There's no question that finding a mental health professional who will not attempt to infuse Christianity into treatment can be more challenging for atheists living in the Bible Belt than in less religious regions of the U.S. Fortunately, it is often possible to find a good counselor or therapist who will not do this. And if you really need help, I'd encourage you not to give up on finding such a provider.
Many mental health professionals are trained to ask clients about their religious beliefs. The reason for this has little to do with proselytizing or judging you. It is about assessing how you cope with the stresses and strains of life. As you know, most people in the Bible Belt are religious and/or spiritual. It makes sense that the professional will ask about this as an effort to understand you. It is relevant for most people, so you should not be surprised or put off by it. I am an atheist, and I asked people about it when I was practicing.
How should you respond when you are asked about your religious or spiritual beliefs? You should feel free to describe yourself as an atheist and indicate that one or both of these things is not part of your life. The questions about these topics should stop at that point. If they don't, repeat yourself and ask something like, "I am not interested in any sort of religious or spiritual being a part of my treatment. Is that going to be an issue for you?" If this isn't the end of it, I recommend that you try another provider.
As someone who has been on both sides of therapeutic interactions (i.e., as a therapist and as a client), I would not hesitate to seek help from a practitioner who was religious. I have had positive experiences with therapists who were Christian (I am talking about therapists who were Christian in their personal lives and not those who advertised themselves as "Christian counselors" or providing "Christian counseling"). They kept their religious beliefs out of our relationship and respected my request not to introduce religious concepts into the process. Had they been unwilling to do so, I would have looked elsewhere.
The primary thing I want you to know is that it is okay to "shop around" until you find a provider with whom you are comfortable. If you cannot relax and be comfortable, it is difficult to imagine that the experience is going to be worthwhile. Good counselors and therapists know this, and you should not worry about offending someone who decides to take it personally. It can take time to find someone with whom you can work effectively. Do not let that deter you. We're talking about your time, your money, and your mental health.
There has been at least one attempt I'm aware of to develop a directory of secular therapists. This is not a bad idea, but we should recognize one major limitation of such efforts. It is risky for a mental health professional to publicly identify as secular in the Bible Belt. Most of their potential clients will be Christians. There are not many places in the Bible Belt where I'd want to practice as an openly secular therapist. I wouldn't expect there would be enough clients seeking secular therapists. And as I suggested above, I think it would be a mistake for most atheists to restrict themselves to secular providers. Atheist providers can be terrible, and Christian providers can be wonderful. The key is to find a competent professional with whom you feel comfortable and who will respect your wishes regarding the role religion/spirituality has in your care.
Here are a couple of previous posts I have written on this topic:
- How to Select a Psychologist or Counselor: A Guide for Atheists
- Visiting Your University Counseling Center: A Guide for Atheist Students
I suspect there will be more in the future, as it pains me to think that there are atheists in need of mental health services who are reluctant to seek them because they do not have easy access to competent treatment providers.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
