Rev. Dale Kuhn

Mental health issues affect the lives of young people and families across our country and congregations. It is a difficult topic to tackle whether a parent, pastor, church worker, volunteer youth worker, or a Christian who cares for a young person moving through adolescence. Mental health concerns can affect a young person’s ability to succeed academically, socially, physically, and spiritually. In addition, unfair stigmas abound around mental health issues and too often force young people and family members to carry additional burdens through life.

This webinar serves as just a start to the conversation about mental health and its relation to young people and their families. Topics include: a theological understanding of mental health, support for parents, role of the pastor/church worker/volunteer worker in the process of Christian care, and congregational support for young people with mental health concerns.

Rev. Kuhn is an LCMS pastor and Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Missouri. He is the former executive director of Care and counseling in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and now serves there as senior staff counselor. After graduating from seminary in 1973, he held a position in youth and family ministry at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Saint Louis. His work with youth and their families gave him the desire to serve youth and families in a clinical context, and he has now served in that context and in St. Louis for over 35 years.

His clinical professional accreditation also includes a Diplomate of The American Association of Pastoral Counselors, of which he also served as president. His specialties in counseling include: adolescents, families, depression, anxiety, divorce, parenting, blended families, phase of life issues, and illness in family issues.