Finding Faith in Therapy…and Instagram
By Megan Bratland
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in March 2020, Lauren Accolla had an inkling that people would be needing help with their mental health, especially people of faith.
Her hunch was further confirmed when she felt nudges in prayer to launch an Instagram account focused on integrating the Catholic faith and psychology. Those nudges eventually evolved into her powerful Instagram account, @yourfaithfultherapist.
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a practicing Catholic, Accolla focuses on treating the whole person - body, mind and soul - and aims to share that integration with her followers.
Accolla says that completing her master’s degree in a secular psychology program solidified her desire to be a Catholic therapist and fully integrate all parts of the human person.
“I felt like I was doing half a job when I was in school,” she says. “We are created body, mind and soul, and if we neglect one of them, then we neglect all of them. And I was neglecting the soul!”
However, Accolla says that while the secular world is missing the spiritual aspects of healing, she often sees faithful Christians forgetting their mental health.
“God wants us to be whole, so if we don’t take care of our minds and our mental health, then we aren’t taking care of our bodies and soul, and then everything else in our life will suffer.”
Accolla’s Instagram posts often include practical advice for how to navigate mental health challenges as a Christian and Bible verses and quotes from saints, perfectly encapsulating her desire for integration.
Ultimately, Accolla wants to heal the whole person and bring others closer to Christ - whether it’s online or in-person. “God doesn’t call us to be idle, and He wants us to be joyful,” Accolla says. “I have the opportunity to be a part of someone’s healing and free them from a cross that is impeding their own faith and allow God to do the rest.”
Follow Lauren at @yourfaithfultherapist
