Why Biblical Counseling is the Optimal Form of Counseling for Christians Facing Spiritual Concerns
My name is Alissa and I have been a counselor since 2015. I have worked with a variety of different clients and very much enjoyed my work in the beginning. I was eager to help people to reach their goals. If I had to pinpoint the reason of why I got my master’s degree in counseling, I would say that I really like seeing people accomplish what they would like to do. I love goal-setting and coming up with strategies to reach those goals. I enjoy seeing people making positive changes to have more fulfillment in their lives. Unfortunately, it didn’t take very long for me to become burned out in my role as a counselor.
I had gone to a private and Christian university for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees, but I hardly learned anything about offering counseling in a way that was in line with the teachings of the Bible. All I did learn was the theories of teachers like Freud, Adler, and things like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which is touted as one of the most effective methods of therapy. Basically CBT is probably the most popular form of therapy today and the premise of the therapy is to change people’s beliefs and thoughts, which impacts the emotional and mental health in a hopefully positive way. During my studies, I was also not following God’s word and direction in my own personal life. I wasn’t saved, but I guess I thought I was at the time. I became saved and started a real relationship with Christ when I was in my late 20’s, several years after graduating. I believe that I would have started a relationship with Christ much earlier if it was not for the theories that I learned for 7 years while I was in my graduate and undergraduate programs. And I know that sanctification is a process. And I know that I have a LOT more sanctification that can take place in my own heart. I am far from being a “perfect” Christian, not that there is really a perfect one out there! We know Christ has been the only one who is worthy of God’s love, but I can say that I am personally very aware of my own shortcomings and where I need to work harder in following Jesus.
As a counselor, I have seen a lot of heartbreak, and a lot of struggle with sin. I believed in some degree of self-sufficiency and self-help. Secular counseling, after all, is really just attempting people to help themselves. As a state licensed counselor, you are not really supposed to “push” your own beliefs onto your clients. So instead of telling people that the Bible says such and such, you can ask them about their religious beliefs and about how they can apply their own beliefs to help their current situation. Doing this type of counseling (secular counseling with some light discussion about God with some clients who wanted to talk about faith) totally burned me out and felt like fighting a fight with one hand behind my back. It wasn’t good enough. Some people experienced growth, but many clients would just come to me on a weekly basis with very limited improvements. They would continually experience the same kinds of hurts and pains. They would live out the same self-destructive behaviors over and over again. They weren’t really getting better. Others would learn to just suppress their feelings. I wasn’t “allowed” to plainly share the gospel with them, and I wouldn’t know how to even if I was.
And this is the reason of why I started CounselWise. I have searched for the type of biblical counseling that I would like to receive, myself, and it is difficult to find. If you look up counseling in your area, you are likely to find many who are secular counselors or “Christian counselors” who aren’t really able to help you by plainly sharing God’s word and helping you to apply the teachings of the Bible to the challenges you face in your life. Sometimes secular counseling can be helpful, but other times it just reinforces self-reliance and further delays a meaningful relationship with our creator.
My hope is to bring true biblical counseling to many more people who are struggling. We all need wise counsel at times throughoutour lives, and I believe that counseling that is based in God’s word is the optimal form of counseling. You don’t need to rely on yourself. You don’t need to come up with your next steps on your own.
If you think you may benefit from talking with a wise and trust-worthy counselor who can help you understand and apply God’s word to your challenges like anxiety, stress, sadness, or relationship issues, please reach out today. We would be happy to help!
