The Mental Health Summit ’25 brought together our community for meaningful conversations about faith and mental wellness.
On September 13th, a remarkable event was held at Higher Ground Ministries in Cincinnati. The Mental Health Summit ’25, themed “Healing the Mind & Spirit,” brought together mental health professionals, faith leaders, and community members for a day of honest conversation about a topic that doesn’t get discussed enough in faith communities.
A Day of Important Conversations
The summit ran from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and featured sessions that tackled real issues. Pastors Kennedy and Darrylyn Lockhart opened the day with “Let’s Talk About Grief”—a powerful session about processing loss in healthy ways. Later, Dr. Dwonna Lenoir, PsyD, LPCC-S, facilitated discussions on “Mental Health and the Church” and led an afternoon panel bringing together professionals from clinical practice, law enforcement, and pastoral care.
Our Staff connected with attendees and shared conversations about mental health throughout the day.
We were there alongside other organizations, and the conversations we had throughout the day reminded us why events like this matter so much. Church members who’d been quietly struggling, parents worried about their children, pastors wanting to better support their congregations—everyone was hungry for a space where they could talk about mental health openly.
Why This Matters
Here’s the truth: faith and mental health support aren’t opposites. They’re partners. But stigma in some faith communities keeps people from seeking help. We’ve all heard it—”just pray about it” or “you need more faith.”
The Mental Health Summit showed what’s possible when we break down those barriers. When mental health professionals and faith leaders come together, we can acknowledge that healing happens in many forms—through prayer and through therapy, through spiritual practice and through professional support.
What Stuck With Us
Higher Ground Ministries deserves real credit for creating this space. Not every faith organization is willing to tackle mental health head-on. Their willingness to host this summit sends a powerful message: your mental health matters here.
As we packed up at the end of the day, a few things stuck with us: Community changes everything. Education opens doors. And integration between faith and mental health care is not only possible—it’s powerful.
To everyone who attended: thank you for being part of this conversation. And to those reading this who might be struggling: help is available, and seeking it is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Mental health support comes in many forms—faith communities, professional counseling, support groups, therapy, and more. What matters is taking that step.
If you’d like to connect with us, you can reach us at 513-928-3339 or visit sos-wellness.org.
Because everyone deserves support, wellness, and wholeness.