Christian Counseling

What is Christian counseling? What makes it Christian? Are there different kinds? What can I expect?

These are great questions that I hear frequently. It can be confusing, so the following is an oversimplified answer to this question.

There are basically three categories of Christian counseling:

Biblical

One category is commonly called “Biblical Counseling.” This is typically viewed as counseling from Scripture alone and not psychological/counseling theories or practices. This movement sees “Biblical Counseling” as a ministry of the church and not a service to be regulated by the government. Therefore, “Biblical Counselors” are not licensed counselors.

Secular

Another category of Christian counseling is when counselors are personally Christian, but they are trained in secular counseling and practice primarily with secular psychology/counseling theories and practices. They typically operate within the framework of the science of counseling while being sensitive to the client’s Christian faith. They are not typically trained in integrating Scripture into their counseling practice unless they have sought out additional training and decided to move more into an integration approach. 

It may be helpful to think of these categories on a continuum with some overlap.

Integration

Another category of Christian counseling is referred to as “Integration.” This approach seeks to “integrate” the truths of Scripture with the science (research and practices) of psychology/counseling. Typically, this approach views Scripture as authoritative and at the same time acknowledges that Scripture does not prescribe treatment for many issues of life, similar to that of the medical field; and that God has given us science as a means of better understanding and stewarding his created order (including mental health). Integrationists view counseling as a unique profession distinct from (although complementary to) pastoral care/counseling. Therefore, integrationists are trained and obtain state licensure and are regulated by the laws and ethics of their state licensure. 

Valeo

Collectively, we take an integration approach to counseling. Some of our care providers have been trained in seminaries, while some have been trained in public universities. We all seek to respectfully and sensitively integrate our faith, Scripture, and prayer into our practice with our clients.