Spiritual Dimensions of Mental Health

Health--physical, mental, spiritual. All three are closely related. But in modern mental-health care one of them is often neglected. Nurses, social workers and counselors are rarely taught to minister to their client’s spiritual needs. In fact, they are sometime told to ignore them altogether. But spiritual needs can play a part in any illness. They may become especially strong when the mind and emotions are affected. So how can Christian workers help their clients spiritually without violating their freedom or antagonizing other members of the health-care team? How can they help their colleagues and keep their own sanity under extremely stressful conditions? Judith Allen Shelly joins Sandra D. John and other mental-health professionals to show how Christians can minister effectively to such deep needs.

Judith Allen Shelly, R.N., B.S.N., M.A., D.Min., is publications director for Nurses Christian Fellowship, director of NCF Press and former editor of the Journal of Christian Nursing. Her editorial work has won numerous awards from the Evangelical Press Association. Shelly has written many books including Spiritual Care: A Guide for Caregivers (IVP, 2000) and The Changing Face of Health Care (Eerdmans, 1998). Her articles have appeared in journals such as Ethics and Medicine, Christian Counseling Today and Christian Bioethics. She has also been an adjunct professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, and at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois.