Christian counseling
Christian counseling is a therapeutic approach that integrates biblical principles with standard psychological counseling techniques. This form of counseling can be conducted by trained clergy or laypeople, often within a church setting or independently. While many find that incorporating their Christian faith and scripture into therapy enhances their healing process, some criticize Christian counseling for potentially disregarding established psychological principles.
The practice has evolved since its inception in the mid-twentieth century, notably through the work of Jay E. Adams, who pioneered biblically based counseling methods. Christian counselors may help clients navigate personal issues by using scripture and faith to address emotional struggles, promote confession and repentance, or correct misconceptions about their beliefs.
Sessions typically resemble secular counseling, involving discussions about personal experiences and feelings, while also allowing for prayer and scriptural references. However, there are common misunderstandings about the qualifications of Christian counselors and expectations of the counseling process, highlighting the importance of finding a practitioner whose approach aligns with the client's needs and comfort level.
Christian counseling
Christian counseling is the practice of offering mental health therapy that adds scriptural principles to the usual techniques of psychological counseling. Trained clergy members or laypeople can serve as Christian counselors, and counselors may be associated with a church or work on their own. While many see Christian counseling as a useful variation of secular therapy that can bring certain additional benefits to the counseling process, others criticize it as a rejection of the scientific principles of secular counseling. Some Christians reject the idea of Christian counseling because they believe that reading the Bible is sufficient for resolving one's problems.
Background
The practice of using psychotherapy or counseling to help people experiencing emotional or mental health issues began during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with the groundbreaking work of Franz Anton Mesmer and Sigmund Freud. Freud continued his work in the early part of the twentieth century and was joined by others such as Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and Otto Rank in developing the concepts, techniques, tools, and practices that would become part of psychological counseling.
The practice of psychological counseling took two significant turns around the middle of the twentieth century. First, during the 1940s and 1950s, American psychologist Carl Rogers developed a humanistic approach to counseling that centered on the person being counseled, including their life experiences and relationships. Second, in the 1960s, American Jay E. Adams established what are accepted as the first biblically based counseling services. After working with a counselor who believed that for people to get past the situations that led them to seek counseling, the patients needed to admit the things they had done wrong and accept responsibility for them. Adams coupled this with the biblical concepts of sin and repentance, and he developed a counseling approach that led to some success. He presented his theories in the 1970 book Competent to Counsel and established the Institute for Nouthetic Studies in South Carolina and its related counseling services. Nouthetic comes from a Greek word used in the Bible by St. Paul that means "to admonish."
Since its beginnings with Adams's approach, Christian counseling has branched into several different forms. In some cases, Christian counselors help a person correct fallacies in their Christian beliefs that might be causing them mental anguish, such as believing they cannot be forgiven for something they have done wrong. Other times the counselor will help the person use the words of scripture and their faith beliefs to find a way through the problem or challenge the person is facing. In other cases, the person might be encouraged to identify and confess sins so that God's forgiveness can help get one past their mental challenges.
Adams's initial Christian counseling efforts relied on non-ordained counselors trained solely in his methods. Contemporary Christian counselors can be clergy members who may or may not have had additional specialized counseling training, or laypeople who have undergone specific training in counseling. In many cases, these counselors are college-educated and certified in the same way as secular counselors, but others are trained through a standalone program such as that offered by the Nouthetic Institute.
Overview
In many cases, Christian counseling is conducted in ways very similar to secular counseling. Counseling may be provided in individual or group settings and may be offered for the same types of situations as secular counseling, such as marriage counseling and family therapy. After choosing a therapist, the patient meets with the therapist to discuss the issue that led to seeking therapy. The counselor listens, asks questions, and takes notes. The key difference in Christian counseling is that the therapist will fully integrate the person's Christian faith into the therapy. The patient's faith background and beliefs will be part of the discussion, therapy sessions may include times of prayer, and the therapist will often use scriptural references as part of the therapy, both during sessions and as part of take-home resources.
Issues in Christian Counseling
The idea of Christian counseling is not always correctly understood. While the concept is to incorporate scriptural teachings into the usual secular techniques used in all counseling, people sometimes make assumptions about the process. They may also make assumptions about the counselor, and about how the outcome will be different in Christian counseling as opposed to secular counseling.
First, there can be an assumption that any type of conversation with a clergy member is counseling. Many clergy are not trained to have the counseling skills that a psychologist or psychiatrist has; they have expertise in biblical studies and faith practices and can advise people on how to apply these to their lives, but they may not have the skills to help someone with a significant mental issue. This type of visit with a clergy member comes under the heading of pastoral care. In other cases, the person seeking help may assume that the clergy member can bestow some sort of healing by virtue of their relationship with God. While prayer for healing may be involved in the conversation, it is not likely that healing will be received in this way.
Second, there can be incorrect expectations for how the counseling process will proceed. The patient may expect the counseling to be completely scripture-based, with none of the elements of secular therapy, such as conversation about past experiences or relationships. Alternatively, the person may expect the therapy to be entirely secular but simply held in a church or other religious setting; this is sometimes the case, as Christian counseling centers can operate as ministries, with lower payments for services.
Finally, there can be issues with Christian counseling that are perceived as either too religious or not religious enough. As in seeking any type of medical care, the answer lies in finding a practitioner who offers a view and approach with which the patient is comfortable enough to speak honestly and openly.
Bibliography
"About." American Association of Christian Counselors, aacc.net/about. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
"About the Christian Counseling Center." Christian Counseling Center, www.christiancounseling.ws/about-us. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
Adams, Jay. "What is Christian Counseling?" Institute for Nouthetic Studies, 3 Jan. 2024, nouthetic.org/what-is-christian-counseling. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
“Christian Counseling and Secular Counseling: What’s the Difference?” Colorado Theological Seminary, www.seminary.ws/all/christian-counseling-and-secular-counseling-whats-the-difference. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
"Finding a Good Marriage Therapist." Focus on the Family, www.focusonthefamily.com/family-qa/finding-a-good-marriage-therapist. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
Myers, David T. "January 30: Jay Adams [1929-2020]." This Day in Presbyterian History, 29 Jan. 2021, thisday.pcahistory.org/2021/01/january-30-jay-adams-1929-2020. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
McMinn, Mark R., et al. "Just What Is Christian Counseling Anyway?" Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Clinical Psychology, 113, 2010, digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/gscp‗fac/113. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
Nicholls, Katherine. "The History of Counselling." Counselling Directory, 8 Feb. 2024, www.counselling-directory.org.uk/history.html. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
"Our Vision." American Association of Christian Counselors, aacc.net/our-vision. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
Wichterman, Andrew. "What is a Christian Counselor? A CCU Professor's Perspective." Colorado Christian University, www.ccu.edu/blogs/cags/2017/08/what-is-a-christian-counselor-a-ccu-professors-perspective. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.