For those that want it, prayer heals

Upon initiating treatment at Youthful Minds Psychiatry, all patients are asked about their religious practices as a part of a standard and normal psychiatric evaluation. We’ll then ask if the patient wants prayer to be a part of the treatment plan. If the answer is no, then you’ll never hear us talk about it again. And you will never be preached to. If the answer is yes, then we can conclude our sessions with a quick prayer for happiness and healing.

The reason we include this question in our treatment plan is because our prayer and religious life is often overlooked in typical, large-volume corporate practices. It is easier for these large companies to concentrate on high patient volume than achieving actual results with their patients. However, as a small local business, we understand that our patients are in a moment of crisis and need all the tools that we can give them to emerge on the other side stronger than ever. The scientific literature, which admittedly shows mixed results and is rife with bias, shows that the inclusion of faith in religious people can have a strong positive effect.

The power of prayer and religion is often overlooked in medicine and mental health. However, prayer can have real, palpable effects that we can feel in our hearts and experience in our lives. Prayer heals.

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

Proverbs 17:22