084: Mental Illness or Spiritual Issue? And how they connect (with Dr. Matthew Stanford)

Attaching to God: Neuroscience-informed Spiritual Formation

Research tells us that when people suffer from a mental health crisis, the first person they turn to for help is not a physician, a psychiatrist, or a social worker, but a pastor, a priest, or a minister. Unfortunately, many church leaders are not trained to recognize mental illness and don’t know when to refer someone to a mental health professional. And how do we know the difference between a mental illness and a spiritual issue?
This is what we are talking about with Dr. Matthew Sanford, author of Grace for the Afflicted: A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness, and CEO of the Hope and Healing Center in Houston, TX.
Other books by Dr. Stanford:

• The Biology of Sin: Grace, Hope and Healing for Those Who Feel Trapped
• Madness and Grace: A Practical Guide for Pastoral Care and Serious Mental Illness

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