Marja Bergen

author, mental health advocate, follower of Christ

What to do at a Living Room meeting

  IT’S NOT HARD – All you need is on the  Living Room webpage at https://marjabergen.com/support-groups There you’ll find a long list of DEVOTIONALS FOR GROUP USE. Please don’t miss it. They provide almost everything you need to lead your group through discussion with prompts to help move the discussion along. All you need to […]

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This message is essential

  Clips from my podcast that were recorded a couple of days ago unfortunately missed the most important point I wanted to make—very much needed to make–(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKCRqOMOI1A) The following tells what I’ve been trying to say for a long time but was never able to clearly get it across. It’s very important. The message of […]

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My podcast – April 28, 9 am

The Heart Behind the Mission Amie (Ah-‘mie) Peacock April 26, 2026 Join us on Tuesday, April 28 and watch Marja’s Story-part 2 on YT I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on what it really looks like to live a life of “Beyond The Conversations.” Our friend Marja Bergen is the living definition of that. Since […]

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Find perfect peace

LIVING ROOM AND MHPSS Below is one of the many Living Room devotionals I’ve written. I wrote them for people experiencing mental health conditions. Over 250 of spiritual writings like this can be found on the Living Room webpage at https://marjabergen.com/support-groups. They will make valuable additions for all kinds of mental health support meetings. MHPSS […]

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A good ending for a tragic life

A LIVINGROOM DEVOTIONAL At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,     and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” […]

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Why? My tragedy continues – Part 4

MY EMPATHY FOR REJECTED PEOPLE GROWS in May, the flashbacks started. Over and over the pain of being excluded from the group appeared, bringing deep depression. This continued for a number of years. Many other forms of rejection were to follow. A friend who had been dear to me refused to spend time with me. […]

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Excluded from a group; my tragedy, Part 3

WHEN I RETIRED FROM LEADING LIVING ROOM, I WAS EXCLUDED FROM A GROUP I NEEDED FOR MYSELF When a group was being formed promising to promote deeper relationships, I wasted no time signing up. I had for a long time waited for such an opportunity. I played a supportive role in many people’s lives. But […]

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“Let us speak for ourselves”

A LIVING ROOM RESPONSE FOR MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS My Living Room work helping stigmatized people led to personal tragedy when I myself was stigmatized. But I have learned things that I can now pass along. I pray that this piece will show how we who suffer need to be heard for justice to be served. […]

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Ostracized – part 2 of my tragedy

OSTRACIZED Maybe my worst emotional problems started around 2014 when frequent depression and other forms of mental health crises forced me to give up my Global Living Room ministry to the stronger Sanctuary Mental Health Ministry. I hoped that they would be able to help it grow into the big ministry I envisioned. My own […]

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. . . yet stigma caused my own great tragedy

I FOUGHT STIGMA AND SUPPORTED THE STIGMATIZED My work started many years ago, in 1993, when I was determined to try and overcome the stigma attached mental illness. I was ready to give it my all, and I did give everything I had, still doing so today, in the year 2026. I openly revealed everything […]

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