Island Spirituality Network is set to welcome psychiatrist and professor Chris Cook for its latest meeting this weekend.

He will lead the session at St John’s Mill, from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, May 9.

His theme for the morning will be: ‘Struggling with God - Mental health and Christian spirituality’.

At the start of Chris’s career he trained in medicine, before specialising in psychiatry as a post-graduate.

He then worked for 25 years in the field of substance abuse. From Chris’s perspective his Christian faith has had a lasting impact on his approach to psychiatry.

It led him to pursue an interest in theology which then eventually led to him being ordained as an Anglican priest.

This happened in Canterbury Cathedral in 2001.

Working as a chaplain at Durham University, Chris continued his academic work in applied theology.

More recently in 2020, Chris was awarded the Canterbury Cross by the Archbishop of Canterbury for his work on theology and psychiatry.

A year later he won the Oskar Pfister Award by the American Psychiatric Association.

He was awarded this for outstanding contributions in the field of psychiatry and religion.

Chris has authored several books, including ‘Hearing Spiritual Voices’ 2023.

This weekend’s session will be focused on ‘Struggling with God’ a book co-written by Chris, alongside Isabelle Hamley and John Swinton.

Talking about the 2023 work, Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally said it: ‘Beautifully draws out the resources of the Christian faith to address mental health challenges – our own and other people’s – with intelligence, compassion and hope.’

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby added: ‘I finished the book with new attitudes and a sense of having once again seen potential beauty in the church which we have yet to realise, but is within our grasp.’

The Island Spirituality Network is look forward to welcoming people, their suggested donation is £10, but this is entirely voluntary.