My Mental Health
More Christian counselors now available in your EAP Christian counselor network. Find a counselor →
Find help, hope and healing
Your mental health is equally as important as your physical health. So don’t let stress, anxiety and frustration harm your mental well-being.
Concordia Plans cares for you and your mental health, which is why CPS assembles an array of benefits and resources from across the LCMS to help address your emotional health needs – whatever they may be. We encourage you to use these resources available to you and your family. And if you need help finding the right one, try the Health Connector tool.
Remember that there’s only one you, so always take care of your mental health.
IF YOU’RE FEELING LIKE YOU MAY HARM YOURSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE, CALL 911 OR CALL 988 TO REACH THE SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE.
Resources for Concordia Plans members
As a member of the Plans, you have access to multiple mental health resources:
- If you’re feeling like you may harm yourself or someone else, call 911 or call 988 to reach the Suicide Prevention Hotline.
- To talk to a mental health professional now, call 866-726-5267 or use Cigna’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP)* for a virtual or in-person visit (six free, face-to-face visits per issue or topic).
Find thousands of mental health counselors, including those from an expanded Lutheran and/or faith-based counseling network, for a virtual or in-person visit. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP)* gives you six, free counseling sessions for each situation/topic you want to discuss with a counselor – from family to financial issues to substance abuse, emotional health and stress.
- Access the Cigna Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Find a counselor within the EAP Christian and/or faith-based counselor specialties.
- How to find a counselor who is a good fit for you flyer.
- Seeking a counselor, brought to you by Rev. Hasz.
- Should I talk to a pastor or psychologist? KFUO Mental Health Monday broadcast.
- LCMS Recognized Service Organization directory for counseling services.
- Telehealth lets you access mental health counseling via text, computer, smartphone or tablet and is a good solution to getting a diagnosis and treatment plan. You have access to quality, personalized care from a board-certified physician, and there are no appointments, no travel, no waiting room – you can do everything from the comfort and convenience of your home – 24/7.
- Included Health can help you find the right kind of medical professional to provide you with quality mental health care. Every recommendation
Included Health makes is based on individual member needs. Their preferences and their comfort level. With Included Health members get:
- Expert medical opinions.
- Treatment decision support.
- Help with finding and scheduling available emotional resources.
For you and/or your family members:
- Pastoral Support Network - Call 888-712-1805
A dedicated network of emotional health experts to support pastors and their families. - Shepherd’s Canyon
Week-long counseling retreats for men and women in ministry who are experiencing burnout, stress, depression, and conflicts of all kinds.
- DOXOLOGY & Take Heart Retreats
Three-day respite retreats for pastors, teachers and commissioned ministers. No cost to attend in 2022 (excluding transportation cost). - LCMS Church Worker Wellness Resources
A collection of resources provided by the LCMS for church workers and their spouses.
For your ministry:
- Grace Place Wellness
Grace Place Wellness is a new LCEF resource designed to help pastors, leaders and church workers live a healthy, balanced life in ministry and beyond. Through books, resources and community connections, you can reclaim the joy of ministry. - Church revitalization resources
Resources developed by the Office of National Mission to help you equip your congregation for carrying out God’s mission. - Clergy Mental Health and the Doctrine of Justification
Theological paper: "The Gospel is sweet medicine for the soul but other healing may still be needed for the body and mind." - Ministerial Care Coalition (MC2)
Wellness advocates and care teams for districts. Please contact, Tiffany Manor, Director of LCMS Life Ministry 314-996-1085, [email protected] - re:Vitality Church Revitalization Resources
A suite of resources developed by the Office of National Mission to help you equip your congregation for carrying out God’s mission in your context
Be sure to also check with your district, circuit or employer for more resources available at the local level or through your ministry.
Resources from Concordia Publishing House. Use code CPSR for a 20% discount.
- Navigating Ministry Challenges
In Navigating Ministry Challenges, you'll find essays from experienced pastors who have shared your troubles. They offer practical chapters on faithfully navigating congregational relations, serving multi-point parishes, and leading church schools, but they also address some of the more personal struggles of the ministry, such as your own spiritual, mental, and physical health throughout your service. Learn from these faithful guides, and be encouraged that it is not through your own power that you serve, but the blessed gifts of your Heavenly Father. - Built on the Rock
In Built on the Rock, Ted Kober, an expert in Christ-centered reconciliation, offers church leaders and members an effective prescription for building and sustaining healthy congregations. After first defining what “healthy” means, Kober explores fundamental concepts that help churches identify the root cause of their condition and regain church health. This book offers sought-after practices for not just conflict resolution but lasting reconciliation.
- Atlantic
Lutheran Counseling Center, Meneola, NY (Molly Blancke, Exec. Director) - Eastern
Samaritan Counseling Center (NY and PA) (Steven Schedler Exec. Director) - English
Ministerial Health Commission - Florida/Georgia
Lutheran Counseling Service (Megan Miessler, Exec. Director) - Iowa East
Lutheran Family Service (Max Phillips, Exec. Director) - Iowa West
Lutheran Family Service (Max Phillips, Exec. Director - Kansas
Kansas Counselors: Christian Practitioners in the Kansas District - Michigan
- Minnesota
South Christian Counseling Services - Missouri
Church Worker Care Team - Nebraska
GracePoint Institute for Relational Health (Rev. Dr. Justin Hannemann, CEO)
Lutheran Family Service - New England
Directory of Mental Health Care Professionals and Agencies - North Wisconsin
Counseling Recourses in State (specifically page 5 of pdf) - North Illinois
Church Worker Care Team - Ohio
Care Partners - South Dakota
Lutheran Family Service - South Wisconsin
Lutheran Counseling and Family Services of Wisconsin (Carol Flanary, CEO) - South Eastern
SED Coaching Network - Southern
Lutheran Counseling Services (Megan Miessler, Exec. Director) - Texas
Care and Coaching Team
Some of the Lutheran counseling providers listed above may not be part of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counseling network. Please check with the provider to determine in-network/out-of-network participation with the EAP.
- Vitality – Complete the Mental Health Review, which helps you assess and manage your mental health. Once you log in to your Vitality account, look for the review under Points > Points Planner > Vitality Reviews.
- Get help from Cigna’s Employee Assistance Program* in various areas, including:
- Emotional health.
- Stress management.
- Grief and loss.
- Family and relationships.
- Caregiver concerns.
- Community resource needs.
- Job and career support needs.
- Financial or legal issues.
- Telehealth lets you access mental health counseling via text, computer, smartphone or tablet and is a good solution to getting a diagnosis and treatment plan. You have access to quality, personalized care from a board-certified physician, and there are no appointments, no travel, no waiting room – you can do everything from the comfort and convenience of your home – 24/7.
- Wondr includes emotional eating within the curriculum, teaching you how to overcome it and manage your weight for long-term health.
- Run Hard/Rest Well – Transformative and sustainable approaches for leaders and people in high-stress professions to balance work and rest, and to create a vibrant culture in which to thrive.
- DOXOLOGY & Take Heart Retreats
Three-day respite retreats for pastors, teachers and commissioned ministers. No cost to attend in 2022 (excluding transportation cost).
Resources from Concordia Publishing House. Use code CPSR for a 20% discount.
- Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration
Each and every one of us will find the weight of brokenness pressing into our lives at different times. We see it all around us in our world, our communities, and our relationships. It’s time to call brokenness by name. In Finding Hope: From Brokenness to Restoration, find tools to identify your story and see God’s hope and healing amidst the mess of life. - Take Heart: God's Comfort for Anxious Thoughts
Real life can be a real mess. Feelings of anxiety can overwhelm and drag us down. We want to turn away from others and rely on ourselves to escape the situation. But we alone are not strong enough to overcome our anxious thoughts. God will not let go of you. He will meet you in the midst of your darkness, in the place where you think you are farthest from Him. - Callings for Life: God's Plan, Your Purpose
What is God calling me to do? What is the one thing I was born to do? The truth is, there is not one thing that you're meant to do. God calls you in numerous ways in His plan for your life. From recent graduates to adults in established careers, comprehending god's plan for your life can be daunting. Thankfully, by broadening your scope and seeing the multiple places that God is calling you, it will become easier for you to follow where God is leading.
- Ministerial Care Coalition (MC2)
Wellness advocates and care teams for districts. Please contact, Tiffany Manor, Director of LCMS Life Ministry 314-996-1085, [email protected] - KFUO Mental Health Mondays
Weekly radio broadcast for LCMS members during "The Coffee Hour." - The Church and Mental Health Workshop
Recorded audio presentations from the 2016 LCMS Life Ministry symposium on the Church and Mental Health. - Ambassadors of Reconciliation
Consulting, conflict coaching, mediation, arbitration and group reconciliation services for individuals with personal, business or legal disputes, in addition to churches, schools and other organizations in conflict. CrossLife Ministries is the counseling division of Ambassadors of Reconciliation. Their licensed professionals provide Gospel-centered counseling to individuals and small groups on marriage and family, grief support, addictions, long-term behavioral patterns, and more. - Concordia Publishing House Resources
The publishing arm of the LCMS which develops, produces, markets, and distributes products and services that are faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, which will effectively serve such proclamation to people throughout the world. - Mental Health First Aid
A skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. - Lutheran Hour Ministries
Lutheran Hour Ministries brings a message of rescue, restoration and renewal in Jesus Christ through media outreach programs.- Lutheran Hour App
You can take The Lutheran Hour program with you anywhere you go! An updated mobile app is now available for the world's longest-running Christian outreach radio program. Play or download the audio or read the text of the program's current sermon, search and play a sermon from the archive and more. - LHM Daily Devotions App
You can now access Lutheran Hour Ministries' Daily Devotions on your mobile device by using the new Daily Devotions app. The app includes inspirational Scripture-based messages, season-themed devotions during Advent and Lent and more.
- Lutheran Hour App
- Focus on the Family Mental Health Resources
A global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive by providing trustworthy, biblical guidance and support. - Growing in Christ Webinars
Growing in Christ is an important part of the life of a Christian. In this series of webinars, LCEF explored how you can grow in Christ physically, spiritually and mentally and how to take those skills to serve your neighbor
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
The lead federal agency for research on mental disorders in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Cigna EAP*
24/7 access to personal advocates who can guide you to information on legal services, senior care, financial services, family care, pet care and more. Check out the "Intro to EAP" flyer. - Lifeworks
A great place to start, services include a free 30-minute consultations with attorneys and discounted rate if you need to retain an attorney, as well as free templates to create a will and other legacy documents. After logging in, choose "Life" then "Legal Services." - Securian legacy planning resources
Access to compassionate guidance on end-of-life planning. - Aura Identity Guard
Reliable services to provide identity protection and theft insurance, credit monitoring, device protection and anti-phishing. - Lutheran Legal League
Search by region or state for actively practicing attorneys who regularly attend LCMS worship and who desire to assist our Synodical churches, schools, ministries, missions and LCMS members with their legal needs.
Resources from Concordia Publishing House. Use code CPSR for a 20% discount.
- Blessings and Prayers for Caregivers
Through brief Gospel-focused readings and Scripture verses, this small book offers refreshment and renewal for the exhausted caregiver. Each reading focuses on Jesus as the source of our hope and strength. Blessings and Prayers for Caregivers can be tucked into a pocket or purse to go with you wherever you are—so it’s at your fingertips whenever you are in need of encouragement. - Weary Joy: The Caregiver's Journey
In the United States, life expectancy continues to rise, but so do the diagnoses of dementia and health-care costs. This book follows the unique challenges that come with caring for someone with dementia. It is meant to show readers God's grace and Jesus' care while discovering helpful hints on resilience and endurance to navigate the challenging world of caregiving.
Financial stress can be a great contributor to overall stress and anxiety. The good news is that there are a lot of helpful resources we can point you to for help! Or if you want personalized one-on-one help, a Concordia Plans Financial Educator is ready and waiting to meet with you.
Be sure to also check with your district, circuit or employer for more resources available at the local level or through your ministry.
**EAP is only available to Concordia Health Plan members and family members in their household.
The EAP: Support for your mental health
Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)* can support you in many ways, especially with your mental health. Access the EAP for six, free sessions for each situation/topic you want to discuss with a counselor – from family to financial issues to substance abuse, emotional health and stress – virtual or in-person.
Because Concordia Plans cares about you and your mental health, Concordia Health Plan members have access to thousands of counselors through the EAP. Recognizing that sometimes it may be important to specifically talk with a Lutheran counselor, CPS has recently added more than 100 Lutheran counselors to the EAP Christian counselor network.
Counseling and other services through the EAP are confidential and available to you and your family.
How to access the EAP →
Find a Christian and/or faith-based counselor →**EAP is only available to Concordia Health Plan members and family members in their household.
Vitality Points for investing in your mental health!
You now have the ability to earn points in Vitality for appointments with a licensed mental health professional. Earn 100 points for each visit, up to 600 points in a calendar year.
Visit Vitality today
