When someone is struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, or trauma, a question usually comes up sooner or later: “Should I talk to my pastor, or should I see a counselor?” Some people worry that seeing a therapist means their faith isn’t strong enough. Others worry that their pastor won’t understand what they’re going through. As a pastor, my answer is simple. You may need both, and that’s okay.

We Are Both Souls And Bodies

God made humans as interwoven souls and bodies. We aren’t souls trapped inside bodies, and we aren’t just bodies that happen to think. What happens in the body affects the soul, and what happens in the soul affects the body. Anyone who has lived through a long illness knows how it can wear down hope.

Rarely would people believe it shows weak faith to see a doctor for a broken arm or hypertension. Martin Luther, writing during a deadly plague in 1527, said that God created medicine and gave us good sense so we could take care of our bodies. Refusing that help, he said, isn’t trusting God. It’s testing Him. I believe the same is true of good counseling. A skilled counselor is one of the helpers God puts in the world, just like doctors and nurses.

Pastors And Counselors Have Different Roles

At the same time, a counselor can’t do what I’m called to do. A pastor speaks God’s forgiveness, baptizes, gives the Lord’s Supper, prays with you, and points you to Jesus. No technique can take the place of hearing “your sins are forgiven.”

But forgiveness and healing aren’t the same thing. Anyone who has carried guilt or grief knows it can show up as sleepless nights and exhaustion. Forgiveness takes away our guilt before God. It works, and things are made right. However, it might not immediately relieve the exhaustion, anxieties, or memories. More ongoing work on our soul might be needed, and the pastor might not have all the skills, time, or energy for such long-term, ongoing, and acute care.

Pastors are on the front lines of God’s direct engagement with sinners and the fallen world. That means that, at any time, your pastor might be engaged on multiple fronts: youth members struggling with gender/sexuality questions, marriages in distress, parent and child conflict, power struggles in the Church or school, or both. The list goes on. In the end, while the pastor might be on the front lines, he might send the needy and hurting to a more specialized and skilled caretaker.

Working Together To Care For You

When a pastor partners with a counselor to care for you, recommends consulting a doctor, or puts you in contact with a financial advisor, he isn’t passing you off because you’re hopeless. He’s taking care of you in a way he might not be able to fully or responsibly provide. And he will want to keep caring for you because of the extra help.

Here’s what I hope you’ll take away:

• Seeing a counselor or taking medication is nothing to be ashamed of.
• Talking with your pastor isn’t “just religion.” He brings you something no one else can.
• You can reach out to either one, and a good pastor and a good counselor will work together for your well-being.

If you’re struggling, please don’t wait. Call a counselor, call your pastor, or call both. God works through each of them, and He hasn’t forgotten you.

If you or someone you know is battling anxiety and would benefit from Christ-centered mental health counseling, refer to or contact us today.

• Call: 515-573-3138
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Lutheran Family Service walks with those experiencing difficult times through mental health counseling, marriage counseling, crisis pregnancy counseling, and adoption services.