How can therapy enrich and mature my faith?

Counseling from a Christian Worldview

  • "There is the great lesson of 'Beauty and the Beast,' that a thing must be loved before it is lovable."

    ~G.K. Chesterton

  • “If you've ever really forgiven somebody, forgiven some real wrong, all forgiveness is suffering. If you say, 'I forgave and I didn't suffer,' it wasn't really that serious a wrong."

    ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

  • "Some of us who seem quite nice people may, in fact, have made so little use of a good heredity and good upbringing that we are really worse than those whom we regard as fiends."

    ~C.S. Lewis

  • “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted..."

    ~Jesus of Nazareth. “Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes.”

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33

It is difficult to look inward and recognize our need, especially when things around going well in our lives. Sometimes what we think, feel, and do seem to conflict with the things you claim to believe. When things go wrong in life, we have gotten all we bargained for. Christians, just as non-believers, are still subject to suffering in the world. We live in a world with sin, and yet we are not called to suffer like the rest of the world.

Maybe you’re dealing with guilt about a relationship or habit, shame about thoughts and feelings, or difficulty with trauma and how this impacts your faith. Perhaps you think to yourself, “how can I trust anyone, much less God, ever again?“

Or, you struggle asserting boundaries while trying to be “humble,” feel like it’s selfish, a burden, or even an inconvenience to others. Maybe for the first time, you’re beginning to ask real questions of faith while contending with a legalistic or spiritually abusive, religious upbringing?

What is Christian Counseling?

Romans 12: 2-3:

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

  • Counseling/therapy is an addendum, not a replacement to pastoral care. Christian counseling is different from “biblical counseling.“ Biblical counseling seeks to reconcile people’s struggles through using scripture and theology toward better understanding God’s will in their life their own struggling.

    Here, I use my professionally licensed clinical therapy skills to help clients better understand how their thought patterns, emotions, and physical realities all impact one’s view and health of their manifest and spiritual lives.

    In essence, we will work on how you mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally process your life with someone who understands your Christian faith and the spiritual nuance that it brings.

  • No one has a monopoly on truth. People are diverse both in and out of the church. Each person holds the Imago Dei and despite sometimes disagreeing, there’s something to learn from everyone.

  • In therapy, empathy without honesty is enabling; honesty without compassion is just cruel. We need both.

  • Suffering is a part of life. Everyone knows that life is hard, and it is often when we are in those moments of difficulty we come face-to-face with who we really are.

    I help engage my clients to dig in, wrestle with their feelings, and ask the big questions of life.

  • As you begin to understand yourself better and gain self-awareness, it is my hope that you grow and move forward in life with as a changed person and renewed mind.

Faith-Informed Counseling: Bridging the Spiritual and Psychological 🤌

Counseling can also be done from a Christian worldview! With most of my clients, talking about Jesus, faith, religion is not always clinically pertinent, or even therapeutically conducive. That’s all part of meeting people where they are at!

One’s faith can be complicated and diverse, given the diverse cultures and perspectives within the Church; countries, tribes, and nations of the world, and every individual both in and outside my session room. But I believe people are spiritual just as much as they are physical or psychological.

When we bring Jesus with our issues, we start with ourselves, but often find our need of something much more. Trying to make sense of one’s own internal experience in contrast with a broken relationship, culture, or world is a frightening endeavor to undertake alone. I seek to assist clients practice honesty, humility, transparency, with healthy boundaries, and maintain accountability.

  • My goal—with clients who desire bringing Jesus into session—is to help clients see psychology as a gift, and see how it can complement their spiritual maturing. This is done by helping clients better understand what has been generally revealed in their psychology to better love their neighbors and deepen their spiritual maturity.

Looking for Good Reads?

  • The Soul of Shame

    By Dr. Curt Thompson

  • Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing

    By Jay Stringer, Adam Verner, et al.

  • Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World

    By Jennie Allen

  • A Grief Observed

    By C.S. Lewis

  • Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling

    By Mark R. McMinn

  • The Meaning of Marriage

    By Timothy Keller

  • The Road Less Traveled

    By M. Scott Peck M.D.

  • Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature

    By Peter Scazzero

  • You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit

    By Claton Butcher

Get in touch.

Still want to figure out if we’re the right fit? Schedule a FREE consultation!

FAQs

  • Christian counseling has little to no difference from the traditional therapeutic experience. Christian counseling offers the added element faith in how this interacts with one’s mental processing.

    As this pertains to more divisive theological/social topics, as a therapist, it is not professionally within our prerogative to assert any personal belief or worldview, especially when that contradicts the clients strongly held values.

    To ensure professional boundaries, we work out issues with wherever a client is at—regardless of where they are at on the theological spectrum—and leave the day-to-day working out to their pastoral care outlet accountability among their fellow believers.

  • According to the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC), biblical counseling may be defined as “…a fluid event and process of a Spirit-empowered Christ follower providing face-to-face ministry of the Word to others.“

    This means they are not subject to or licensed by an official license body, have not received extensive training in psychological concepts, or techniques.

    According to the American Counseling Association (ACA), Clinical mental health counseling “…a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.“ This is includes being subject to association and license ethics and training requirements.

    Both have their merits depending on a client’s needs and designated methods of treatment. Clinically licensed therapist are still allowed to engage with client’s from a religious or Christian framework, so long as the client gives informed consent.

  • Pastoral care typically involves the day-to-day wisdom of living out one’s faith, or the working out of complex theological issues and personal beliefs.

    Again, as a therapist it is not professionally within our prerogative to assert any personal belief or worldview, especially when that contradicts the clients strongly held values.

    Working with people from a Christian worldview means a client engages in psychological services to help work out their internal world and relate it back to their faith journey. In order to maintain health professional boundaries, the rest is left to the client to work out with their pastor, and spiritual brothers and sisters in their immediate community.

  • No and yes. Though I might reference scriptural or everyday truths, the overall intention of services are to provide counseling services to better enhance client’s psychological (i.e. emotions, cognitions, behaviors) lives to better serve their spiritual faith walks.