Community Healing For Christian Mental Health

Living alongside my non-traditional CHURCH, my depression has lost its grip. You know why? Because I firmly believe that depression is, at its core, rooted in loneliness and deep shame for who we are. And the answer Scripture gives us is simple—we need to find our church.

finding your community healing from depression

Community Healing & Christian Mental Health

Let's have a heart-to-heart, shall we? You know, I'm here, blogging away, because I'm all about keeping it real. I want us to have open, honest conversations about the stuff that often gets swept under the rug in Christian circles. You know, the struggles we sometimes feel too ashamed to admit. It's kind of ironic, isn't it? I mean, shouldn't the church be the place where we can be our authentic selves, no holds barred? After all, isn't that what Jesus is all about—shining a light into the darkest corners of our lives? Yeah, I think that's the idea. But let's face it, sometimes the church isn't the first place we feel safe to open up about our struggles. Especially as a christian we can feel it's taboo to talk about our struggles with mental health.There's this fear of being judged, scolded, or shamed for the very things we should be able to discuss openly, so we can find healing and freedom—in Jesus' name.

I remember my first time walking through those heavy wooden church doors. There were these big posters with welcoming messages like "You're home!" and "You're welcome here!" People left and right greeted me with smiles plastered to their faces. It was all nice and dandy, serving its purpose of getting me through the door and back again next Sunday.

But deep inside, I was waging a war with depression. I longed for someone to step into that battle with me, to have genuine, heart-to-heart conversations that would allow me to talk about why I really walked through those grand oak doors on that first Sunday. I needed healing. I needed freedom. But before any of that, I needed a safe, judgment-free space where I could share my struggles and be held with mercy. Sadly, I never really found that in all my years dedicated to the same church. For all my "plugging in" and "showing up," I never got the hope I had longed for when I bravely entered those doors so long ago.

Now, on the other side of my healing journey, I can look back and see how God was at work, guiding me toward freedom. And guess what? It wasn't through that church building. Why? Because, for one, what I needed was authenticity.

I craved genuine connection. And I believe that every human being needs that to truly connect, unashamedly. What I didn't need was a sermon on how to fix my problems or sin less. I needed connection for the sake of sharing heartfelt truths, without any hidden agendas or volunteer work. I didn't want or need a church that kept me so busy that I couldn't focus on the healing work that required someone to walk alongside me—before I could be truly effective as a Christian. I'm saying that church isn't confined to a building. Church—real, heartfelt connection with other believers who can pray for us, encourage us, and rally with us—happens when two or more gather with hearts full of Jesus.

I've learned the true meaning of church by giving myself permission to do it differently. I've found healing by embracing authentic spaces often found outside of a religious building.

Now, don't get me wrong—I've felt God's presence in my church building, of course. But I've also learned that He's not confined to those four walls. He's within me. He's in my sisters who've become my people. He's there when my girlfriends and I dive into Bible study or chat about the latest happenings.

My CHURCH is my girls.

My CHURCH is my husband and son.

My CHURCH is my people.

I've discovered how to truly lean into my CHURCH when life gets tough, when I'm celebrating a win, or simply relishing the everyday moments.

Living alongside my non-traditional CHURCH, my depression has lost its grip. You know why? Because I firmly believe that depression is, at its core, rooted in loneliness and deep shame for who we are. And the answer Scripture gives us is simple—we need to find our church.

In other words, we need to find our people.

Those who do life with us.

Those who drop the act and are just authentic, genuine human beings.

Those who open their hearts to us.

Those who consistently show up, even when it's uncomfortable or they have other plans.

We need those people who commit.

And this, my dear friends, is the antidote to a culture of deep-rooted depression: community, togetherness, and realness.

So, who's your church? If you don't have one, send me a message, and let's lean into this journey together. We're in it together, ladies! 💪💕