Mental Health Awareness: April 2023

2 Timothy 1:7    For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. 

        Over the last ten years of serving as a Parish Nurse, one of the most frequent topics that congregation members, neighbors, friends, family, and youth have approached me about are Mental Health topics. 

      In recent years, at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Fair Lawn, our Health Ministry program began a Project Connect Ministry. Many LCMS congregations that I have visited over the years also offer this ministry to their congregation and community. Project Connect is a wonderful resource for your congregation and community, providing booklets that individuals can take confidentially, covering a wide variety of mental health, spiritual health and physical wellness topics, all created by Lutheran Hour Ministries. Project Connect brings hope to your community through an indispensable, on-site, booklet ministry resource that uses a display of pocket-sized, topical booklets to promote outreach. There are also some booklets for equipping your congregation's members to share their faith. Each of the more than 50 booklets available is written from a Christian perspective and addresses a variety of topics, from forgiveness and the after-life to depression and anger management. Many have been translated into Spanish too. When placed in a church narthex or fellowship hall, these booklets are available for visitors on their time, giving them resources when they need them. Each booklet has space to include your church's information -- complete with worship times if needed and address directions. (Lutheran Hour Ministries)

     At Our Savior Lutheran Church Fair Lawn, we place the booklets by one of our entrances, and each booklet is labeled with our church contact information, in case anyone wants to talk further with Pastor Taylor or a church worker. Lutheran Hour Ministries recently added several booklets focused on mental health topics. We recently added a new booklet Journey Through Anxiety, which is a 53 page in depth booklet detailing scripture, true stories, and focused interventions designed to address anxiety and healing. I am often told by a church member that they have taken a booklet to share with a co-worker or neighbor. Praise God! 

     In Northern NJ, there are many Christian Counseling centers, some I have listed below. I would love to hear from you if you can recommend a Lutheran counselor, or a Christian counselor that you highly recommend. Anything you share with me will be held in confidence. I hope to build a database of recommended mental health clinicians in all regions of New Jersey. 


Resources: 

National Suicide Prevention Hotline 
Call or Text 988 
You can also still use the former hotline number for a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts: 
1-800-273-TALK (8255) 

1. Christian Health ~ LiveWell Counseling  Wyckoff, NJ 
201-848-5200 
Christian counseling for anxiety, depression, mood disorder, psychiatric and medication assessment, panic disorder, parenting, bereavement, and addiction counseling and more. 

2. Light the Way Counseling Center, LLC 
Faith based counseling in Midland Park, NJ 
201-444-8103

3. Lutheran Counseling Center
132 Jefferson Ave Mineola, NY. 11501
800-317-1173 
(Most counselors are licensed to counsel only in NY, however there are some who hold a NJ license as well) 

In His joy and service, 

Colleen Bottcher RN, BSN, FCN 
NJ District LCMS Parish Nurse 
cell# 201-723-9836 
email: [email protected]