E221. Mental Health in the Church: What to Do When You Feel Unprepared with Dr. Mark Mayfield
What do you do when someone shares something heavy… and you care deeply, but don’t feel equipped to respond?
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mark Mayfield (or as he prefers, “just Mark”) to talk about the growing need for mental health awareness in the church, and the very real tension many leaders feel between wanting to help and not knowing how.
Mark brings a unique perspective, having spent years in both ministry and clinical counseling. Together, we explore his personal story, what he’s seeing in churches today, and why so many leaders feel stuck in that middle space of “I know this matters… but what do I actually do?”
This conversation is honest, practical, and hopeful. You’ll walk away reminded that you don’t need to have all the answers to care well, and with a clearer sense of what your next step could be.
Quotes
“I don’t believe church is about Sunday mornings. It’s a component—but it’s not the end-all, be-all. We have to think beyond Sunday mornings. We have to think about community and connection.”
— Dr. Mark Mayfield
“I think the hesitation is legit. It’s just we have to get them past paralysis.”
— Dr. Mark Mayfield
“People just want to have language to their struggles. That’s okay. They want to be seen.”
— Dr. Mark Mayfield
“The secret to good counseling is the therapeutic relationship… just creating space for people to be seen and to be heard.”
— Dr. Mark Mayfield
“You don’t need to be a counselor to care well—but you do need to know your role.”
— Dr. Mark Mayfield
Resources
- 📘 The Mental Health Handbook for Ministry by Dr. Mark Mayfield
A practical, easy-to-use guide to help ministry leaders understand mental health, respond with confidence, and know when to refer.
HMS Amazon Store 🇨🇦Link
HMS Amazon Store 🇺🇸Link
- 🌐 Mental Health Made Simple
Free tools, assessments, and training resources to support churches in mental health care
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