Integrating Faith and Mental Health: A Clinician's Journey with Lola Banjoko, LPC, NCC

Camille McDaniel (00:02.006)
Welcome back to another episode of Christ in Private Practice. If you’re new, then I’m glad to have you. Welcome to the Christ in Private Practice podcast. We’re going to be talking today with Lola Banjoku. And we’re actually going to be talking about integrating faith in private practice. So you all may have heard us.

talk about this, maybe I’ve talked with other guests, I talked about it myself. And it’s always wonderful to just kind of hear from other clinicians in the field to see how are they integrating faith in their private practice. So today we have Lola and I’m going to just let you know a little bit about her. And then we’re going to jump right on in to talking about how faith shows up in her practice.

Lola is a licensed professional counselor and she’s also a national certified counselor. She’s the founder and the therapist at The Healed Path, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia. With nearly a decade of experience helping individuals and couples and families navigate their challenge, she is bringing a ton of insight, a wealth of insight and expertise to her clinical practice.

Her background includes roles at the Carter Center and the Department of Juvenile Justice, where she has honed her skills in providing excellent and effective support, guided by her belief that life is a journey of faith. Lola is dedicated to walking alongside her clients, offering encouragement and helping them maintain clarity and focus on their vision.

And later on, we will talk about how you can get in touch with Lola. You can find out where her practice is. You can connect with her on social media because we want to be able to grow this community of mental health professionals who are Christ-aligned so we can support one another and glean from each other. So welcome, Lola. Welcome to this episode.

Lola Banjoko (02:04.179)
Thank you for having me. Thank you.

Camille McDaniel (02:07.916)
Yes, absolutely. Let’s jump right in. Can you kind of talk to me a little bit about yourself and your background as a clinician and just how did you even come to a place of integrating faith with mental health care?

Lola Banjoko (02:26.801)
okay. So I’m a mental health therapist, like you said, based out of Atlanta, Georgia. And I’ve worked in different environments. So I’ve had the ability to see just different people’s walks. And so I started integrating faith in my practice when I realized that people often need something stronger than themselves to hold on to, right?

Camille McDaniel (02:44.652)
and

Camille McDaniel (02:53.87)
Yes.

Lola Banjoko (02:55.985)
We live in a world where there’s a lot of, if it is to be, it’s up to me type of mindset.

Camille McDaniel (03:01.525)
I like that saying, I’ve not heard that, but yes, so true. Okay.

Lola Banjoko (03:05.735)
Yeah, we’ll listen to the podcast, we’ll buy the self-help books. So, yeah. And so we’ll sit, you know, we’re gonna pull ourselves out of this rut, but I really like the way that faith allows you to depend on Christ to help you, you know, overcome those challenges.

Camille McDaniel (03:11.638)
Yeah.

Camille McDaniel (03:27.278)
So then when you’ve worked, like, you know, just in your own journey as a clinician, what have you found for yourself? What hits your spirit the most? Like, what’s been most rewarding for you, you know, as you kind of are navigating the integration of mental health and faith-based perspective?

Lola Banjoko (03:48.519)
I think I would say the mindset shift that happens for clients. More often than not, like I said, that independence, if I’m going to be well, I have to do it. I have to do all the things. So that interdependence on Christ, it allows the client to shift from a frame of, I’m all alone in this to, you know, I have help and it shifts it to a mindset of victory. Not that I’m striving, like I got to make it, but…

I’ve already made it, it’s already been done, because it’s a finished work. So, yeah.

Camille McDaniel (04:20.94)
Yeah, that’s awesome. Yeah.

I know the Bible talks about like, you know, do not conform to the ways of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And that’s what it makes me think of, right? When you said that, because, you know, all the ways of the world are very much so self-help centered. And it’s not to say that you don’t do anything for yourself, but it is to say that we are not the authors and finishers of our own life. didn’t, we didn’t bring ourselves here or anything like that. And so we are

going to oftentimes have to lean on the one who who did for for ultimate healing and so be transformed really by that truth which there’s a lot in it so that that’s kind of cool. Do you have a lot of clients that come to you now who are seeking Christ-centered counseling or are is it just some of everybody?

Lola Banjoko (05:13.235)
I get a lot of everyone. I’ve had clients who have been into, I guess, is it mysticism? The crystals and the…

Camille McDaniel (05:24.31)
Yeah, that can be part of it. There’s a lot of new age. I think there’s something also called like new thought. There’s a couple of different things that people are kind of aligned with along that line.

Lola Banjoko (05:37.619)
Okay, you’ve got to tell me what the new thought one is, just because I’m going to forget if you don’t tell me. But yeah, so I’ve had people come in seeking something, right? And so, you know, I’ll just engage them in a conversation about, you know, what made you go this route? Why are you, what made you go this spiritual? What are you looking for? Right? Because it’s like, they acknowledge, especially with the tarot cards, they acknowledge that they’re not in control.

Camille McDaniel (05:40.108)
Yeah. I’ll make a note of it.

Camille McDaniel (05:49.998)
Okay, yes.

Camille McDaniel (06:06.454)
Yes.

Lola Banjoko (06:06.823)
but they want to have control, right? So I get a hodgepodge of everyone and not everyone is receptive. It’s not something that I’m trying to push. It is something that I think would be beneficial. And it’s actually gone well so far. So.

Camille McDaniel (06:17.635)
Right.

Camille McDaniel (06:22.988)
Okay, okay, okay.

So then when you’re talking about individuals who are kind of maybe maybe they’re struggling themselves with kind of reconciling, how does mental health challenges go with faith or you know, is there anything that you have been able to share with people? there have there been people I guess who have come to you where for them mental health doesn’t have anything to do with faith? It’s very much separate.

Sounds like kind of you have because there are individuals obviously who are coming and they are seeking like help within themselves or with you know other things going on but for those who may have been even coming who had a faith in in Christ have they even struggled with the intersection of mental health and faith?

Lola Banjoko (07:16.499)
Yes, unfortunately, a lot of thoughts about, you know, a lot of feeling bad about why am I in this position? I should be grateful. You know, God has done so much for me, but yet I’m still depressed because I’m not married yet, or I didn’t get the job, or I’m still sick, or things like that. So I deal with a lot of, I would say, a lot of people in the middle age.

Camille McDaniel (07:46.323)
Okay. Okay.

Lola Banjoko (07:46.439)
who have grown up in the faith or who have had bad experiences in churches and things like that and feel like, I can’t go to them for support. So yeah, that’s something that impacts a lot of people.

Camille McDaniel (08:02.05)
Wow, so then it almost sounds like, I don’t know, I don’t wanna suggest anything that you’re not experiencing, but do you see then that clients, they may have a faith base, but maybe they don’t know much about the faith they have? So to come and say, because I probably feel this way because I didn’t do these things, or maybe I wasn’t good enough for this, or maybe God doesn’t want me to have some desire that they have or whatever.

whatever that may be, it’s almost like you hear that their personal reasoning doesn’t at all align with the things that scripture actually says, with the Lord saying. And so you’re like no, no that’s that that’s not accurate, that’s not how he works. But do you do you find then that that’s missing or do you feel as though no they do know the word, they’re just maybe not applying it?

Lola Banjoko (08:54.803)
So a couple of people come to mind and what I found is that they don’t know the word for themselves like they should, right? So they know the word in terms of how the pastor might have related it that previous Sunday. But in terms of being able to meditate, reflect on it, meditate and apply it to their own life, that’s usually lacking. So what they end up doing is treating God like he’s a person. If I do X, Y and Z, God will be happy with me. I will please God.

Camille McDaniel (09:07.16)
Yeah.

Lola Banjoko (09:25.165)
And God can only be pleased through faith, right? So applying a very bad heuristic of how we usually navigate, right? To God who is the creator of all things, it does not work there. So.

Camille McDaniel (09:27.648)
Yeah, wow.

Camille McDaniel (09:33.869)
Whoa.

Camille McDaniel (09:37.43)
Yes, so it’s not like I can, again, because we know the word says, you know, it’s not by works. So you just don’t earn it. It’s just like, you’re not, you’re not going to get there that way. But it sounds like you see this kind of this transactional, at least like you said, when he they’re treating him like he’s a human being, just a regular man walking on this earth. And it’s like, if I do these things, then that person will will love me or will do what I want them to do.

very transactional. Okay. Wow. Okay. Let me ask though, does that ever shift for them as they are doing work with you? And if so, what do you use? What tools or what information to help them kind of get unstuck from that thought pattern?

Lola Banjoko (10:27.133)
So it does shift, it does take time, right? Because what I realized is that a lot of people, I think every one of us, we survive childhood, right? And so there are things that we’re like, our parents could have done this better. And so people approach God with the, well, he’s a parent and I have to please him type of, so we gotta break all that down first, right? And then understanding God.

Camille McDaniel (10:31.052)
Hmm. Yeah.

Lola Banjoko (10:53.649)
Just like if you wanna understand a friend or spouse, you have to have a relationship. And what does that look like? It’s actually fellowship, spending time in his word. And I think a lot of people want quick results to their healing. We all do, right? But it’s a beautiful journey to walk of faith when you get to read that word. And so what I like to do with people is have them identify themselves first. Who are you? Right?

Camille McDaniel (11:08.416)
Yeah.

Lola Banjoko (11:22.097)
Because we are inundated with a lot of messages telling us who we are, what we need, what we should buy, right? In order to fit the world standards. But who are you? And typically I find that most people can’t tell me outside of their roles. I am a mother. I am a stepdad. I am a, right? So you can tell me your roles, but you can’t tell me who you are. Now, what does the Bible, who does the Bible say you are? Right? So.

Camille McDaniel (11:35.786)
Hmm. Okay.

Camille McDaniel (11:47.99)
Yes. that’s powerful. Wow.

And I can imagine and then having to help them get to a place of even accepting that because then that’s a whole nother, that’s a whole nother journey or layer of just this unconditional love. you know, and it’s like, yeah, but I’ve done or I’ve not done. I don’t know if that applies to me. And you’re like, no, it applies to all of us. Oh, that’s, that’s, that’s awesome. So then let me ask this. So even going beyond just like the mental health and the spiritual integration, have you ever had,

Lola Banjoko (12:10.685)
Yeah.

Camille McDaniel (12:21.548)
where you notice that maybe like mental health struggles, even spiritual struggles, have kind of brought themselves up or manifested in the person’s body. Like, you know, where you could tell there was this connection and because there was unrest in one area of their life, it was starting to show up in another.

Lola Banjoko (12:41.361)
Yes, they are absolutely related. We are mind, body, and spirit. And all of it works. mean, we’re a beautiful creation, beautiful design. But I think what happens is there’s a saying that I’ve heard, it’s emotions are stronger than muscles, and muscles are stronger than bones. And that kind of pulls us out of alignment.

Camille McDaniel (13:07.137)
Okay.

Lola Banjoko (13:09.959)
We’ll go through very hard and challenging things, right? Traumatic things. And we won’t deal with it. We won’t process it. And the body goes, Hey, this is important, but I don’t really have the time to process it right now. I’m going to store it here in your hip. I’m going to put it on your back, on your shoulders. Right? And so that pain is still there, but just like him, we just push through things until one day we’re debilitated enough to the point where we have to stop and we have to pay attention and we have to get that healing.

Camille McDaniel (13:24.398)
Camille McDaniel (13:37.111)
Yeah.

Lola Banjoko (13:39.953)
I’ve seen unforgiveness show up a lot, very linked with weight gain, people holding onto resentment, things that’s been done to them, and weight gain or inability to lose weight. So I think I would rather say that, the inability to lose weight. So, mm-hmm.

Camille McDaniel (13:44.876)
Hmm

Camille McDaniel (13:48.831)
Okay.

Camille McDaniel (13:56.576)
Okay, okay. So almost like the release, the release of the physical ailment is not shifting because from a spiritual side, there has been no shift. Yeah, that’s powerful.

Lola Banjoko (14:10.131)
correct.

Camille McDaniel (14:12.906)
Okay, so let me ask this. So are your clients able to receive that? do you have that knowledge, but they’re not ready for it? So sometimes you may be aware of that deep connection, then how do we help people who are not ready to receive that level of information?

Lola Banjoko (14:33.775)
gosh, right, because it’s a very sensitive subject. So go ahead, sorry.

Camille McDaniel (14:36.814)
What?

Good.

no, I was just thinking about it a little bit more and I was just like, goodness, right? Because sometimes you’re sitting in and you’re just like, ooh, I see the connection here, but I know this is not information they are ready to receive. So how can I present this information in a way that they can receive so that we can move forward?

and being able to actually implement some types of tool or adjustment or shift, especially when it comes to forgiveness, especially with forgiveness. Because I have noticed that forgiveness has been tied to it’s okay, like the phrase, it’s okay, I forgive you, it’s okay. And it doesn’t mean it’s okay at all.

but it is about being able to release. And I’ve had clients, I just had a session this morning where the person was stuck and they were stuck and they were stuck and they were like, you know what? I thought I was doing great. And I just realized that I think I cannot get over this because there is a lot stuck down there that I’m not dealing with. I’m like, yes, let’s start digging if you’re ready, you know? So for your, I guess for yourself, when you’re in practice,

Lola Banjoko (15:50.003)
Yeah.

Camille McDaniel (15:54.75)
those clients who are not ready to hear like you know there might be something on the spiritual side or there is something on the spiritual side that you’re hearing that is probably then has you in a place where you’re not going to be able to see release in the physical or in the natural right now until we deal with that. How do you address that?

Lola Banjoko (16:15.955)
It depends on the level of the client. If there’s someone who is a believer, I can say that you know that the forces that we deal with, that it’s a spiritual world, right? It’s not the battles, not with flesh and blood, right? It’s with evil powers in the heavenly realm. So the things that we have here are first done in the spiritual, right? So those work in tandem. So I can say, hey, there is a spiritual thing that you are like, cause there are spiritual laws. You are holding unforgiveness.

Camille McDaniel (16:19.566)
Mmm.

Camille McDaniel (16:42.542)
Mm-hmm.

Lola Banjoko (16:44.529)
And for that reason, you can’t let go and you can’t move on and you can’t process. So I can speak a little bit different now with someone who is not, that might not be a believer, you know, for lack of knowledge, you know, God’s people perish, right? So I have to explain, simplify the relationship between the body and the spirit and the mind. So I can say, you know, how do you feel when you get around someone you just don’t like? Like, they make my skin crawl, right? You use all these words to describe like,

Camille McDaniel (16:57.675)
Yeah.

Lola Banjoko (17:14.595)
or there’s a lot of pressure on me or, you know, things like that. so I’m like, do you see that in a relationship when you are anxious, you say you feel something. So with even deeper and stronger emotions like guilt and shame and resentment, those can sit with you and they stay with you, you know.

Camille McDaniel (17:32.236)
Nice, yeah, that’s helpful. And I’ll tell you, that’s very helpful, I think, for a lot of reasons. But what comes up for me first is it’s a helpful way to be able to educate our clients and also not…

fall out of alignment with the God that we serve. So we have to be very careful that we can serve all people, but we can’t go so far in serving all people that then we are crossing the God that we serve, right? And everybody serves someone. So, you know, it’s, we want to respect, they can’t cross lines with the person they serve. But if we’re following Christ, then you’re, in what I’m hearing you say, you’re not adding anything new, you’re not adding anything that kind of takes away from what is true.

But you are able to still say the truth is that there is a connection in our body and there is a connection Because we live in a spiritual world there, you know, there’s spirit. There’s mine There’s body and then you just went on to explain how they are connected now what we believe as followers of Christ is that that spirit is directly from the Lord God above but

for somebody who does not follow Christ, you’re still able to give that information without crossing your own faith alignment. I know that for a number of counselors who desire to more integrate faith into their practice, that has been a sticking point. How do I explain these concepts?

without saying you have to believe, you have to follow Christ. Nobody wants to be browbeat with something that they don’t desire to hear about. But that has, I know, been a struggle sometimes. So thank you for sharing how you do that in your practice in ways that are truthful but adapted for both sets of individuals, no matter what their beliefs are. Yeah, that’s awesome. So then when we talk about faith,

Camille McDaniel (19:40.848)
and like interventions. Do you have anything in your practice where like, do you pray with clients? Do you do scripture? Do clients even want that? Like how do you even, how do you navigate that whole space?

Lola Banjoko (19:55.735)
it depends. like I said, on the level of the client, I, for those, I’ve been blessed to have clients who actually have started to get stronger in their faith. They didn’t come in the client. was speaking, she’s was into the mysticism, right? very much a diviner, tarot and everything like that. And so being able to get to the point now where she’ll say, can you pray with me?

Camille McDaniel (20:13.005)
Mm-hmm.

Camille McDaniel (20:17.059)
Yes.

Lola Banjoko (20:22.483)
right, or where she got baptized last year, right? She just completely made a 180. So I love to recommend scriptural books, you know, to clients. I think like Godly Women, there’s one that T.D. Chakes wrote. you know, just different things. I might send a scripture.

Camille McDaniel (20:25.866)
Okay.

Camille McDaniel (20:32.833)
Okay.

Camille McDaniel (20:40.972)
Okay.

Camille McDaniel (20:46.99)
Mm-hmm.

Lola Banjoko (20:47.492)
So I’m not opposed and you know, I’ll say, okay, what did you get from this, the sermon that I sent you that talked about unforgiveness and see where their takeaway points are, because that also lets me know where they are, right, in their walk. So.

Camille McDaniel (20:58.872)
Yes. Okay, that’s awesome. What do you feel is most fulfilling about being in this position, in this career, being able to integrate your faith at this point in time in your life?

Lola Banjoko (21:12.845)
The most fulfilling, everything is fulfilling. It’s beautiful, it’s beautiful work. The change that I see in individuals, like I said, that mindset shifts to one of victory. They go forth with boldness, not so scared that they won’t make it or it’s all for naught. There’s a boldness, there’s a surety.

Camille McDaniel (21:22.029)
Yeah.

Camille McDaniel (21:40.088)
Yeah.

Lola Banjoko (21:40.209)
And I like seeing that because that’s not usually how they walk in the door.

Camille McDaniel (21:43.33)
That’s awesome. So then for clinicians who may be listening to this podcast or even that might be watching us like on the YouTube video that want to integrate their faith, but they’re really not sure. Is there anything that you would share with them, any advice or any encouragement if you just had anything on your heart to kind of share with them about that decision and that walk?

Lola Banjoko (22:10.451)
I guess if I had any advice, it probably would be to pray and seek the Lord for wisdom. Because he has to reveal to you as to how he would like you to do it. Right? And then to not be afraid. So those things go in tandem, right? So to not be afraid. I like to say that, you know, it’s not just a session here and a session there. These are souls.

Camille McDaniel (22:30.924)
Yes. Yes.

Lola Banjoko (22:39.495)
that we’re entrusted with, right? Our brothers and sisters. And so if a doctor knew that there was a remedy that was the best remedy that could cure, they would prescribe it. I would hope so. And so we as Christian counselors know that you have to go to God to get understanding about yourself and how you’re gonna show up in this world that is constantly changing. And so we know that Christ works and we know what he’s done in our lives and that’s your personal testimony.

Camille McDaniel (22:57.827)
Yes.

Lola Banjoko (23:09.051)
And so you should use that, like remembering we’re the salt and light and just go for it, you know, but I would definitely say, pray and seek the Lord for us for wisdom.

Camille McDaniel (23:17.813)
Awesome.

Thank you so much for sharing that. Thank you for even sharing how you integrate faith in your practice. There are a number of individuals who kind of battle with that when you talk about your testimony, your salt and light. I know there was a question that came up in the Facebook group and it was just even kind of just processing how to help certain people if they’re not aligned with your own faith. And just what you’ve shared today is that you can serve all people

Like if you are asking the Father to guide you and help you, that kind of tells me, or at least you’re sharing today, kind of like your testimony today, lets me know. He’ll send you who he needs for you.

to be with at this particular time in their life and in yours. And you don’t have to worry about anything but just doing what he told you to do, ethically and professionally and doing what he told you to do. Because it sounds like from what you’ve shared, you have had clients who were not interested in hearing about the Lord.

Lola Banjoko (24:11.111)
That’s it.

Camille McDaniel (24:23.822)
That’s just not where they were at that time in their life and along the way. And again, you can’t force anything that’s obviously against our ethics. You can’t do any of that, but just being able to show up and hold space and hold a space aligned with the Father, whether those individuals walking through the door believed or not. And the Lord did the rest. That’s pretty phenomenal, especially for your client who came out of

witchcraft. That’s pretty awesome. So please tell us where can we find you? Because I know you have Instagram, you have your own website, your practice, and then anything else that you are doing that you would like to share, please just give us the details. So for those who don’t go over to the website to kind of check this out, they will be able to hear it right here and see it.

Lola Banjoko (25:19.791)
Okay, so you can find me on Psychology Today, The Healed Path, well with Josephine Panchoco. I also have a website, www.thehealedpath.com. You can find me on Instagram at The Healed Path. I am currently working on trying to a book for clients about faith. So kind of a lot of what we spoke about now. So

I’m in the process of writing that, so I’ll have updates on those in the near future.

Camille McDaniel (25:54.19)
nice. We’ll take those updates. Okay, awesome. Yeah, thank you so much. Thank you, Lola, again. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for being here. It has, it’s been a nice time.

Lola Banjoko (25:56.432)
Thank

Lola Banjoko (26:03.869)
Thank you for having me, this is great.