Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
How Does Therapy Culture Undermine True Healing?
Host Curtis Chang talks with physician and author Matthew Loftus about how therapeutic language can distort ordinary suffering, turn disagreement into “gaslighting,” and leave people feeling less capable of changing their lives. They examine the overmedicalization of grief and anxiety, the rise of mental health culture in schools, and why churches risk losing their purpose when pastors start acting like therapists.
**This is not an attack on therapy or psychiatric medication. It is a provocative conversation about when mental health care becomes a worldview—and whether our relentless focus on feeling better is actually making us sicker.
02:10 - Therapy Practice vs. Therapy Culture
03:52 - The Importance of Personal Experience
06:34 - The Three Elements of Therapy Culture
10:09 - The Problem with Focusing on Mental Health
13:22 - The Suggestive Power of Diagnosis
15:30 - A Christian Understanding of Suffering
17:57 - Finding Solace in the Midst of Suffering
21:40 - The Role of Medication in Mental Health
25:49 - Knowing When Therapy Becomes Unhelpful
28:30 - The Unique, Healing Functions of the Church
32:21 - How Parents Can Counter Therapy Culture in Schools
35:01 - A Final Word of Encouragement
To give to Good Faith: goodfaith.org/donate
Mentioned in This Episode:
Matthew Loftus’s Resisting Therapy Culture: amazon.com/dp/1514012685?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
Curtis Chang’s Anxiety Opportunity: amazon.com/Anxiety-Opportunity-Worry-Doorway-Your/dp/031036728X/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=185685790705&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8_l9fty3qlq1R4w-UZhpCBFTCPbGkGrArQMRxDc9ConlbwHABa0MJkAzkB_VYvLxY9Eh6ERmM41TsnFjnkkDFg2_TaUTj6CnY_eU7Kh3iFsTXidATS8ulMLdy5p6bw8gxkCaDRS94KY9n0-ltx4biIoyaV9zZWhQeO34krxaaP9W0LBpAoJRX4RobFj8QiVocpbBXs9U9vCmsqgKYhMwp9_4AmBun7Fb4UdrwKBCqWw.CqVxGMUFhMljUFa677_iV4pzYjU3sK0lLoPu3mrL6Tw&dib_tag=se&hvadid=779657919044&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9013114&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=17268444855292524587--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=17268444855292524587&hvtargid=kwd-1990910873514&hydadcr=20366_13639573_2282818&keywords=the+anxiety+opportunity&mcid=322bd428a2ed3330b87398f25b951f6f&qid=1785791637&sr=8-1
Kathryn Greene-McCreight’s Darkness Is My Only Companion: amazon.com/Darkness-My-Only-Companion-Christian/dp/1587433729/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PK23SE0WPX2K&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FewxbPqvA12g51utRQGskP3BeGs3W1ZL1zeXZF611KAsrCGQfUYXapP1nL9u2kPPCp7vlXcMQO7hc7qyiav-sPDu6Sf2TEUjfNkD1Mcndv5HeqwBT12i2giVirc3ZhUNWDNOx5R4TfKhH2ZrrbA8wPY4el10qt4KgyUJFhAPgdt053-raNVo021ClDYLc3Y2XRAmlg6-wFaX_vDkOw-4ewZteSS2JAev-IFcl0eDjEg.xyFNtxz5_ptMSyzqFd4tSIK-rONQzLPz8SR4MTVBWnY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Kathryn+Greene-McCreight%E2%80%99s+Darkness+Is+My+Only+Companion&qid=1785791692&sprefix=kathryn+greene-mccreight%27s+darkness+is+my+only+companion%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-1
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610
Further Reading:
DSM5 and the Medicalization of Grief: Two Perspectives (article): psychiatrictimes.com/view/dsm5-and-medicalization-grief-two-perspectives
Matter over mind: How mental health symptom presentations shape diagnostic outcomes: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6776711
Effectiveness of school-based mental health programs on mental health among adolescents: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7377131
Scriptures:
Romans 8:38–39 (ESV): esv.org/verses/Romans+8:38%E2%80%9339
More From Matthew Loftus:
Matthew’s website: matthewandmaggie.org
Matthew’s writing at Mere Orthodoxy: mereorthodoxy.com/tag/author-matthew-loftus
Matthew’s articles at Plough: plough.com/contributors/matthew-loftus-en
Follow Us:
Good Faith on Instagram: instagram.com/goodfaithnetwork
Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/_good_faith
Good Faith on Facebook: facebook.com/goodfaithpod
The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.
How Does Therapy Culture Undermine True Healing?
Host Curtis Chang talks with physician and author Matthew Loftus about how therapeutic language can distort ordinary suffering, turn disagreement into “gaslighting,” and leave people feeling less capable of changing their lives. They examine the overmedicalization of grief and anxiety, the rise of mental health culture in schools, and why churches risk losing their purpose when pastors start acting like therapists.
**This is not an attack on therapy or psychiatric medication. It is a provocative conversation about when mental health care becomes a worldview—and whether our relentless focus on feeling better is actually making us sicker.
02:10 - Therapy Practice vs. Therapy Culture
03:52 - The Importance of Personal Experience
06:34 - The Three Elements of Therapy Culture
10:09 - The Problem with Focusing on Mental Health
13:22 - The Suggestive Power of Diagnosis
15:30 - A Christian Understanding of Suffering
17:57 - Finding Solace in the Midst of Suffering
21:40 - The Role of Medication in Mental Health
25:49 - Knowing When Therapy Becomes Unhelpful
28:30 - The Unique, Healing Functions of the Church
32:21 - How Parents Can Counter Therapy Culture in Schools
35:01 - A Final Word of Encouragement
To give to Good Faith: goodfaith.org/donate
Mentioned in This Episode:
Matthew Loftus’s Resisting Therapy Culture: amazon.com/dp/1514012685?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
Curtis Chang’s Anxiety Opportunity: amazon.com/Anxiety-Opportunity-Worry-Doorway-Your/dp/031036728X/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=185685790705&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8_l9fty3qlq1R4w-UZhpCBFTCPbGkGrArQMRxDc9ConlbwHABa0MJkAzkB_VYvLxY9Eh6ERmM41TsnFjnkkDFg2_TaUTj6CnY_eU7Kh3iFsTXidATS8ulMLdy5p6bw8gxkCaDRS94KY9n0-ltx4biIoyaV9zZWhQeO34krxaaP9W0LBpAoJRX4RobFj8QiVocpbBXs9U9vCmsqgKYhMwp9_4AmBun7Fb4UdrwKBCqWw.CqVxGMUFhMljUFa677_iV4pzYjU3sK0lLoPu3mrL6Tw&dib_tag=se&hvadid=779657919044&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9013114&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=17268444855292524587--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=17268444855292524587&hvtargid=kwd-1990910873514&hydadcr=20366_13639573_2282818&keywords=the+anxiety+opportunity&mcid=322bd428a2ed3330b87398f25b951f6f&qid=1785791637&sr=8-1
Kathryn Greene-McCreight’s Darkness Is My Only Companion: amazon.com/Darkness-My-Only-Companion-Christian/dp/1587433729/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PK23SE0WPX2K&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FewxbPqvA12g51utRQGskP3BeGs3W1ZL1zeXZF611KAsrCGQfUYXapP1nL9u2kPPCp7vlXcMQO7hc7qyiav-sPDu6Sf2TEUjfNkD1Mcndv5HeqwBT12i2giVirc3ZhUNWDNOx5R4TfKhH2ZrrbA8wPY4el10qt4KgyUJFhAPgdt053-raNVo021ClDYLc3Y2XRAmlg6-wFaX_vDkOw-4ewZteSS2JAev-IFcl0eDjEg.xyFNtxz5_ptMSyzqFd4tSIK-rONQzLPz8SR4MTVBWnY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Kathryn+Greene-McCreight%E2%80%99s+Darkness+Is+My+Only+Companion&qid=1785791692&sprefix=kathryn+greene-mccreight%27s+darkness+is+my+only+companion%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-1
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610
Further Reading:
DSM5 and the Medicalization of Grief: Two Perspectives (article): psychiatrictimes.com/view/dsm5-and-medicalization-grief-two-perspectives
Matter over mind: How mental health symptom presentations shape diagnostic outcomes: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6776711
Effectiveness of school-based mental health programs on mental health among adolescents: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7377131
Scriptures:
Romans 8:38–39 (ESV): esv.org/verses/Romans+8:38%E2%80%9339
More From Matthew Loftus:
Matthew’s website: matthewandmaggie.org
Matthew’s writing at Mere Orthodoxy: mereorthodoxy.com/tag/author-matthew-loftus
Matthew’s articles at Plough: plough.com/contributors/matthew-loftus-en
Follow Us:
Good Faith on Instagram: instagram.com/goodfaithnetwork
Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/_good_faith
Good Faith on Facebook: facebook.com/goodfaithpod
The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.
