We love to integrate a biblical perspective into counseling for those who are seeking that, but that is not a requirement. If you want a purely evidence-based psychological approach, we are more than happy to provide that for you. We will meet you wherever you’re at.

Shouldn’t my faith be enough to cure my anxiety?

The answer to that question is yes and no. Some anxiety is totally normal. You couldn’t function without it. Jesus experienced extreme stress and sadness, and he told us that each day will have anxiety of its own. It’s important that we normalize some anxiety and not beat ourselves up for it. But we do have clear directive and clear instructions in scripture about how we are to approach it.

It’s wise to be prepared, to think through things, and to accept wise counsel from trusted professionals. The issue comes, it seems based on Matthew 6:25-34, when we try to over-control things that we cannot control. We get lost in our fearful imaginations instead of taking each day and living it out faithfully and prayerfully. We spend all of our time and energy trying to mitigate all risk via frantic effort instead of resting in God‘s love and accepting how little control we actually have over our future.

Occupied with all of the “what-ifs” rather than what we control right in front of us, we struggle to fulfill our ultimate calling: to love the Lord our God with all our heart soul strength and might and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

So yes, our view of who God is, how he relates to us, the content that we dwell on, and the way we do or do not live faithfully does significantly impact our level of anxiety as Christians (Phil 4:4-9). But we must take into account that we have physical bodies, and some of us have biological predispositions towards having an anxious mind and body. And some of us have experienced trauma and major disappointments that makes it harder for us to trust God with specific circumstances and triggers.

Bridging Faith and Clinical Science

The good news is that evidence-based therapy for anxiety can help you take steps towards not worrying so much about tomorrow. In purely psychological terms, we talk about how therapy for anxiety can help you see that you can handle more than you think you can and that you often overestimate danger.

In a Christian worldview, we add some more learning that radically changes your relationship with anxiety:

• We have far less control of outcomes than we think we do

• We underestimate God‘s ability and willingness to provide for us

• We struggle to recall all the ways that God routinely and sometimes miraculously provides for us

• We struggle to accept God’s grace for our sinful thoughts and motivations and worry about that instead of praying trustingly for God to change our hearts and minds

Engaging in this therapy of learning to trust instead of predict and mitigate all risk helps you to learn that the God who loves you is going to provide for you and bring you peace beyond your understanding. But you can only grow in that trust as you contemplate the truth of it, pray through your worries, and practice trusting God with your actions. Christian therapy can help you come up with a personalized plan and perspectives that help you do that. Formation into someone who is more Christlike happens over time and in community, and therapy can be a part of that process. 

What We Do

As Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), we have backgrounds working in church-based counseling centers, medical settings, and community mental health. We have advanced training in treating anxiety disorders, OCD, and OCD-related struggles, and we bring years of experience working with clients struggling with relationships, depression, confusion in their faith, and more. Our goal at Anxiety & OCD Specialists of Mississippi is to provide specialized, evidence-based care that brings in the best research and techniques combined with Christian counseling that is faithful to scripture.

Ready To Get Started? 

Are you interested in connecting with one of our therapists to schedule an appointment or ask more questions? Fill out the form below, and we will call you back as soon as we can. We look forward to hearing from you.