Former chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Isabelle Hamley is on a mission to normalise the subject of mental health within the church. It's a subject she's familiar with, having dealt with anorexia as a teenager, and an abusive childhood home environment which resulted in PTSD. In the midst of these challenges, she found solace in a vibrant Christian community in her home nation of France, who loved her and cared for her. Dr Isabelle felt called to Christian ministry as young as 16 but did not immediately pursue it due to her church's lack of women leaders at the time. She later moved to England for a master's degree and trained as a probation officer, which helped her apply Christian theology to tough real-world situations. But in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, Dr Isabelle said she felt "profoundly unwelcomed", with her children experiencing xenophobia at school. Nevertheless, she is committed to reconciliation and ecumenical relations, seeking empathy and understanding with those she disagrees with.

Dr Isabelle Hamley's latest book, Struggling with God's Mental Health and Christian Spirituality, is available now

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Released on 25 Aug 2023