Episode 26: Bridging Faith & Mental Health Care with Dr. Marcy Verduin

Mind Dive

Overwhelmed with requests for mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic, religious leaders faced a dilemma: How do we bridge the elusive gap between healing the mind with both science-based approaches and spiritual guidance?

With the help of “insiders” like Dr. Marcy Verduin—both a person of faith and psychiatrist—many clinicians and religious leaders are on a productive path forward in resolving historic notions of mental health struggles as a shameful failure of faith.

Dive into this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast with hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland exploring Dr. Verduin’s transformative work. Since 2020, Dr. Verduin has dedicated ample time in the U.S. and abroad to teaching and exploring the idea of church communities, religious leaders and clinicians coming together for the overall improvement of religious patients’ mental health.

Marcy Verduin, MD, is the Associate Dean for Students and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. She has been invited to speak nationally and internationally to help people of faith, and specifically Christian pastors, to better understand mental health and well-being.

“The most important thing is to really ask the person in front of you about their beliefs,” said Dr. Verduin. “Even if you’re not an expert on their spirituality, you can still encourage them to pursue that part of it and help them see how it can fit into mental health overall.”

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Listen to Episode 25: Questions from the Mailbag with Dr. Bob Boland, Dr. Kerry Horrell

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mind Dive Episode 7: Religion & Spirituality in Therapeutic Approaches with Dr. Jim Lomax

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Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.