Does religion belong in psychotherapy? For anyone in the helping profession, whether as mental health professionals or religious leaders, this question is bound to arise. Many mental health professionals feel uncomfortable discussing religion, while many religious leaders feel uncomfortable referring their congregants to professionals who have no knowledge of their faith, nor intent to engage with it. And yet Michelle Pearce, PhD, assistant professor and clinical psychologist at the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland, argues that if religion is important to a client, then religion will be a part of psychotherapy, whether it is discussed or not. Clients cannot check their values at the door any more than the professionals who treat them. To Pearce, the question isn’t really “does religion belong?” but rather “how can mental health professionals help their religious clients engage with and use their faith as a healing resource in psychotherapy?” Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Christian Clientswith Depression is the answer to that question, as the book’s purpose is to educate mental health professionals and pastoral counselors about religion’s role in therapy, as well as equip them to discuss religious issues and use evidence-based, religiously-integrated tools with Christian clients experiencing depression. In this book, readers will find the following resources in an easy-to-use format: An overview of the scientific benefits of integrating clients’ religious beliefs and practices in psychotherapy An organizing therapeutic approach for doing Christian CBT Seven tools, specific to Christian CBT, to treat depression Suggested dialogue for therapists to introduce concepts and tools Skill-building activity worksheets for clients Clinical examples of Christian CBT and the seven tools in action Practitioners will learn the helpful (and sometimes not so helpful) role a person’s Christian faith can play in psychotherapy, and will be equipped to discuss religious issues and use religiously-integrated tools in their work. At the same time, clergy will learn how Christianity can be integrated into an evidence-based secular mental health treatment for depression, which is sure to increase their comfort level for making referrals to mental health practitioners who provide this form of treatment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Christian Clients with Depression is a practical guide for mental health professionals and pastoral counselors who want to learn how to use Christian-specific CBT tools to treat depression in their Christian clients.

Christian Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a groundbreaking therapeutic Christ-centered approach to address mental illness. Samaria has been in the counseling field for many years. Through her years of study, she has found that most mental health counseling strategies originated from principles and perspectives found in the Bible. What the secular mental health community has done is taken out Christ and the authority of the Holy Spirit then called counseling strategies by a different name. As a result, we see most mental health approaches helpful but not healing. According to scripture counseling is first and foremost the ministry and mission of Christ Jesus. He came to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and help those who are imprisoned emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Isaiah 61:1 In the book Christian Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Samaria teaches us how to apply scripture to counseling practice so that real healing can take place in the lives of those we serve.

What if there are people, just like some flowers, who require the dark to bloom? When we are plunged into the dark and difficult times in life, one of three things can happen next: the darkness can destroy us; it can leave us relatively unchanged; or it can help to transform us. In this hope-inspiring guide, clinical psychologist, Michelle Pearce, PhD, provides practical tools and wisdom for transforming and thriving in adversity and loss. Just as some flowers require the dark to bloom, there are some people who do their best growing and becoming during dark and challenging times. With a compassionate voice, Pearce shares her clinical expertise, her own journey through the dark, and inspiring stories of other Night Bloomers to help individuals learn how to heal and transform their lives not in spite of their difficult times, but because of them. “Reading Night Bloomers is like having a dear friend right alongside you for support when most needed. Through stories, strategies, and writing prompts, Pearce provides powerful tools for building resilience, confidence, and joy. She reminds us that like plants, we don’t bloom just once, as she gently, masterfully paves a path for us to enjoy a lifetime of growing and blossoming. A ‘must-read’ for anyone seeking some light in the darkness.” --Caroline Welch, CEO and cofounder of the Mindsight Institute and author of The Gift of Presence “A gem of a book! Michelle Pearce has written an enlightening guide for anyone trying to find the path through a dark time in life. Through the wisdom gleaned from psychological research and practice and the lessons learned from her own personal encounter with pain and loss, Pearce points the way to growth and transformation when hope is in short supply. Down-to-earth, compassionate, and inspirational, Night Bloomers should be on everyone's bookshelf.” --Kenneth I. Pargament, Ph. D. author of Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy

Mark R. McMinn is Professor of Psychology and Director of Integration in the Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. He was previously on faculty at Wheaton College in Illinois, where he was the Rech Professor of Psychology from 1996 to 2006. Mark is a licensed psychologist in Illinois and is board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is Past-President of the APA's Psychology of Religion division. His other books include Sin and Grace in Christian Counseling (2008), Integrative Psychotherapy (coauthored with Clark D. Campbell, 2007), Finding Our Way Home (2005), Why Sin Matters (2004), Care for the Soul (coedited with Timothy R. Phillips, 2001), and Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling (1996). Mark and his wife, Lisa--a sociologist and author--live in rural Oregon. They have three grown daughters.

Depression is so common that it has been described as 'the common cold of psychiatry'. It is particularly difficult for Christians - there is often a feeling that Christians 'shouldn't' get depressed, and that it and anxiety are the result of a poor or damaged relationship with God. I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO FEEL LIKE THIS is an empowering and practical response to such common feelings. In the style of a workbook, with constant reference to the Bible, and the example of Jesus, it helps the reader to understand why they feel the way they do, and to draw on God's love and grace to find a path through depression and anxiety. The authors are all Christians, and experienced counsellors and psychiatrists.

Practical wisdom for dealing with depression. Depression—whether circumstantial and fleeting or persistent and long term—impacts most people at some point in their lives. Puritan pastor Richard Baxter spent most of his ministry caring for depressed and discouraged souls, and his timeless counsel still speaks to us today. In this book, psychiatrist Michael S. Lundy and theologian J. I. Packer present Baxter's writings in order to comfort, instruct, and strengthen all who struggle with depression.

"Jon knows, better than most, what it means to battle anxiety and how to forge a path to victory. He also treats it with care, and pushes the conversation to places that it hasn't often gone in the church." —Kirk Cameron In the aftermath of the pandemic, even those who have never struggled with mental health have found themselves reeling, looking for answers they don't know how to find. For Christians, especially those who've despaired of help from a church that has too often stigmatized mental health challenges as a lack of faith, the way forward can be particularly difficult to see. Jonathon Seidl aims to fix that. Having fought his own way through crippling anxiety, life-altering OCD, and suicidal thoughts, he knows the value of concrete advice grounded in strong biblical truth. Instead of the trite or unsympathetic counsel that's often given, Finding Rest is practical, personal, and productive. Full of compelling stories, humor from a guide who's still on his journey, and scriptural truths, this book offers real hope and help. It also provides a lifeline for friends and family who long for ways to help relieve the suffering of their loved ones. And it lays out thoughtful, needed paths for the body of Christ to become a refuge of hope for the anxious.