Finding a Faith-Based Psychiatrist: What to Look For and Why It Matters
Posted on February 20, 2025
By Deborah Medari, DNP
Founder, Transformed Psychiatric Wellness, LLC
Finding a psychiatrist who honors your faith while supporting your mental health shouldn’t feel like a compromise. For many believers, the struggle isn’t just about finding help—it’s about finding someone who understands that your relationship with God is not separate from your healing journey, but central to it. Whether you’ve been hurt by spiritual stigma or dismissed by secular providers, you deserve care that honors your story and aligns with your values.
In this post, I’ll walk you through some things to consider when looking for a psychiatrist who integrates faith and science—someone who sees you as a whole person: body, mind, and spirit.
Start With Relationship, Not Just Credentials
Credentials matter, of course—but so does connection. Look for a provider who doesn’t just acknowledge your faith but respects it deeply and welcomes it into the therapeutic space. Ask yourself: Do they pray with clients, if invited? Do they understand scripture as a source of wisdom and comfort? Are they willing to help me integrate my spiritual life into my treatment plan?
This is more than a checkbox. It’s about finding someone who doesn’t see faith as a side conversation—but as something sacred and central to who you are.
Where to Begin Your Search
Start within your spiritual community. Ask your pastor, church counselor, or friends if they know a Christian psychiatrist or faith-based mental health provider. Recommendations from people who share your values often lead to meaningful, trusted connections.
You can also explore directories like the American Association of Christian Counselors, or faith-friendly mental health networks. But don’t stop there—take the next step and schedule a discovery call or send an email. Listen for language that resonates with your beliefs, and ask how they integrate faith into their clinical work.
Questions to Ask a Potential Provider
Here are a few helpful questions to consider when meeting a psychiatrist for the first time:
Are you comfortable integrating prayer, scripture, or spiritual reflection into sessions?
How do you view the relationship between faith and mental health?
Do you offer treatment options beyond medication, such as therapy or holistic strategies?
Have you worked with Christian clients before, including those in ministry or caregiving roles?
You don’t need to quiz them like a theology professor—but you deserve a space where your beliefs are honored, not merely tolerated.
What Faith-Integrated Treatment Looks Like
At Transformed Psychiatric Wellness, my approach blends biblical truth with clinical excellence. For my clients, that often includes:
Starting sessions with prayer (if desired)
Exploring scripture and spiritual principles alongside therapy
Offering medications when appropriate—but never as the only tool
Using lifestyle coaching, natural medicine, and mind-body practices rooted in faith
Creating space for spiritual questions, grief, doubt, and restoration
Faith-based psychiatric care means your mental health isn’t treated in isolation—it’s woven together with your spiritual walk, your values, and your sense of purpose.
What Makes a Faith-Based Psychiatrist Different?
The difference is not just in what we do—but how we do it. A faith-sensitive psychiatrist will:
Respect your beliefs, even when discussing difficult or painful topics
See your faith as a strength, not a liability
Avoid shaming language or quick spiritual fixes
Offer both clinical tools and spiritual encouragement
Whether you're a ministry leader navigating burnout, a trauma survivor seeking peace, or a caregiver trying to stay afloat, your healing deserves to reflect your faith—not ignore it.
Faith Isn’t a Barrier—It’s a Bridge
I’ve worked with clients who’ve felt like outsiders in both the church and the mental health world—too spiritual for psychiatry, and too broken for church. That should never be the case.
You can love Jesus and still need therapy. You can pray and still take medication. You can lead others and still feel overwhelmed.
God is not threatened by your symptoms. He’s present in your healing.
Ready to Begin?
If you're searching for a Christian psychiatrist who understands the nuances of faith and emotional health, I’d love to talk with you. At Transformed Psychiatric Wellness, I offer a space where we can invite the Holy Spirit into the process, explore both root causes and spiritual wounds, and build a treatment plan that’s as personalized as it is prayerful.
Whether you’ve never worked with a psychiatrist before or have had discouraging experiences in the past, there’s room for restoration here.
Let’s find healing—together.
To learn more or schedule a free 15-minute consultation, visit Transformed Psychiatric Wellness or email me directly at drdeb@transformedpsychiatricwellness.com.
