Faith Crisis Counseling
Faith Crisis Counseling
Thoughtful support for Latter-day Saints facing questions, change, or uncertainty.
A faith crisis can affect far more than religious belief. It can unsettle your identity, marriage, family relationships, community connections, and even your sense of direction. Questions that once seemed manageable can begin to feel consuming—especially when you don’t feel like you can talk about it openly.
You may be:
- Questioning teachings or “truth” you once accepted
- Feeling hurt, disappointed, or betrayed by the Church or other members
- Trying to reconcile your faith with troubling historical or cultural issues
- Unsure whether you still believe, belong, or want to participate
- Worried about what your changing beliefs could mean for your marriage, family, or friendships
- Attempting to appear faithful and active while privately carrying some serious doubt
- Trying to rebuild faith without pretending your questions don’t exist
You do not need to resolve these questions before you start counseling.
You don’t have to decide where your faith journey will end up before starting to talk about what you’re experiencing.
Counseling Without a Predetermined Destination
My role is not to persuade you to stay in the Church, encourage you to leave, or tell you what you should believe.
Counseling with me provides a place to slow the process down, understand what’s happening in you, and make thoughtful choices that reflect your values. We can examine the emotional, relational, and spiritual dimensions of your experience without treating sincere questions as rebellion, pathology, or assuming that one outcome works equally well for everyone.
Our work could include:
- Separating fear and pressure from your own measured judgment
- Making room for uncertainty without being immobilized by it
- Identifying the values you want to preserve, regardless of where your belief leads
- Processing anger, grief, betrayal, shame, or confusion
- Communicating effectively and confidently with a believing spouse, parents, children, or even respected Church leaders
- Deciding what participation, boundaries, and spiritual practices are right for you
- Leading a meaningful life before all your important questions get answered
Faith crisis counseling does not take the place of historical or doctrinal research. But it does address the deeply-personal experience of living through the questions—and the effect those questions may already be having on your emotional health, closest relationships, and ability to move forward.
Help for Couples Affected by a Faith Crisis
A change in one spouse’s beliefs can create fear for both partners. The questioning spouse may feel misunderstood, controlled, or unable to speak honestly. The believing spouse may fear the loss of shared covenants, family unity, or the future they expected to have together.
These differences don’t automatically mean the marriage must end. Couples counseling can help both partners speak more honestly, listen with less defensiveness, and determine whether they can build a relationship that respects both faith and personal integrity.
The goal is not to declare a winner in a religious disagreement. It is to help the two of you understand what the disagreement means, protect the relationship from unnecessary damage, and make careful decisions about your life together.
A Therapist Who Understands the Latter-day Saint Context
I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist and a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My understanding of Church belief, language, culture, family life, and covenants allows us to get started without you having to explain the whole religious context first.
At the same time, counseling stays centered on your experience—not on defending an institution or steering you to a prescribed conclusion. Spiritual beliefs and practices can still be included, but only when they’re important to you — they won’t be imposed if they’re not.
My approach is thoughtful, structured, and compassionate. It draws from Acceptance and Commitment Theory, relationship work, values-based decision-making, and many years of helping individuals and couples address difficult subjects that are often accompanied by secrecy, fear, or shame.
Online Counseling Throughout California
Secure video appointments are available to individuals and couples anywhere in California.
Online counseling can be especially helpful when you want someone who understands Church culture but there’s no appropriate therapist nearby. It’s also helpful to have someone outside your immediate community when confidentiality is important.
You don’t need to know if counseling will change your beliefs, repair your relationship, or give you immediate answers. The first step can simply be a brief conversation about what you’re facing and whether we might be a good match to work together.
Schedule a 10-Minute Phone Chat
A brief phone conversation gives you an opportunity to tell me what you’re looking for, ask questions about my approach (or anything else), and get an initial sense of whether working together seems like a good fit—for both of us.
Schedule a 10-Minute Phone Chat with Kevin
Kevin Bergen, LMFT
CA MFT License: MFC44105
(ask about my coaching that’s available in all states)
Kevin Bergen is an independent licensed therapist. His practice is not operated by or
endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.