Christian formation is not strictly either professional mental health counseling or psychotherapy, but those who work in faith-based mental health facilities even when not doing professional counseling or psychotherapy, involves listening, mutual sharing, and affirmation like mental health counseling

Jesus leads each of sheep, by calling us by name and leading us out

The work of step/transition 5, I am the good shepherd. Not nipping and barking like a border collie, but calls us each by name. If we have an open heart, we will hear his voice, realize that God-with-us knows us, something we long for, and provides direction for us. But first, we need to silence the other voices in our heads, pray for God to lead us, “hear” Jesus Word in the Gospels and in our prayer. The result can be as St. Paul says,

1 Cor 5:17-19 So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Reconciling with God, self, and others was certainly the work of the countless people I saw in psychotherapy over 40 years. Instead, many tragically lived in loneliness, with misdirection, and search for direction in a confusing world. Finding direction and personalized leadership is, in my model, precisely the work of step/transition 5.

For much more on both my model of the typical and gradual ascent to God of Catholic Christians through periods, steps, and transitions see my books on the ascent through the purgative period, namely, Mystagogy Tames the Wandering Demon and Competency-Based Parish Mystagogy, available on Amazon.