Making Space at the Well: Mental Health and the Church

by Jessica Brown

Beginning with the biblical motif of going to the village well for the waters that sustain life and exploring the communal significance of that well, pastor, professor, and clinical psychologist Jessica Young Brown calls on the Black Church to rally its historic resilience and creativity to acknowledge and engage those in its pews who are struggling with mental health concerns. Using the acronym of SPACE, the author ¢€¢:Silencing the Stigma ¢€¢:Presence & Persistence ¢€¢:Application & Action ¢€¢:Cautions ¢€¢:Expression & Exhortation Rev. Dr. Young Brown concludes with a practical exploration of "Now What? Digging the Well and Drawing from It." The book's appendix features a brief primer on common mental disorders that frequently affect members of our family, neighborhood, and church.

128 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2020

Reviews

[Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a dream come true for me personally. Why? A good bit of what is shared in this book are thoughts I’ve pondered for years. This book is further evidence of the black church’s increasing voice is dealing with mental health issues. I had the honor of being an undergraduate colleague of Dr. Brown for two years at Elon University (Elon, NC), and I am proud of all she has accomplished since graduating. This is definitely a book worth adding to your library. It’s short, to the point, and powerful!

[Yana Pagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be extremely helpful and encouraging in the work of ministry. It was a great reminder that even if the church cannot find the resources we need to create the resources to give hope to our communities.