As he headed back to high school after Thanksgiving break, Jeremy was losing his desire to live. He had just broken up with his girlfriend. He kept all his feelings to himself.

“I was so depressed and angry. I hated myself and was thinking about suicide,” Jeremy says.

Jeremy attributes this pattern of suppressing his emotions back to the moment his father abandoned the family when Jeremy was young.

“My dad and brothers would always say that expressing your feelings was a sign of weakness,” he recalls.

Jeremy admits that he became a bully, who acted out his feelings of rage and resentment on others. He had tried counseling, and nothing changed, until he met Kent Robinson from Christian Family Solutions.

“My counselor helped me let go of hating my dad and to see things differently and forgive my family for the stuff I went through.”

This breakthrough during treatment enabled Jeremy to rebuild his relationship with his father and work through his feelings of anger and resentment, resulting in his will to live, to love, and to forgive.

“Although I sometimes have a difficult time believing in God, Kent has helped me see that there is a God who loves me. Now I can love myself and accept His forgiveness so I can forgive others and myself.”

As Jeremy was struggling with suicide ideation, he needed urgent and appropriate mental health care. His family couldn’t afford it, but his church could help. Jeremy’s church is part of the CFS Member Assistance Program (MAP), and his pastor was able to refer Jeremy to counseling sessions with Christian Family Solutions. The MAP program is a partnership between congregations, CFS, and donors who help fill gaps in funding and expand access to care.

This partnership approach and commitment to making care accessible is the reason Jeremy can love God, love himself and love others again.

We are grateful to our partner congregations and our donors who help make care accessible to more people.

(This client’s name has been changed to protect his privacy.)