Abstract
This study explores the interrelationship between the social, psychological, and
spiritual experiences of patients with mental health in their quest for healing at the
Edumfa Prayer Centre (EPC) and Mount Horeb Prayer Centre (MHPC).
Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, this study explores the lived experiences
of patients seeking solace, healing, and restoration through these faith-based
institutions. Guided by social constructivism, the study emphasises the cultural and
theological frameworks within which these centres operate, focusing particularly on
the theologically informed therapeutic practice of “resting in the spirit.”
Methodologically, this study incorporates in-depth interviews, participant observations,
and focus groups. This study uses thematic analysis to reveal the interactions among
patients, religious leaders, and the community, highlighting how communal and
spiritual rituals and a broader practice informed by a theology of “resting in the spirit”
often positively impact mental health patients’ perceptions of their own well-being.
Findings show that both EPC and MHPC emphasise a theology of rest and restoration,
offering affordable or free resources, including accommodations, utilities, and
sustenance, which reduce economic burdens and allow patients to focus fully on
healing. This study also reveals how leadership styles distinctly shape the therapeutic
environment and healing practices of the centres. By critically analysing these non-
Western, faith-based healing approaches found at the prayer centres, this research
provides insights into alternative mental health pathways that challenge the Western
biomedical model’s dominance, presenting a glimpse of what a decolonised
perspective on healing could entail for mental health treatment.