What is Christian Counselling?
Christian counselling focuses on intertwining the disciplines of faith and psychology to provide an approach to mental and emotional health that pulls from biblical teachings. Practitioners of this style of counselling incorporate religious scripture and teachings to guide you through challenging life issues. When facing turbulent life events, incorporating and strengthening your faith may be the missing piece in finding proper treatment.
Origins of Christian Counselling
Rooted deep within biblical accounts, this form of therapy places an emphasis on fundamental values and beliefs that comprise the framework of modern Christianity. Ministers, Reverends, and other religious figures must seek licensed training and accreditation to provide this service to you, much like a secular clinician. In 1968, Christian counsellors officially formed the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation to provide a model for current and future counsellors. These counsellors are bound not only to religious code, but secular standards of ethical practice as well.
What is Spiritual Health?
Like other therapists, these counsellors understand the importance of your mental and emotional health and the symptoms which may lead to diagnosing a problem. Current psychological methods of evaluation, such as self-auditing, are key tools for a Christian counsellor when evaluating your current status. However, these counsellors do not feel that traditional methods provide a comprehensive overview of what may be ailing you. With the additional focus on your spiritual health, and your personal relationship with God, those who practice Christian counselling believe your personal problems, mental concerns, and emotional instability can be replaced with self-worth and a sense of spiritual fulfilment.
What to Expect When Seeking Christian Counselling
Much like seeking a traditional therapist, your decision should be based on the credentials and ability of the prospective counsellor. With a Christian counsellor, an additional factor in your decision is your personal faith. Finding a counsellor who expresses religious beliefs in a way you find agreeable, and having a willingness to accept and understand the spiritual aspect of the counselling is necessary if you wish to gain the full benefit of the treatment.
You may already have a strong basis for your faith, so therapy oriented around biblical teachings could be the turning point in overcoming your mental and emotional distress.
Counselling – is the provision of professional assistance and guidance in resolving personal or psychological problems.
Counselling and Psychotherapy
Both ‘psychotherapy’ and ‘counselling’ are terms that are used to describe the same process.
Both terms relate to overcoming personal difficulties and working towards positive changes.
Counselling is a helping approach that highlights the emotional and intellectual experience of a client, how a client is feeling and what they think about the problem they have sought help for.
Counselling is:
- The process that occurs when a client and counsellor set aside time in order to explore difficulties which may include the stressful or emotional feelings of the client.
- The act of helping the client to see things more clearly, possibly from a different view-point. This can enable the client to focus on feelings, experiences or behaviour, with a goal to facilitating positive change.
- A relationship of trust. Confidentiality is paramount to successful counselling. Professional counsellors will usually explain their policy on confidentiality, they may, however, be required by law to disclose information if they believe that there is a risk to life.
Counselling is Not:
- Giving advice.
- Attempting to sort out the problems of the client.
- Expecting or encouraging a client to behave in a way in which the counsellor may have behaved when confronted with a similar problem in their own life.
- Getting emotionally involved with the client.
- Looking at a client’s problems from your own perspective, based on your own value system.