Christian Counseling
If there is a clear standard that defines “Christian counseling” I have yet to find it.
Christian counseling has morphed into a continuum of a mixture of Christian principles merged in tandem with principles of psychology to address the human condition (1).
What it means to be a Christian counselor seems to vary from counselor to counselor.
In the middle of the continuum (which is where I see myself), you find counselors who are informed by personal understanding of scripture as well as professional psychological theories. Technically we are thought of as “integrationists.” We use counseling theory that lines up with God’s truth as appropriate for each client’s needs.
Before I was in the field and was looking for a counselor for myself, I was clueless about what the letters after counselors’ names meant. I looked at the list of approaches they used and had no idea which approach I should be looking for.
I appreciated it when a counselor indicated they were a Christian, but I was left wondering, “Does that mean they just believe God exists? Or do they actually depend on Him for daily living? Will this counselor understand my faith background and appreciate how important it is to me?”
It has been my experience that clients who are seeking a Christian counselor are looking for someone who understands the Christian worldview, is motivated by God to help people, and depends on God to guide and equip their work with clients.
Some Christian counselors may have advanced degrees in Biblical studies, but others are just counselors who are Christians.
I am a counselor who is a Christian.
I have several decades of living as a Christian and studying the Bible in church, Bible studies, and personal quiet time. However, I do not have any formal theological study on my resumé (yet!). It’s on my list of things to do.
As a Christian Counselor, I reflect back to you what I am hearing you say and help you hold those things up to decide if they fit with who you want to be, what you value. After getting an understanding of your faith beliefs, I may ask you to consider how what you say you believe matches up to your faith tradition. A Christian counselor who is also a Bible scholar, Pastor, or Spiritual Director may offer more direct guidance than a counselor, but it is outside my scope of competence as a counselor to interpret the Bible for you.
My Experience with Faith
If you are seeking Christian counseling, it may be important to know a few things about my personal faith.
My faith went from religion to relationship when I was a teenager. Since then I have come to depend on my faith to inform the way I think, feel, and act in the world.
It is my source of guidance, confidence, and peace.
I approach life from a Christian worldview and consider the Bible to be the authoritative word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). I believe that our world was created by God (Genesis 1) and exists in a fallen state due to sin (Genesis 3). Sin is a complex issue that I approach with compassion because we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). I respect all people as created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26) and deeply loved by Him. God offers us salvation from our sins and relationship with Him through belief in Jesus (John 3:16). He has a plan for our lives (Romans 8:28). Involving God in counseling is to acknowledge Him and trust His plan to make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).
How My Faith Informs My Work
I pray. A lot! Prayer keeps me connected to God. Being tuned into God’s voice puts everything else in perspective for me.
Believing what the Bible says about God’s love for people helps me hold others in high regard and extend hope that people can make changes.
Have you seen the mistakes the people in the Bible made? They were a mess, just like us!
But God loved them, God used them despite their mess. In fact, the Bible says God’s power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
I depend on the Bible as my guide to life. It does not always speak specifically to every detail of life that we experience (We are not going to find things like, “Thou shalt not wear white after Labor Day”). But by reading the Bible we can know the heart of God and understand general principles of how He designed people to function.
When I decide what kind of approaches to use in my counseling practice, I make sure they fit into what I know about God and His design for life on earth. I don’t just go along with the latest trends in pop psychology without thinking critically about whether they line up with scripture.
I am in this job because I believe God called me to it. This is a major driving force for me to depend on Him to guide and direct my work.
How My Faith Interacts with Our Work Together
This is where there is a lot of variation, because it will look different according to each client’s preferences.
I will ask you about your experience with spirituality, religion, or faith, because these beliefs are central to who you are. Your beliefs about God have been shaped by people and experiences in your life. That helps me to know what you might need from me in our work together.
You may currently be mad at God, or you may have been hurt by the people you have encountered at church.
You may love God but feel unworthy of His love; your striving behaviors may be an attempt to earn His love.
There may be similarities in how you see God and how you see your earthly father-figure.
The potential therapeutic applications are many.
Regardless of whether you are a Christian, your experiences of faith, religion, and spirituality can be very relevant to the work you want to do. I will seek to understand your beliefs and the meanings and functions they serve in your life.
We will decide together how much you want to incorporate these themes into your therapy.
My experience with Christianity will stay in my own head unless you have told me you are open to integrating Christian principles into therapy.
If you are, then we can talk about whether we want to use prayer and scripture in sessions.
I will ask you what you think God would say about the things we talk about.
I will encourage you to grow closer to Him and to notice His presence in your life.
If you are wrestling with deep spiritual questions, or questions specific to your denomination, I will refer you to your pastor or faith leader. Our work together would then focus on how that spiritual question impacts you and your life.
Always, I aim to keep the conversation of faith and spirituality open and within the limits of your comfort zone.
I may check in with you from time to time to make sure I am doing that in a way that works for you.
I would love to walk alongside you in your journey to mental health.
Please reach out when you are ready to get started.
Reference:
(1) Johnson, E. L., & Myers, D. G. (2010). Psychology & Christianity: Five views. Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Academic.