Are you wondering if professional Christian counseling services require professional training...
Are you wondering if professional Christian counseling services require professional training? Yes, you require some training to become a professional Christian counselor. Nonetheless, Christian counseling is not just an occupation; it is a calling. The Lord wants to use trained professionals to speak the truth to His people. Having the knowledge and the understanding of the world we live in can be done perfectly by only a professional Christian counselor because they are confident in being the voice of the saving message of Christ.
Christian counseling, also known as Christian psychology and biblical counseling, is the combination of your faith with the principles to improve your relationships and, in some cases, your mental health. This therapy is approached through biblical teachings to help deal with present life challenges. If you are in the midst of a troubling event in your life like the death of your loved one, financial problem, or relationship issue, it may be because something is missing, and that is where Christian counseling comes in. Professional Christian counseling aims to help Christians identify some characters and lifestyles that do not align with God's teaching. So the counseling is meant to make Christians accept more of God's will than their will. A professional Christian counselor believes in the bible to guide people on how to behave and think because they view the holy book as the only true book.
Professional Christian counseling must model the character of Jesus Christ in whatever they and whatever they counsel unbelievers and believers. Here are the 5 tenets a professional Christian counselor must embody:
Faith is also an important tenet of the five professional Christian counseling tenets. This is important because you need spiritual resources like worship, prayer, and faith to have effective Christian counseling. Faith also makes counselors have faith in God that God can work in the life of sinful and troubled people.
As a Christian counselor working with people that are hurt, you must do so with integrity and honor. As a professional Christian counselor, you must uphold a therapeutic alliance and a good counselor code of ethics. Importantly, it would be best to treat your clients with the respect they deserve and treat them as your fellow Christian.
The first and the most important tenet of professional Christian counseling is love. As Christian counselors, you are meant to carry the burdens of others. In times of suffering and challenges for people, you are meant to care for them and carry these burdens as though it is yours.
Compassion is a necessity for all Christian counselors because you will have to encounter the true selves of your clients, which include their bad and good parts of life, in a situation where you are seeing the worst part of a person, or someone is uncovering their deepest shame to you.
As a counselor, you must exhibit overwhelming compassion because they are also created in God's image like you.
The last of the five tenets is humility because a humble heart is the core of professional Christian counseling. To show care to people who come to you from their places of vulnerability and struggle, you must depict a humble life as Christ.
Christians have various issues and challenges, so as a Christian counselor, you need to set a wide range of goals to meet your clients' demands. Here below are the most common issues and goals of professional Christian counseling:
One of the goals of professional Christian counseling is to conquer marital problems because marriages place a great deal of sacrament on. In the Christian faith, any form of divorce is not an option, and when a couple enters a marriage, they need to commit to honor and love another for life. So as a professional counselor, you are expected to encourage couples to work through any problem together rather than giving up their marriages. The truth is there is no marriage without problems, but these problems can have a serious impact on the couple's relationship. The problems can include communication problems, infidelity, addiction, and conflict. Therefore, the purpose of professional Christian counseling is to help couples to repair their damaged union.
To be sincere with you, raising children is not easy; you will experience ups and downs as a parent. In cases where raising a child looks challenging, then that is where you come in as a Christian counselor. A professional Christian counselor will guide you on your parenting journey. However, in cases where the parenting challenges are deep, like having physical ailments, eating disorders, or learning disabilities, you may not be in the best position to take the job as a Christian counselor; you can refer them to a therapist. Christian counseling can also come in when you are unable to identify your child's needs. Counselors will teach you the techniques to deal with parenting pressures.
This is also one of the goals of professional Christian counseling because the death of a loved one can be heartbreaking, and the grieving can last for a long time. But as a counselor, this is the best time your client will lean on you on their faith to help them get through this trying time.
This is also another vital goal of Christian counseling because many people seek help to stop addiction. It would be best to make your clients understand they have a problem with drugs or gambling because this is the first step to receiving a turnaround. Once they admit they have a problem, a Christian counselor can provide the support to kick out the habit. During counseling sessions, people with these challenges must learn from you as a counselor how important and valuable they are in God's eyes and learn that there is strength to overcome addiction. Also, Christian counseling teaches the techniques to help people toward their faith.
The goal of professional Christian counseling is to use faith-based principles and instructions to help people better in their issues of life. These professionals also teach coping skills so that their clients can adjust to any changes in their lives. As a professional Christian counselor, it is also important to seek the connection in the secular world, which can be used to direct people to the eternal truth of the bible. The five tenets of professional Christian counseling are principles every Christian counselor must reflect on. This is because Christian counseling can be beneficial in overcoming disorders, navigating personal challenges, and overcoming addictions.
https://cairn.edu/5-characteristics-of-a-good-christian-counselor/
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, and owner of Overcomers Counseling. I'm dedicated to helping individuals find strength and healing through life’s challenges. With a deep understanding of mental health and years of professional experience, I specialize in fostering hope and resilience while equipping her clients with tools to thrive. Passionate about empowering others, she creates a safe, supportive space where everyone feels seen, valued, and capable of overcoming obstacles on their path to well-being.
The Bible encourages us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). This means expressing our feelings and needs honestly but respectfully, without resorting to harmful words or actions. Prayer, wisdom, and guidance from the Holy Spirit are also crucial in such situations.
No, standing up for oneself does not conflict with Christian humility. Humility involves recognizing our dependence on God and others, not devaluing ourselves. It's possible to maintain humility while asserting our dignity and rights.
The teaching of turning the other cheek is about responding to evil with good, not avoiding conflict. It encourages non-retaliation and forgiveness. However, it doesn't mean allowing persistent injustice or abuse.
Jesus reminded His followers that they might face persecution for standing up for righteousness (Matthew 5:10-12). But He also promised blessings and rewards for those who endure. Therefore, do not fear standing up for what is right, even in the face of adversity.
Start by understanding your worth as God's creation. Then, strive to maintain your integrity, express yourself honestly and respectfully, forgive and respond to evil with good, and rely on God's strength and wisdom in conflicts. These principles can guide you in various situations—whether at work, school, home, or in your community.
