In collaboration between the Centre for Theology and Psychology and ISCAST (Christianity and Science in Conversation), this full–day conference will look at some of the most pressing mental health issues facing people today, and how we can approach them from a clinical and theological perspective.

You’ll hear from six speakers on topics including:

• How to respond theologically and respectfully to gender dysphoria.
• A holistic approach to mental health care informed by Christian faith and hermeneutics.
• A comparison of contemporary wellbeing strategies and faith-based approaches to mental health crises.
• The empirical and dogmatic dimensions of clinical practice and their applications in specific areas of mental health.
• A new approach for Christian leaders seeking to empower and promote resilience in their communities.
• The qualities that enable recovery and growth after adversity, and how they can be cultivated within Christian contexts.

You’ll have ample time for discussion throughout the day (with lunch included to fuel your mind), as well as an opportunity to ask questions of the speakers through a panel at the end.

These are difficult and, at times, confronting topics. This conference aims to create an environment where we can learn and grow with each other as Christians and professionals. So, please join us as we face these topics head–on and forge a new path forward for faith-based mental health care.

Program

Pricing

• General: $120 ($100 early bird until August 31^st, 11:59PM)
• Student/Concession: $40

Talks & Speakers

1: Troubled Gender between Creation and New Creation

People with gender dysphoria experience a distressing alienation from their physical, sexed bodies. The theological responses of these people range wildly, from those who outright reject both social and medical/surgical transitioning, to those who celebrate it as people created in the image of God.

The question is, is gender transition an unfaithful rejection of the goodness of created embodiment? Or is it as an expression of the diversity of God’s good creation?

In this talk, Andrew Sloane aims to challenge those views by bringing to bear insights from eschatology and disability theology. He argues that a commitment to the goodness of creation must allow for an awareness of brokenness in the world as it now is, and the ways such brokenness non-culpably impinges on human creatures’ bodies and lived experience.

Without adopting normate biases, Christian eschatology holds out hope for a future of healing and transformation that may include transformation of the body as well as of desires, affections and experience. We do not know whether the eschatological ‘healing’ of gender dysphoria will take the form of conforming of experience to embodied form, or the conforming the body to gendered experience.

This talk aims to open up a diverse range of possible faithful responses to the distress of gender dysphoria, including but not limited to social and medical transitioning.

Andrew Sloane

Dr Andrew Sloane is a lecturer in Old Testament and Christian Thought at Morling College, Sydney, where he has taught since 2002. He teaches and researches in the areas of Old Testament, philosophy of religion, theology of medicine, bioethics, and integration of faith and work. Andrew is a Fellow of ISCAST, qualified in medicine, and practiced briefly as a doctor before training as a Baptist pastor.

His latest book is Vulnerability and Care: Christian Reflections on the Philosophy of Medicine (T&T Clark, 2016).

2: Whole Person Mental Health Care in the 21^st Century

In 1948, The World Health Organization (WHO) defined good mental health as “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

These days, mental health is far more comprehensive, substantial and nuanced. The most recent update defines it as a “state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”.

It’s a definition that speaks to a ‘whole person’ understanding of mental health, and comes paired with a collection of reviews and critiques of the biopsychosocial approach. But the best thing to come out of this are the critical and constructive dialogues between holistic care, values-based practice and person-centered medicine.

In this presentation, Michael Wong uses Luke’s appraisal of Jesus as a person (Luke 2:52), his own notion of multi-layered personal discourse a la Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutics (Wong 2018), and illustrative clinical case studies (Wong 2021) as an argument for whole person mental health.

He endeavours to demonstrate that hermeneutics play an important philosophical, theological and clinical role in promoting whole person mental health care and the integration of the Christian faith tradition and mental health practice.

Wong MTH. Ricoeur and the Third Discourse of the Person: From Philosophy and Neuroscience to Psychiatry and Theology. London: Lexington Book, 2018.

 

Wong MTH. Values Meanings Hermeneutics and Mental Health. In Stoyanov D, Fulford B, Stanghellini G, Van Staden W, Wong MTH. (eds.) International Perspectives 

Michael TH Wong

Dr Michael Wong is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, where he studied medicine. While he is now retired, he currently holds an honorary appointment with them, and is involved in teaching and various ongoing research projects.

He trained in Neuropsychiatry and clinical neuroscience at Maudsley Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry, London. He has previously held various academic clinical and research positions at University of Melbourne and Monash University for 25 years. However, his current clinical and research interests are Clinical Hermeneutics, Person Centered Medicine and Values Based Practice.

Currently he is the Chair of Hong Kong Holistic Popular Mental Health Association and an advisor to Chinese Health Foundation of Australia. He is a Fellow of ISCAST and an Associate Fellow of Centre for Psychology & Theology, MST.

3: What is the Science of Clinical Practice?

A lot of clinical epidemiology has centred around empirical issues like diagnosis, prognosis, intervention and causation. Scientific curiosity forces us to ask why this is so, driving us to look at fundamental sciences like anatomy, physiology, and pathology.

Such medical explanations may or may not sit well as we struggle with patients with addiction – or other psychiatric conditions. We see in a glass darkly, we are sleepwalkers – but that is the provisional and developmental nature of the sciences of clinical practice.

In this talk, Alan Gijsbers discusses the Empiric and Dogmatic dimensions of clinical practice, showing how these two phenomena intersect in a practical context. He then will illustrate, through George Engel’s biopsychosocial model, the scope of this phenomenon, including its applications in more contentious clinical areas like addiction.

Alan Gijsbers

Dr Alan Gijsbers is an associate professor who retired in September 2022 from his position as a specialist physician in addiction medicine in Melbourne, Australia. In the mid-1980’s he worked as a general physician at the Christian Medical College and Hospital Vellore, South India, with Interserve Australia.

Alan is a past National Chairman of the CMDF Australia, and he is a current board member and chair of the governance committee of the ICMDA. He was previously the president of ISCAST and is now a Fellow of ISCAST. He is married to Lois; together they have three children and seven grandchildren.

4: Wellbeing vs Faith-Based Mental Health Approaches

As we look at the statistics of people young and old suffering from mental illness, there is reason to be concerned. Many people suffer from depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, anti-social behaviour, substance abuse, and other problems.

Wellbeing can buffer these problems, starting with addressing the dysfunction that exists then moving towards proactive strategies that build health and wellbeing, but this is a relatively new approach. Of course, these problems are nothing new—many Biblical characters struggled with mental distress, including suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, and other disorders.

However, the important part lies in the fact that they found peace through the grace of God. Relationship with God offers the peace and solace that many people in this world are searching for. In this talk, Peggy Kern will consider wellbeing solutions to this crisis, and compare this with faith-based approaches.

Christianity has much to offer a hurting world, bringing the hope that many are struggling to find. Now it’s time to show it.

Peggy Kern

Dr Peggy Kern is a professor at the Centre for Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education. Originally trained in social, personality, and developmental psychology, Dr Kern received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Arizona State University, a Masters and PhD in social/personality psychology from the University of California, Riverside, and postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania.

Peggy’s research examines questions around who thrives in life and why, including understanding and measuring healthy functioning, identifying individual and social factors impacting life trajectories, and systems informed approaches to wellbeing. She has published three books, over 85 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, and is a Fellow of ISCAST.

5: Redefining Resilience in a post-Covid era for Christian Leaders and their Communities

Navigating post-Covid challenges demands a re-evaluation of Christian community dynamics. From interviews of pastors, ministers and priests about their difficulties and needs, insights are drawn about the critical fusion of theology and psychology to confront pandemic fatigue, loneliness, mental health challenges and evolving cultural landscapes. By synergising spiritual truths with psychological understanding of the co-construction of self and culture, along with resilience strategies, we aim to revitalise the leader and their faith communities.

A new approach offers adaptive tools for fostering connection, healing, and renewal. Through collaborative exploration, we seek to empower Christian communities to transcend adversity, embrace change, and emerge stronger in their shared journey of faith amidst unprecedented times. Join us in reshaping the narrative of resilience for a transformed post-pandemic era.

Lidia Lae

Dr Lidia Lae is a writer, psychologist, and teacher who has worked in the corporate, community, academic and educational sectors. She is the Director of To Learn Consulting, a psychological consultancy that is passionate about assisting people to move forward in their lives.

Lidia also serves on the advisory board and as a key facilitator for the Centre for Theology and Psychology. She completed her PhD studies at the University of Melbourne, investigating the use of self-narratives to understand cross-cultural differences. Her research interests include cross-cultural psychology, culture and self, the integration of psychology and theology/spirituality, and semiotic/narrative approaches in psychology.

6. Growing Stronger Through Adversities – Optimism, Resilience, and Hardiness

Adversity is a reality of life, and the misfortune and tragedy it can bring is expected. However, humans have a remarkable capacity to recover and thrive after community disasters and personal tragedies.

This is well documented in research literature. Some studies have also tried to identify various factors that enable or obstruct recovery and growth post-trauma. In this session, we will consider three of these factors – optimism, resilience and hardiness – and how they can sustain people facing adversity.

Sunny Philip

Dr Sunny Philip is a Human Relations specialist. For his doctoral thesis, Sunny researched the topic of burnout in medical doctors. He is trained in Leadership, Conflict Management, Relationship Counselling, Grief Counselling, and Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience.