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thank you for reaching out...
I want to thank you for reaching out to me with your questions. I know how hard it can be to open up to someone about your personal struggles, and how confusing it can be when trying to figure out where to find help.

I love hearing from my readers, and it humbles me that so many would entrust pieces of their heart to me through written messages, emails, and inquiries. It is not lost on me how desperate people are to find biblical hope and help for their mental health challenges–I've experienced this desperation myself, and it is the reason I am so passionate about this ministry.

I want to be honest with you. Counseling requires that one-on-one time be spent, that personal history be peeled back, that present struggles be boiled down, that the heart be exposed, and that the body be examined. All of these things take a tremendous amount of time, and as you likely already know, there are no quick fixes in this kind of journey. As a result, it would be unwise of me to attempt to offer biblical counsel based on the limited amount of information that can be exchanged through online messaging. I do not presently operate an online biblical counseling practice. While I may be able to offer some clarity about taking next steps, I want to protect you by not offering wisdom based on an incomplete picture of what is happening in your life.

Because I do want to help, I've created this resource page. It may not provide all of the guidance you are hoping for, but please recognize that your message helps me to understand what my readers are struggling with, what their questions are, and what additional resources need to be developed on my website. I will make every effort to use the messages I receive–including yours–as inspiration for future resource development. Your message may have become the catalyst for me writing an article which will bless many others going through the same experience you are. 

I encourage you to take a look at the resources I've provided below. Some are responses to frequently asked questions, others are links to resources. I hope something here will give you a next step to take. I may not be able to personally respond to every message that comes in, but I will read them and pray over them. I hope God will continue to reveal himself to you as you walk the long and winding road of mental health recovery. Thank you for your trust.
Christine M. Chappell
Author/Writer/Speaker/Podcast Host
Christine Chappell is the author of Clean Home, Messy Heart, the host of The Hope + Help Project podcast, and is a guest contributor at Desiring God. She writes frequently about mental health topics at her blog, has completed biblical counseling certificates with the Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship, and is currently pursuing certification with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.
I've just been diagnosed with a mental disorder. What do I do?
First, I would invite you to read my article, "My Name is Beloved: Finding Identity in Mental Illness." You can also read an article I wrote entitled, "Help! I'm a New Christian Living with a Psychiatric Diagnosis." Then, I would strongly recommend you connect with a biblical counselor who can help you navigate the road of recovery. You can contact your local church to see if they have counseling resources available to you, or you can search according to your location at this link: https://biblicalcounseling.com/counselors 
I don't understand what a biblical counselor does. Can you explain?
If you are curious about the purpose of a biblical counselor in your mental health recovery, I'd invite you to listen to my audio recording about the topic. Click here to learn more and listen. You can also learn more about biblical counseling at the following websites: Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, Center for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship.
Am I supposed to be taking medication for my issues? Should I be treating myself naturally?
Biblical counselors should not offer medical advice because they are not licensed professionals. We cannot say one way or another whether or not you should be taking medicine. I would say the question should be whether or not medication would be helpful or harmful, and this is a conversation that must be had with a doctor. However, if you are interested in knowing what the Bible has to say about taking medications, you can view my article on the topic here. You can also learn more about medications and mental health through these highly recommended books: Good Mood, Bad Mood by Charles Hodges and Descriptions and Prescriptions by Michael R. Emlet.

Most importantly, I would urge anyone navigating mental health recovery to not pursue physical treatments at the expense of spiritual ones. While not all mental health challenges have physical components, they do all have spiritual components to contend with, and this is what a biblical counselor is trained to help with. Locate a certified biblical counselor in your area at this link: https://biblicalcounseling.com/counselors
My friend/family member is depressed and I don't know how to help. Any recommendations?
I'm sorry your loved one is struggling in this way. To better understand the experience of depression, you can browse my blog for related articles. You can also review my digital download entitled, "Walking Through Depression: A Biblical Resource Guide for Depression." There are many helpful resources and next-step checklists that will get you equipped to walk alongside your loved one during this time. Learn more about this download by clicking here.
I can't get rid of my suicidal ideations. I think about dying all of the time. Can anyone help me?
I am so terribly heartbroken that you are struggling in this way. Yes, there is help for you. If you are an immediate danger to yourself, take courage and call 911. If you cannot call 911, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (available 24 hours a day). If you are not in immediate danger, I would suggest you tell someone you trust that you are struggling in this way. If you are under the care of a psychiatrist, call their office and let them know–some medications increase the risk of suicidal ideations and you may be experiencing a side effect. If you are seeing a therapist/counselor, communicate this issue to them so they can help you untangle from the web.

I would warn this: if you are combatting suicidal thoughts, do not indulge in any amount of narcotic or alcoholic relief. These substances will remove your ability to maintain self-control, and for someone who is struggling with these types of thoughts, the results can be catastrophically irreversible. As hard as it is to bring someone else in to your pain, I implore you to do so–if only one person. You can also read my article entitled, "Wretched Extremes: The 'Always' and 'Never' of Suicide" for additional biblical comforts.
My recovery has stalled. I don't feel like I will ever get better. What should I do?
It can be frustrating when we feel like we aren't progressing as quickly as we should. I've written a few articles about this topic: "Into the Fire: Fear and Doubt in Mental Health Recovery" & "Pursuing Humility in Mental Health Recovery". There are a variety of other reasons your recovery may have stalled for a time. Since I do not know information about your history or current treatment arrangements, it is impossible for me to guess what might be going on. My best recommendation is that you continue to be vocal about your progress, doubts, and frustrations with the professionals who are managing your case. If you are stalling in recovery, but are not under the care of a biblical counselor, it is possible you are experiencing an incomplete treatment. Do not neglect the spiritual needs you have during this recovery process. Locate a certified biblical counselor at this link.
I struggle with self-harm. Sometimes I can manage it, and other times I can't. How can I get better?
Recovery from self-harm habits can take a long time. I have two articles available that offer some insights and encouragements for those who struggle with these kinds of temptations: "Lay Your Weapon Down: Invitation to Cutters" and "What is Self-Harm and How Can We Help?". I would also suggest a booklet from Ed Welch entitled, "Self-Injury: When Pain Feels Good".

For immediate assistance, you might try reaching out to the Crisis Text Line, a self-harm text hotline designed to move strugglers from "a hot moment to a cool moment." Click here to visit their website and learn how to text a hotline counselor right away.

Beyond that, it is impossible for me to guess what might be hindering your progress in eliminating this habit from your life. Please be sure you have not impeded your treatment by focusing solely on spiritual components of your recovery or solely on the physical components of your recovery. Mental health recovery requires we pay attention to body and soul. There may be other aspects of your mental challenges which may benefit from the care of a licensed doctor. Because self-harm typically aligns itself with shame and isolation, be certain you are keeping humble and honest with at least one other person about what you are going though. You cannot expect to get better on your own, especially if this habit is something you have been fighting for a long time.
I really just need to talk through my problems with someone. Are you available to chat?
Friend, I very much appreciate that you would trust me with your problems. As I mentioned in the opening paragraphs, I do not presently conduct online counseling. My main focus at this time is to continue to develop Christ-centered mental health resources and content. I have young children and a busy family life, so the way I am best able to serve the body of Christ in this season is through my written materials and audio recordings. If you feel like you would benefit from speaking with someone about your mental health challenges, I would strongly recommend you connect with a certified biblical counselor who is well-trained in one-another care. You can find a counselor in your local area by clicking here: https://biblicalcounseling.com/counselors
biblical counseling Resource links
If you are not finding help for a topic of interest to you, allow me to recommend the following biblical counseling resources. You will find these websites offer a wealth of biblical wisdom on a wide variety of mental health topics. The majority of the content is geared towards equipping biblical counselors to handle various topics, but I would argue that sufferers and strugglers would find an equal amount of encouragement, comfort, and clarity by exploring and listening as well.
Association for Certified Biblical Counselors
For 40 years, the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) has been certifying biblical counselors to ensure doctrinal integrity and to promote excellence in biblical counseling. Many individuals today will say they do biblical counseling, but it is not enough to do something in name only. Biblical counselors need to actually counsel biblically. ACBC comes alongside individuals to train and verify that they are faithfully ministering the Word of God in the counseling room. No one would go to a heart surgeon who has not endured years of rigorous training and who is not a board certified cardiologist. The care of souls is much more important work with eternal ramifications; biblical counselors need to ensure that they are equipped for the task by being trained by the most faithful biblical counselors.

Website / Blog / Podcast Audios / Certification Program /  Find a Counselor / En Español
Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship
IBCD (The Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship) exists to serve churches, organizations and individuals who share a passion to see believers equipped to counsel one another through life’s struggles with the Word of God. We do this by offering training through our Care & Discipleship program, as well as offering events and free resources that are helpful to anyone interested in learning how to better help others.

Website / Resource Audios by Topic / Care & Discipleship Program 
Christian Counseling Educational Foundation
Christian growth catches fire where life and Scripture meet. We change when, in the midst of our day-to-day joys, sorrows, sufferings, and sins, we encounter Jesus Christ through his Word and find his grace and mercy for our time of need. We help others change when, in the midst of their day-to-day joys, sorrows, sufferings, and sins, we point them to Jesus Christ through his Word to find grace and mercy for their time of need.

Website / Counseling / Events / Resources / Blog / Podcast / School

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The MENTAL HOPE project offers compassionate biblical conversations about challenging mental health topics. The purpose of the podcast is to share Christ-centered comfort and clarity for those walking through mental health recovery. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of mental health topics.
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