But it's part of an overall assessment that is usually overlooked in the rush of getting medical and psychiatric symptoms. Also, some may worry that a person's spirituality is off-limits because they come from a different religion. While observance can be helpful to a therapist, Danial says the therapist can still offer appropriate spiritual guidance and be of a different persuasion. Caregivers are not always medical professionals. Many people with mental health problems turn first to their clergy members.
Clergy are accessible, affordable and are often seen as the most obvious place to turn.
Unfortunately, according to American researcher J. Dillingham, clergy in general lack training in mental health problems. Canadian religious leaders generally have at least a Bachelor's degree and about three to five years of training after that, according to Janet Somerville, general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches in Toronto. This is not standard, however, and it varies from one religion to the next. The Centre is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto .