Counseling can provide amazing results for people as it can often serve as enlightenment during their darkest hour. With so many types of counseling available in the world, the tremendous benefits of Christian counseling has often gone unnoticed, but evolved to a highly respected, skilled activity in the US.
Today, irrespective of whether people suffer from depression, suicidal tendencies, bereavement, marriage and relationship difficulties: Christian counseling holds the key to move forward for millions who seek to overcome the challenges that life brings. Getting help: In the US, one can easily and discreetly access Christian counselors.
What is Christian counseling?
Christian counseling has been around for many centuries and today it is also referred to as scriptural or biblical counseling. Sometimes it is also referred to as Christian psychology. Basically a believer is encouraged to combine the principles of psychology with their faith with the objective of improving relationship problems or even mental health problems.
The US public can have the confidence that Christian counseling is NOT merely relying on the bible and ignoring other vital principles of health and psychology. It evolved to the point where it relies on all the key areas of knowledge contained in conventional, certified psychology, but facilitated by Christians who are dually qualified.
A whole range of relationship and mental problems is approached by using the Scriptures and biblical teachings as a foundation in order to help people to deal more effectively with the various challenges which they are encountering in their lives. Life is never easy and there are millions of people who are encountering extremely difficult challenges almost on a daily basis and some of those things can be exceptionally hard to deal with. A powerful example is the loss of a loved one or an unexpectedly lay off, it might also be deteriorating health or relationship problems. For a Christian in all of these situations a critical component for victory will be rock-solid faith and confidence that they will be given the strength and wisdom to come through that troubling situation victoriously and as conquerors. A Christian therapist directory is the perfect place to find Christian counseling.
Christian counseling has specific goals
The primary objective of all forms of Christian counseling is to assist believers in their endeavors to identify actions and attitudes which is not in line with biblical teaching. One is reminded of the words of Joshua in the first chapter verse eight where God’s people is commanded that this book of law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success. This and similar verses is the basis for success when one chooses to live a life of obedience to God. This is also why in Christian counseling the objective will be to bring people to the point where they will come to accept that it’s important to acknowledge and profess the importance of obedience to God’s word even when doing so is against their personal wishes and objectives. The majority of Christian counselors are individuals who are firm and unshakable in their opinion that the holy Scriptures is the sacred foundation on which all Christian lives should be erected. The Holy Scriptures is the only truth and the only compass which is necessary for navigation as the Christian pilgrim continue their journey towards the new Jerusalem which God is building for His people. Unfortunately, many people do not know where they can turn to when they need help. Websites such as Christian counselor near me is the perfect place to get in contact with Christian counselors.
Modern-day Christian counseling
The majority of believers and Christian counselors today is fully aware of the fact that the origins of Christian counseling can be found in various places throughout the Bible. The very first counseling session takes place in Genesis chapter 4 where God is speaking to Cain right after he has murdered his brother. When one considers what has been done in this chapter it is easy to draw the conclusion that Divine intervention was not absolutely necessary. In Cain’s own words he was in danger of being killed himself because of what he has done. However, God intervened and protected him by placing a mark upon him. We can speculate about what might have happened if God did not become involved in this matter? It is certain that without that divine intervention things would not have gone very well for Cain. The fact that God has taken the time to meet with Cain has most certainly turned a hopeless situation into one which has given at least some options to Cain. There are today many Cain’s wandering across this planet. Just like Cain they find themselves in a hopeless situation, but some are fortunate enough to come into contact with Christian counselors. Just like Cain they are brought to a place where they can look at their actions and attitudes objectively and can take responsibility for their own destructive decisions.
Combining therapy and faith
Christian counseling as we know it today really started going in the 60’s and 70’s and it continued to grow into a highly popular form of therapy especially for Christian believers. It became especially important for those who wanted to combine the therapy process with their Christian faith. The late 1960s was also the time when several Christian counseling foundations was formed. The primary purpose of these organizations was to provide guidelines to Christian counselors. The objective was to teach them how to more effectively treat those who were looking for therapy which was faith based. It must always be remembered that the first responsibility of all Christian counselors is to always function within the boundaries of the Scriptures and secondly they also have an obligation to do their work within the boundaries of the law, especially those applicable to counseling and psychology.
Where can I find a Christian counselor near me?
This organization has been involved in Christian counseling for a long time. The following statement has been issued by the CEO; “The mission of our directory is to expand the reach and visibility of Christian counseling across the country. We do this by connecting users to local and online counselors who provide the vital work of Christian counseling.” – Tres Adames, Founder and Board Certified Pastoral Counselor. There are several professional Christian counselors available on this website who are qualified and ready to assist people to deal with their problems. There are also a number of blog articles which is addressing many of the problems which is encountered by people on a daily basis. This Christian counseling directory is providing people in need with the perfect tool to get help when it is most needed.
Off course today there are some Christian counselors who provide advice which is not necessarily Scripture based. This can result in various problems. I firmly believe that we should comply with the instructions found in Deuteronomy 4 and 12 and Revelations 22 where it is said: you shall not add to this Word nor shall you take away from it. Proverbs 30:6 say: “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar”. As Christian counselors we are dealing with people for whom Christ has died and therefore we have to proceed with care when we attempt to provide them with Christian advice and encouragement.
Who qualifies to be a Christian counselor?
Christian counseling in the US has evolved to become highly specialized and goes way beyond mere faith-based principles: there is a lot of substance to it. There are points of parity with the highest qualifications in psychology – as well as religious principles.
In a professional capacity psychologist, counselors, pastors and clinical social workers or Christian therapist can provide Christian counseling. However, they should at least have a master’s degree in psychology, counseling or Christian counseling. Alternatively, they must be involved in some other form of mental health before they can qualify to provide counseling to those in need. Such professionals must also be licensed before they will be allowed to practice or to provide Christian counseling to people who are in need. However, there are many believers today who have been encouraged by fellow believers or pastors and who has found the strength to get through very difficult situations because of that timely encouragement. In this regard the important thing will be to always ensure that such counseling or encouragement is based upon biblical doctrines and practices. There are many people who have benefitted from exposure to the teachings of the Bible and this has helped them to deal with family problems and also to handle professional responsibilities more effectively, ultimately leading to extraordinary success in the business world and in the workplace. The majority of Christian counselors are dealing with marriage problems, parenting challenges, health-related issues, loss of loved ones, various addictions and helping people to improve their Christian relationship and experiences.
