Biblical counseling is the process of helping another person work through challenging past or present circumstances using Scripture as our basis for understanding God.
Understanding God through the text of the Bible is of the utmost importance because it allows us to then understand ourselves. It is difficult for people to understand themselves and their own pain outside of the reference point of their Creator. Most people when in their deepest bouts with pain and suffering turn to God, at a minimum they begin asking deeper questions about God and their own existence. Without an understanding of their Creator, the creature falls into practices and habits, even mental habits, that are outside of the way that they were designed to live in relation to God.
What does a Biblical Counselor do? What are some other types of Bible counseling that exist today?
Biblical Counseling for Adults:
Most of the time individual adults come for Biblical Counseling because they are seeking a resolution to their mental distress and they want to do so through the knowledge of God gained in the Scripture. When we speak of Biblical Counseling for individual adults we are describing non-clinical counseling. Some individuals request counseling services to deal with past trauma, fear of the future, general anxiety, social anxiety, spiritual warfare, PTSD, etc. We often find that people who are seeking Biblical Counseling are also seeking performance coaching to help them work through measurable benchmarks to achieve the goals that they believe God has put within them as a part of their personal, ministry, or marketplace calling.
Biblical Counseling for Teens:
Teens who need help can ask for it by being open to talking about what they’re going through. Some teens are brought to Biblical Counseling by their parents. As long as a teen is willing to be open to the dialogue, Biblical Counseling can be very effective in helping teens. Many times teens need to see the bigger picture to be internally motivated. Parents often see the potential of teens and know that they could be more productive and responsible but are at a loss of how to help their growing child to get there. Speaking to someone with no history can help teens to think in new ways about themselves and the world around them.
Biblical Counseling for Couples:
Many times couples come for Biblical Counseling for their marriages, premarital counseling services, and conflict resolution. Helping couples who are married or soon to be married through the Scriptures helps them to understand God’s design for life, boundaries, healthy habits, and how to grow together in Christ.
Biblical Counseling for Families:
At times, entire families need help. No family is perfect and we all have our inconsistencies. Taking the time to hear from each member of the family and finding the right balance within the house is essential when offering Biblical Counseling for families. The family is God’s design. The family can work in a manner where everyone’s experience is godly and each member is involved. Learning how to get the right amount of honesty, participation, and support from the family members living in your house is essential for successful outcomes.
What is Biblical Counseling? Is it Biblical for Christians to counsel others?
Finding the right counselor goes beyond just having someone to give you good advice. Friends offer advice to one another on a regular basis. We all find ourselves helping and supporting those we love through hard times. Biblical counseling takes the authority of Scripture and helps individuals see how it works and is practical for their particular situation. It is not enough to know about God or to have a general knowledge of the Scriptures. Many Christians who are devoted to the Lord Jesus still feel stuck. They are doing everything that they know to do but they just cannot seem to move forward. For these individuals, when their personal relationships and their own efforts are not getting them the results that they need, we advise that they take the steps to get counseling so that they do not remain in unhealthy mental patterns.
How do you deal with trauma in Biblical Counseling?
Biblical Counseling can address trauma through the lens of the gospel.
Trauma is an unfortunately common part of life. When we look to our past we often can spot trauma that can be resolved through Biblical Counseling when we think of where we have experienced extreme one-time shock or a period of prolonged pain that has gone unresolved. Trauma is complex and can seem like an entirely different person than who you know that you are in yourself. Past one-time traumatic events or extended trauma over a span of someone’s life can be addressed and relieved through Biblical Counseling.
Depression is a feeling that can be overcome with help from friends and family.
Depression can be addressed through supportive personal relationships and Biblical Counseling. Where and when a person does not feel like they are getting any better and they are working through the circular patterns of depression they can rest assured that they do not have to remain in that state. Biblical Counseling can help individuals dealing with depression by giving them new ways to view their current circumstances and getting down to the root causes that are causing the feelings of gloom and confusion in the first place.
Do Biblical Counselors Get Paid? Is all Biblical Counseling free?
When is Biblical Counseling free?
Typically, Biblical Counseling is free when it is done through a church or through a Biblical Counseling Center. Biblical Counseling services in these situations are going to be conducted by volunteers or paid staff who are financially supported through donations through the church in which the center or office is affiliated.
When is it appropriate to pay for non-clinical, Biblical Counseling?
It is appropriate to pay for Biblical Counseling if you have found an individual who is offering these services that suit your needs. Usually paid Biblical Counseling sessions are found with someone who has a specialization, is working in private practice, individual office, or a small team. The Biblical Counselor who is offering paid services should have a solid track record in helping others through Biblical Counseling.
Is Biblical Counseling online effective?
Finding the right counselor online
The person who may be right for you may not have a biblical counseling degree. A Biblical Counselor may work in the field of pastoring ministry or be accredited with a certification. There are programs that offer graduate-level degrees in biblical counseling. Some programs also offer biblical counseling training at the local church level. When you are looking for the right counselor online, one thing to look for is their experience. Do they have a solid track record of helping others? Can you find any testimonies that speak directly to their experience? If you can find the specific results that you are seeking on their website, you may be in the right place. If you are dealing with relationships, trauma from your past, or fear of the future, you would want to see some of this language reflected on their website.
Are there Biblical Counselors in your area?
One way to check if there are counselors in your area that are non-clinical, Biblical Counselors is through directories or by simple searches. You may want to see if biblical counseling programs have lists of those who are certified through their accrediting board. Many areas have Biblical Counseling centers that you can visit, especially if you live near a larger metropolitan area.
How does Biblical Counseling work over the phone?
If you are interested in connecting by phone or online via Zoom, there are plenty of options for rock-solid Biblical Counselors. With modern technology, it is easy to get the help that you need from wherever you are. It used to be the case that people went to counseling based on what they could find in their area, limiting the expertise they had accessible to them to how far they could drive in their car. Now when you find an expert online, you can simply reach out and set up an appointment to get the best care in the Biblical Counseling industry available in the country.
What is the Biblical Counseling Model? What does it mean to have a Biblical Worldview?
Biblical Counseling through a Biblical Worldview brings God into the picture.
When talking about Biblical Counseling we often use the idea of a Biblical Worldview to bring God right into the picture for the client. What does this mean? We like to describe the Biblical Worldview as putting someone on a timeline with a beginning, middle, and an end. Most people view their present circumstances in isolation from the past and the future. They also do this for their past traumas or their fears of the future. We find ourselves not seeing the bigger picture when dealing with pain and fear. A Biblical Worldview takes a situation and looks at it on a stretched-out time continuum. If we know what God has said in the past in the Scripture and how he has acted faithfully, then we can have confidence in what he is doing in the present and what he will perform as we look forward hopefully.
Do I have to be Christian to get Biblical Counseling?
No. You do not have to be a Christian to receive Biblical Counseling.
