And There Was No One There to Comfort Me

What is the experience of Catholics seeking mental
health treatment? Are Catholics well-served by the
Christian and secular counseling options offered by
their Church or local community? What competencies
do Catholics look for when seeking professional
counseling? And finally, how does the experience of
Catholics seeking mental health counseling compare
to that of Protestants.

This provocative study suggests that religiously
committed Catholics (over 20 million potential
consumers of mental health services in the US) feel
that they have no place to turn for help in their
time of need. As compared to Protestants, who are
generally satisfied with the options provided by
their Churches and community, Catholics are not
happy with generic Christian counseling services,
and often experience hostile reactions from secular
counselors. Further, Catholics desire a host of
counselor competencies that are distinct from their
Protestant counterparts. These differences are
explored and recommendations are offered for
addressing the needs of this underserved population.