The Mission

Dr. Sells at Regent University and The Church Cares have been documenting and responding to the mental health crisis.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that there are 57.8 million people who have unaddressed mental health needs (NIMH, 2021).

77% of counties in the United States face a shortage of behavioral health professionals (National Council for Behavioral Health, 2022).

In 1986, the annual spending on mental health issues was $32 billion...

In 2009, it was $171.7 billion...

In 2020, it was 280.5 billion...

(Mortimer-Mitchell, Overfelt, & Sells, 2024)

These needs are expanding faster than our ability to train professionals to address them, and we don't have funds to pay for the growing need and professional workforce.

Learn More

Our Team

Through a generous grant from the National Christian Foundation, The Charis Institute and the 7 Cup of Tea Foundation have launched The Church Cares.

The Charis Institute is a resource and research center within Regent University's College of Health and Behavioral Sciences. Its focus is mental health, marriage, family, and the church.

7 Cups of Tea is the world's largest emotional support system with over 300,000 trained volunteer helpers and more than 25 million people helped.

Together, they have developed a program to resource churches of any size and denomination to address care ministries in key areas of human need.

Meet the Team

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Charis Institute Co-founder

Dr. Jim Sells

Dr. James Sells, a licensed psychologist, holds more than two decades of training and practice in education, counseling, and psychology. He has written books and articles on family therapy, Christian integration, and church ministries. He is Professor of Counseling and the co-director of the Charis Institute at Regent University

Charis Institute Co-founder

Dr. Jennifer Ripley

Dr. Ripley is a Professor of Psychology at Regent University. She is the co-director of the Charis Institute at Regent University, which also operates a couples clinic. She has published dozens of articles, 3 books, and over 100 presentations. www.hopecouples.com and www.doctorripley.com

Project Manager

Sylvia Chipman

Sylvia Chipman is the Project Manager for the Church CARES project. She is the owner and founder of Thrive Marriage Coaching and serves on staff at Lighthouse Counseling in Virginia Beach as a marriage coach and SYMBIS-certified premarital counselor. Sylvia holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Human Services with a Marriage and Family Ministry concentration from Regent University.

Project Partner

Shaunti Feldhahn

Shaunti received her graduate degree from Harvard University and was an analyst on Wall Street before unexpectedly becoming a social researcher, best-selling author and popular speaker. Today, she applies her analytical skills to investigating eye-opening, life-changing truths about relationships, both at home and in the workplace.

Project Partner

Dr. Stacie Otey-Scott

Dr. Stacie Otey-Scott is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She co-founded Doctor SOS in 2009 to teach people how to improve their lives through better relationships. Her experience includes time as a Primary Care Psychologist with Eastern Virginia Medical School and ten years as the Clinical Director for Summit Wellness Center at Mount Chesapeake where she founded the lay-counseling ministry.

Project Partner

Dr. David Velloney

Dr. David Velloney is a senior lecturer of law at Regent University and has served a variety of roles, such as a legal professional and military leader with specialized expertise in Criminal Law, Constitutional Criminal Procedure, Trial Practice, Military Law, Comparative Criminal Procedure, National Security Law, Human Rights, and Contracts. Dr. Velloney graduated with a B.S. in International Politics from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a J.D. from the Yale Law School, an LL.M. in Military Justice with a Specialty in Criminal Law from the Judge Advocate General’s School, and a graduate of the Army’s Command and General Staff College.

Project Partner

Dr. Danny Holland

Dr. Danny Holland has 32 years of experience in creating safer environments and responding to active threats. He has worked with communities, victims of crimes, educators, pastors, and legislators. Dr. Holland is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a published author who earned a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision and serves as an assistant professor in Regent University’s School of Psychology and Counseling.

Project Partner

Steve Rawls

Steve is an Area Director in Chesapeake, VA, and has been on the Young Life staff for 14 years in the state of Virginia.

Project Partner

Dr. Glen Moriarty

Dr. Moriarty is a psychologist and the founder and CEO of 7 Cups, an online support network for people needing emotional or mental health support. Launched in 2013, 7 Cups now draws millions of monthly visitors and utilizes the services of 320,000 trained “listeners” in 189 countries and 140 languages.