When Therapy Replaced the Church (And What That Might Teach Us)

In the wake of the pandemic, something shifted. Routines fell apart. Institutions struggled.

People began asking deeper questions—not just about safety or structure, but about meaning.

Who am I? Where is God in this? How do I heal?

And for many, the place they began asking those questions wasn’t a church—it was a therapy

room.

At Praxis, we’ve noticed this shift not as a threat to the Church, but as an opportunity for

reflection. Why are so many people turning to therapists for soul care? And what might that tell

us about the hunger of this generation?

A Space to Be Known

Barna research shows that over 70% of Gen Z describe themselves as spiritually open, yet less

than 30% trust organized religion. But that doesn’t mean they’ve stopped seeking God—it

means they’re longing for safe places to wrestle with pain, identity, and purpose.

Therapists have become those listeners. Not because they offer ultimate answers, but because

they offer something many are longing for: presence. A safe space to be known without

performance.

The Church’s Beautiful Legacy

Historically, the Church has been the center of soul care. Confession, lament, community,

spiritual direction—these were the practices that shaped people into wholeness. And for many

churches, that legacy is still alive and well.

But the past few decades have brought pressure: to grow, to adapt, to remain relevant. In that

pressure, many churches had to let go of some of the slower, deeper work of formation—not

out of neglect, but out of necessity.

The result? Many people now experience their deepest healing not in a sanctuary, but in a

clinical office.

What Therapy Offers—and What It Can’t

Therapy is a gift. It helps people name pain, untangle stories, and find their footing. But even

the best therapy can only take us so far. It can point toward healing—but it can’t offer

resurrection. It can hold space—but it can’t hold eternity.

What we need is integration. And that’s why Praxis exists.

Why We Started Praxis

We believe that the best care happens when spiritual formation and clinical practice work

together. Not in competition, but in collaboration. We believe churches still have a vital role in

soul care—and that therapists can support, not replace, that role.

So when we say therapy has replaced the Church for many, we don’t say that as an accusation.

We say it as an invitation.

It’s time to recover the Church’s legacy of healing. To become, once again, the kind of place

where people bring not just their beliefs, but their burdens. And we’d love to help.