Can Faith and Neuroscience Work Together? A Christian Coach’s Honest Answer

I hear it all the time. What do you mean Biblical truth and neuroscience? I’m so glad you asked.

To start, tell me if this sounds familiar:

You’ve prayed about it. You’ve journaled about it. You’ve asked God to take the anxiety, the overthinking, the “what-ifs” and worst-case-scenarios that keep you up at night.

And yet, you spiral into an overthinking loop far too often and far too easily than you care to admit.

I’ve been there. And if that’s you, I want you to know there’s a better way. Struggling with these things can challenge you spiritually for sure. But what you’re experiencing is also happening inside your brain. And that’s actually good news. After all, God designed your brain, too. Here’s the thing: both pieces belong in this conversation.

It’s why I do what I do at The Purpose Project. As someone who’s struggled with imposter syndrome, overthinking, and anxiety throughout my life and found a better way, I created an approach to help other women do the same. It’s an approach that I call Bible & Brain. It combines the wisdom of Scripture with what we know about how the brain actually works — and it’s impacting the lives of Christian women leaders who are tired of feeling stuck between their calling and their capacity.

Why Most Coaching Falls Short for Christian Women Leaders

Most leadership coaching emphasizes strategy. Change your habits. Optimize your schedule. Set better goals. Think more positively. And most faith-based support emphasizes the spiritual side of your struggles. Pray harder. Have more faith. Get in community. Serve more.

Both of these perspectives are good. Both carry real truth. And, both are important parts of a larger whole. An approach that honors both is what creates lasting transformation.

Here’s what I’ve seen over and over again working in ministry, nonprofit leadership, education, and business: you can be deeply rooted in your faith AND still have a nervous system that’s stuck in survival mode. You can trust God AND still have neural pathways that are wired for worry.

That’s not a faith failure. That’s biology.

Can God heal those things in you in an instant? Absolutely. But it doesn’t always go that way. So, what then?

Bible + Brain. Understanding how your brain works alongside what Scripture says about renewal, identity, and purpose, changes everything.

What Is the Bible + Brain Approach?

The Bible + Brain approach is a coaching philosophy that integrates evidence-based neuroscience with the timeless wisdom of biblical principles to help Christian women leaders break free from overthinking, overwhelm, and burnout. It’s the lens through which I developed my two signature frameworks that I use with my clients.

Here’s what makes it different:

1. We Work With Your Brain, Not Against It. Thanks to decades of research in neuroscience, we understand more than ever how remarkably pliable the brain actually is. In short, the brain has God-given capacity to change and form new patterns throughout your entire life. Romans 12:2 has been saying this for thousands of years: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” In Bible + Brain coaching, we use practical tools to interrupt old thought patterns and build new ones grounded in truth, not just willpower.

2. We Address the Root, Not Just the Symptom. Overthinking isn’t necessarily a strategy problem. It’s often a signal that something deeper needs attention. 2 Corinthians 10:5 calls us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” and neuroscience agrees. We can learn to notice, interrupt, and redirect thought patterns. That’s exactly what we do in coaching.

3. We Honor Both Your Faith and God’s Design. You don’t have to choose. The God who inspired Scripture also created the prefrontal cortex. Bible + Brain coaching honors the whole of who you are — spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical — and brings all of it into the conversation. It’s a truly holistic approach.

Friend, you were never meant to figure this out through sheer willpower or spiritual striving alone. You were made for more, and you are worthy of an approach that honors all of who you are. One that empowers you to show up as the woman God created you to be. He knows you. Every strength. Every weakness. And still, He chose you.

So, what now?

What This Looks Like in Practice

Inside my coaching programs, the Bible + Brain approach comes to life through two signature frameworks — each designed for a specific context.

The Focus | Reflect | Refine framework is the foundation of my 1:1 coaching work. It helps you cut through mental noise, examine the thought patterns driving your behavior, and continually refine your responses, so you lead with courage from identity instead of anxiety.

The Awareness | Alignment | Action framework is the heart of Leading Brave, my group coaching experience. Over eight weeks, you move through three intentional phases gaining clarity, confidence, and courage for life and leadership. That’s the Roadmap to Brave.

Want to Go Deeper?

The Bible + Brain approach is integrated into everything we do at the Purpose Project. Here are a few ways we’re showing up for women just like you.

Leading Brave — My signature 8-week group coaching experience where the Bible + Brain framework fully comes to life in community. Alongside other Christian women leaders, you’ll move from overthinking and burnout to clarity, confidence, and courage.

1:1 Coaching — Personalized, deep-dive support tailored specifically to your personal leadership journey.

Online Courses — Self-paced Bible + Brain tools on your own schedule covering a variety of topics like decision-making, grief, conflict management, for example.

Retreats — Immersive experiences for women seeking spiritual renewal and leadership transformation.

Leading Brave is the only group coaching program designed specifically for Christian women leaders that integrates neuroscience and biblical principles, and the waitlist is open now.

If you’ve ever thought ‘I know what God is calling me to, I just can’t seem to get out of my own way,’ I want you to know there is a way forward. And we can do it together. Friend, it’s so worth it. You are so. worth. it.

Valerie Gibson Jones is a certified Christian life and leadership coach, founder of The Purpose Project, and creator of the Leading Brave group coaching experience. She works with women leaders who are ready to stop overthinking their calling and start walking in it. Get to know Valerie at thepurposeproject.us/meet-valerie.