Christian Counseling Services
Serving Yucaipa, Redlands and all the Inland Empire
When relationships are strained, when we suffer job losses or other financial setbacks, when we lose family members or friends due to illness or other circumstances, we need support. It is both natural and healthy to reach out to someone who can come alongside us at such times. Some of those times, we need the help of a professional counselor. A Christian counselor will provide those support and counseling services from a biblical perspective.
Christian counseling, or biblical counseling, combines faith and psychology to improve your mental health. More specifically, this faith-based approach to therapy uses scripture and biblical teachings to help you deal with life’s challenges. The problem with most therapy services, at least for those who wish to have faith integrated into their counseling process, is that it leaves the principles of faith out when helping people deal with troubling life events. Many people find comfort in knowing how to apply the tenets of their faith when facing major life challenges like the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, health or financial problems, and/or relationship issues.
What Do Christian Counselors Do?
Like others in their field, licensed Christian counselors do what other professional therapists do: they acquire the professional degrees and licenses required in their states and practice therapy in a professional manner. The difference is that a Christian counselor will discuss those areas of faith with you that you wish to discuss if you want to bring these issues into your session.
Of course, not all counselors are the same. Not only will the particular training of each therapist differ depending upon level of education – or even where and how their degree was attained – but each individual therapist’s worldview will be unique as will his or her biblical world view and ability to discuss various areas of concern with you as applies to your faith.
If you are a Christian, your counselor’s worldview will most likely matter to you.
While it is true that non-Christian counselors can provide the help and support many people need in the midst of struggle, a Christian therapist is able to integrate into his or her counseling perspective a unique and essentially grounding aspect of hope and truth based on biblical principles that secular counselors will not.
Characteristics of a Good Faith-based Counselor
If faith is an important part of your life and you are looking for someone who shares these values with you, here are some of the characteristics to look for as you seek a Christian counselor:
- A Christian therapist should first of all seek to model the spirit and character of Christ in what they say and do as they counsel. They should be “Jesus with skin on” as a good friend often says. A person like this provides comfort, not condemnation, and it should be obvious to you as you sit in session with that person.
- Faith is an important part of the process. Effective Christian counseling requires the spiritual resources of faith, prayer, and integration of biblical principles of the Word of God in practice, even if not a major part of the session. It is lived out by the person. Being attuned to God in order to remain attuned to His direction in the therapeutic relationship is absolutely vital. God alone is the Wonderful Counselor. He alone is the Healer. The therapist is only the conduit through which He flows. Faith also provides the counselor with a deeply rooted hope that God can work through him or her to bring the healing that people so desperately need.
- A Christian counselor models compassion, not judgment. When we are suffering, we all need to feel felt, heard, and understood. Hopefully, this carries over to the counseling setting.
- As we come alongside those who are hurting, we need to do so in a way that is honoring to God. We seek to display honor and integrity and treat others as Christ would.
- Love and acceptance is key. As people come into our offices, they need to experience the love and acceptance of Christ. They need to know Who He is and be able to hear His counsel for them, in their unique life situation, no matter where they are in their lives or what they are struggling with. This is Who God is – He sees all of us all the time – yet never leaves or forsakes us! He sees us in our darkest hour, He knows our weaknesses and understands the shame we feel at our failings. Unless we as Christians demonstrate that in our offices we have failed to reach others with the love that He has for His people and are missing an opportunity to bring that love to them.
- I read once that humility is confidence properly placed. This means for me that as I rely on the Healer to do what only He can do that healing will happen in my office, that the counseling process will be more effective because God is in it.
- Christian counselors have a unique opportunity to engage with people in their suffering and vulnerability that others do not – even if the Name of Christ is never spoken in the session – simply because we have the opportunity to seek God’s heart and wisdom as we come alongside them in the counseling process. Because of this, effective counselors can act as a catalyst for God’s heart, resulting in life changing transformation.
Is Christian Counseling Right for Me?
This is a question you are always free to decide. Most people who seek out Christian counselors because there is an element of faith tied to their problems, but that isn’t the case for everyone. The bottom line is that the licensing requirements, except for pastors, are the same as for any other therapist, so you should be in good hands either way. Remember that a good therapist will follow your lead on this issue whatever you decide.