CHRISTIAN COUNSELING

Can someone who does not believe in Christ benefit from Christian Counseling?

Of course! One of the main principles of any counseling relationship is honesty. There is a myth in the counseling profession, that the counselor comes to the relationship suspending his /her values and beliefs. This is a nearly impossible task, and there is a risk that this denial of core beliefs will taint the genuineness of the relationship. If the counseling relationship is based on integrity, respect, and compassion, then honesty is essential. From the very beginning, the client knows my perspective on life, and can make informed choices about entering counseling with me, and will have a clearer understanding about the process of the sessions.

What are the differences between Christian and Secular Counseling?

There are several differences between Christian and Secular Counseling. This comparison is adapted from Competent Christian Counseling by Dr. Tim Clinton and Dr. George Ohlschalger (pages 77-8)

1. Goals: Maturity in Christ versus Happiness and self-fulfillment
Happiness is the by-product of living a life that is productive and in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Often the road to maturity is a painful path, as the process of self -discovery unfolds. The goal of self-fulfillment can be skewed into selfishness and unhealthy egoism, which can, in the long run, damage both the client and his / her relationships with others.

2. Ground: God revealed in Scripture versus human wisdom and imagination
Imagination and human wisdom are powerful and useful tools, however, unless they are grounded and evaluated in the word of God in the Old and New Testament, the results are often shallow and self-serving.

3. Process: Transformation versus adjustment
Through the working of the Holy Spirit, the change is from the inside out. This change leads to greater inner peace in both individual lives and relationships. The assumption of the mature believer is that the inner life is anchored in the belief that there is a power greater that external forces, and this force facilitates growth without emphasis on those outside forces. Adjustment relies on the power of external forces and does not consider the spiritual aspect of healthy emotional growth.

4. Means: Working out our salvation versus pragmatism
Our growth comes either from God or our own efforts apart from God. Our own efforts can effect change, but there is the danger that the change can be ineffectual or harmful. In Christian counseling the soundness of goals is judged from the standpoint of biblical principles.

5. Values: Absolute and eternal versus situational and temporal
Unfortunately, today's popular culture emphasizes a situational and relativistic outlook that weakens the value system, and allows values to change to suit each individual situation. Christian therapy sees God's standards as absolute, and these values are the basis of the therapeutic interventions utilized in counseling sessions.