the spiritual dimensions of healing; whether or not they offer psychological tools as well as scriptural truths as they travel down the road to wholeness.
For Natara Askew, an operating room nurse from Hanover, Md., having a therapist who shares her family’s Christian values for healing and growth is “absolutely essential.”
The goals were “to address and discuss dysfunctional patterns” in the bloodline, explore “new ways of communicating,” change “the trajectory of family unity,” and “manage conflict” in healthy ways.
Askey said “sound biblical doctrine, the ability to hear from God” and using “scripture to facilitate transforming of our minds” were all key to choosing a faith-based therapist.
“The counselor must have stellar integrity and not compromise spiritual or professional principles,” she said. “The Bible commands us to renew our minds daily and the support of a Christian counselor can only add value to that command.”
Therapists create safe spaces for vulnerability, emotional exploration, transformation and personal growth. They aid clients in navigating life transitions, overcoming obstacles, letting go of the past, reframing unwanted behavior and upgrading the mindset.
Today, a significant percentage of mental health therapists and counselors identify as “religious-based” and integrate their beliefs in treatment. Specifically, a study reported that 41.1 percent of therapists classify themselves as “Christian.” Interestingly, over 89 percent of mental health professionals believe that training in spiritual and religious competencies is vital for licensed clinicians, according to a published study by the BioMed Central Psychology journal.
Dana Lewis, a licensed certified social worker-clinical (LCSW-C) and CEO of Whole Life Center in Baltimore’s Edmondson Village, told the AFRO that “Black families often come with a deep-rooted spiritual heritage and a strong reliance on faith.”
However, there are other “unique stressors” that can plague the family such as “systemic racism, intergenerational trauma, financial insecurity, and stigma around mental health.”
“I integrate biblical wisdom with evidence-based therapeutic approaches—helping families lean into their faith as a source of strength while also giving them practical tools to address life’s complexities,” said Lewis, who leads his clients in exploring scripture, prayer and spiritual disciplines alongside cognitive-behavioral strategies, family systems work and trauma-informed care.
Lewis has been providing family therapy for more than 10 years and is committed to working closely with Black men who have experienced anxiety, trauma, depression and issues of identity. In the last three years, he has honed in on couples, guiding them through their relationship so they can thrive and build stronger foundations.
Although African Americans are embracing therapy, only 25 percent have a consistent habit due to the lack of culturally competent providers according to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Lately, celebrities like Simone Biles, Taraji P. Henson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have bravely shared their struggles with anxiety and depression, helping to shine a much-needed light on mental health in the Black community. Their transparency is combating stigma and apprehension.
Dr. Rosemary Cook, is a licensed certified social worker-clinician, founder and CEO of Totally Whole Pastoral Counseling Services, LLC, located in West Baltimore’s Madison Park, describes the overall impact of counseling on a client’s spiritual well-being.
As an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), Dr. Cook founded and pastored Called and Chosen Ministries in the Sandtown-Winchester area of Baltimore, from 2006 to 2015.
“I have always believed that people can’t grow unless you address their spirit.” Dr. Cooked pursued the pastoral counseling degree because it gave her the theology and psychology she desired in her practice to “attract” clinicians interested in “that type of integration.”
Cook believes “emotional growth and spiritual growth go hand-in-hand.” Her practice is named “Totally Whole,” because “God wants us whole—spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.”
Dr. Cook proclaims that wholeness is the opposite of fragmentation, meaning nothing missing and nothing broken. Her premise is “As a person grows psychologically and emotionally, it extends into their spiritual growth” impacting their mental/emotional health and understanding of God and His presence.
For instance, when someone embraces the freedom of forgiveness, they can also embrace God’s forgiveness. “Letting go of the need for control opens the door to spiritual surrender which develops their spiritual growth.”
Overall, Cook is confident that her counseling has a tremendous impact on clients’ “spiritual growth” because we are mind, body, and spirit—and when one area grows, it extends into the others when holistic practices are in place.
Like Cook, many Christian counselors use faith-based therapy and biblical principles in counseling sessions to align with clients’ values. This approach offers a deeper layer of care that weaves faith and therapeutic processes into healing. Spiritual disciplines like prayer and meditation are paired with clinical insights such as self awareness and coping strategies to guide clients on holistic paths to transformation. And they’re doing it right here in
Baltimore! https://wholelifecenterservices.org / https://www.totallywholepcservices.com