In May, a conference room full of participants along with Mosaic’s staff counselors wrapped up our Mental Health GROW class (GROW is Mosaic’s term for adult education courses). Today I wanted to bring you a brief reflection on mental health. My name is Aaron Maleare. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist, and I serve as the director of counseling here at Mosaic.

Mental health can be a difficult subject to talk about–from bad experiences with our own or others’ mental health to simply being unfamiliar with this part of ourselves. To begin, let me tell you about what mental health is, what it is not, and how the gospel can comfort us–even in the arena of our mental health.

WHAT IT IS
Mental health is health, and it is real. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, make choices, and relate to others (as documented by the National Institute on Mental Health). These different parts of our lives are not independent and cannot be untangled one from the other. The ways I experience my emotions will impact how I think about myself and the way I choose to interact with the world around me.

In the same way that everyone has physical health, everyone has mental health. Similarly to physical health, we tend to measure health in terms of being able to accomplish the things we wish to accomplish. If I want to go for a walk, does my physical health permit that or is there an issue that needs addressing? If I want to be a happy and calm person, does my mental health assist me with this, or do I need to learn some better coping strategies to manage my anxious feelings? Some days we experience better physical health, and some days worse–the same goes for our mental health.

WHAT IT IS NOT
Mental health is not the stereotyped or caricatured presentation of things you may see in some shows or movies. The vast majority of people who struggle with mental health challenges do not show outward signs like someone who is nursing a broken leg might show up in a cast using crutches. Even though it might be invisible, mental health is still real.

The struggle of dealing with mental health concerns is also real and can be overwhelming, especially if you do not believe you have the right tools for the job; that’s where trained professionals can help. If you’re struggling with your mental health, it is not a sign that you are broken, it is not sin, it is not weakness.

HOW THE GOSPEL CAN COMFORT US
Here at Mosaic, we value this holistic view of ourselves, one echoed throughout Christian Scriptures. In Deuteronomy, we are urged to love God with all our heart and soul and strength and mind. We are encouraged in the gospel of John to “not let [our] hearts be troubled.” Jesus tells us that He will send us a comforter, the Holy Spirit, that will minister to us. Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians that they should “bear one another’s burdens” and also that “all must carry their own burden.” The complexity of those statements being virtually back to back just highlights how challenging this aspect of our lives can be. We are commanded to help one another but also reminded that we are still responsible for ourselves.

We strive to do more than simply acknowledge the reality of mental health as a component of the people we are; at Mosaic, we truly believe in doing our part to redeem this aspect of creation as well. It is to that end that we launched and have grown our professionally licensed counseling ministry over the past five years. We want to provide a safe space for people to come who are hurting, or wondering, or struggling, or looking to improve their lives, or just needing someone to talk with about what’s going on in their lives. Therapy doesn’t have to be scary, and also we don’t have to walk through life alone.

Allow us to help carry your burdens where we can and to strengthen you to carry those burdens on your own when you are ready. If you would like to reach out, please schedule a time to talk.

Yours truly,

Aaron Maleare, LMFT-S