Hi! I’m Caroline. Welcome to Mental Health Connect.

I first stepped into mental health ministry in 2005 under the name In God’s Corner Ministry. God pulled me into this area of service after an unexpected and life-changing season of healing and restoration.

A Life-Changing Event

In 2002, at the age forty, I began experiencing severe depression culminating in spending several months hiding away in my bedroom. My husband and four children felt helpless and didn’t know what to do, but we kept our struggles to ourselves. In early September of that year, God made it clear it was time for me to get help. I entered a treatment program at a psychiatric hospital to treat my mental health issues and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from childhood trauma. This was the first time I had acknowledged the secret trauma that had occurred over several years in my growing-up years. After working through the ten-day program, I spent several more years in intensive therapy including the EMDR  trauma therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing). In 2005, I turned the journals I wrote through my recovery process into a workbook on depression. After self-publishing the book, I began to share my story in the Christian community. To continue getting the ongoing support I knew I needed, I started a mental health support group in 2007.

History of the Ministry

As my ministry efforts moved forward, God continued to equip me to serve. In 2016, I became a certified peer specialist. (A peer specialist is an individual who has lived experience with mental illness and/or a substance use disorder which uniquely qualifies them to work with their peers who live with similar conditions. My training consisted of an initial 40-hours with continued training hours every year to maintain certification.) I gained valuable experience working in the behavioral health field for about a year, but God desired me to stay focused on ministry. In 2018, a friend and I started a Christ-centered nonprofit for mental health awareness initially using In God’s Corner, but to better identify with our purpose, we changed the name to Mental Health Connect. Although we closed the nonprofit during COVID, I continued in ministry. I officially rebranded t Mental Health Connect in 2024.

A Mission to Encourage

I believe God has a purpose for my life that can be summarized as “Encouraging Transformation.” My personal and ministry mission is as follows:

I will offer encouragement in a complicated world by motivating individuals to choose hope, experience transformation, and recognize victory through the Lord Jesus Christ while acknowledging my need for ongoing growth in my relationship with God.

Ministry activities are discerned through prayer and tested against Scripture. Written materials include self-published books and inspirational articles. Workshops and presentations have been given at Christian conferences and women’s retreats as well as at secular mental health conferences and other events. The podcast which started through the nonprofit is still active and has reached international audiences. Social media posts offer encouragement related to mental health and wellness from a Christian perspective. In 2025, the ongoing support group expanded to include a virtual option for remote attendees.

Ministry Activities and Resources

As a writer and speaker, my works cover a variety of subjects, but my primary topics include mental health and wellness, the recovery journey, the Bible and theology, spiritual transformation, and Christian living. I have had articles and personal stories published by Guideposts, Focus on the Family, Bible Advocate, and other publications. I also am a self-published writer with several Bible studies and books available on Amazon. Find my complete list of books on my Books page.

This year, I introduced a virtual option for the mental health support group I’ve led for almost 20 years. We are a Christ-centered group that blends the truth of Scripture with evidence-based and therapeutic materials. If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Caroline at caroline@carolinescooper.com.

Caroline’s Bio

Caroline S. Cooper is a writer, speaker, and host of a YouTube show and podcast called Mental Health and Faith: A Closer Look. As a freelance writer, Caroline has been published by Bible Advocate, Focus on the Family, Guideposts, and other publishers. She is also a self-published author with workbooks and Bible studies available on her Amazon page. In 2023, Caroline updated and re-published her first book, originally published in 2005, through Trilogy Christian Publishing: In This Corner: Battling Trauma and Mental Illness From Inside the Ring.

Through her ministry, Mental Health Connect, she desires to help people find their way in this complicated world by encouraging them to choose hope, experience transformation, and recognize victory in the Lord Jesus Christ. Caroline also recognizes an ongoing need for growth in her relationship with God.

Caroline is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Ministry and Formation with an emphasis in psychology and counseling from B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary (the seminary for East Texas Baptist University). She has a Master’s in Bible & Theology from Calvary University and is also a certified peer specialist (CPS) in mental health. As an experienced speaker, Caroline has given presentations at mental health conferences, church events, and in other settings. She is also a RESPECT Speaker working with the Missouri Mental Health Foundation.

Ministry Focus Areas

I enjoy writing and speaking about many subjects, but my three favorite topics are:

The Bible and Theology

Mental Health and Wellness

Christian Living 

Made to Belong (information on disability ministries)

I hope you will enjoy reading my thoughts and exploring my resources. But, more than anything, I hope you will reach out and connect with me. As children of the Living God, we do not walk this journey alone. Will join me?

Caroline S. Cooper