{"id":143959,"date":"2026-03-17T17:14:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T21:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=143959"},"modified":"2026-03-17T18:09:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T22:09:36","slug":"church-times-mark-edwards-faith-and-therapy-are-not-at-odds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=143959","title":{"rendered":"(Church Times) Mark Edwards–Faith and therapy are not at odds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When the former Archbishop of Canterbury the Rt Revd Justin Welby spoke recently about his\u00a0mental health<\/a>\u00a0(Quotes, 6 March<\/a>), his honesty was striking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to Gyles Brandreth on the podcast Rosebud<\/a><\/em>, he reflected on the failures surrounding the Church of England\u2019s handling of abuse allegations, and revealed that he had sought professional help. \u201cI\u2019ve been seeing a psychotherapist for a considerable period of time, and a psychiatrist: very helpful,\u201d he said. He went on to say that therapy was not about excusing mistakes, but about confronting them honestly: \u201cIt\u2019s not about saying, \u2018Oh, it didn\u2019t matter,\u2019 . . . quite the reverse. How does one live with such a failure?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That candour should have been welcomed. Instead, it prompted a deeply damaging column in The Daily Telegraph<\/em> by Celia Walden, who asked: \u201cWhat\u2019s the point of God if even Justin Welby is seeing a therapist?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading her article left me shocked, distressed, and very upset at such ignorance about mental health. I felt shamed and triggered. As a serving clergyman who has lived with serious mental-health challenges, I felt guilty and embarrassed simply for seeking help. Her column was extremely damaging, heartless, and cruel, and lacked any compassion for clergy and people of faith who live with mental illness. It implied that faith alone should replace therapy: a view that is both wrong and pastorally reckless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>

"I have never told someone with cancer to refuse chemotherapy and to 'just pray'. I have never suggested that insulin betrays belief. So, why is mental health treated differently?" ✍️ Mark Edwards #mentalhealth<\/a> #JustinWelby<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/FTUYk6BqKd<\/a><\/p>— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) March 13, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>