What does that mean? It will depend on who is saying it, the history of the person saying it and the person hearing it and what the context is. If you have had good Christian experiences, it may be comforting. If not, it could be triggering and even nightmarish.
There are a lot of mixed messages. People wonder if it is counselling for Christians by Christians and only for Christians? Others wonder if it is counselling only about Christian topics? Is it just some nice people talking in a very supportive way? Maybe spiritual direction.. faith coaching or even discipleship? Or does this dream up flashbacks from your history of hell and brimstone preaching? Perhaps brainwashing? Or even sitting in an uncomfortable pew for many hours… It could be any of these things or more.
So, if you are looking for a Christian counsellor, you may want to ask some questions before you start so you know what you are getting, especially if you have specific goals. You may want to ask simple questions about denomination. For example, if you are Catholic, you may have different support requests or perspectives than someone who is Baptist. You may also want to ask about education and certification. There are many different types of counsellors with a spectrum of education. A counsellor can be someone with a 1-2 year certificate program, Bible College, Graduate degrees in Social Work, Education, Pastoral, Family, or Clinical Counselling, all the way to someone with a Doctorate Degree and can have specialties in different areas of mental health. It’s important to find someone with good training and experience in the area that you would like to work on.
It’s not as straightforward or simple as some make it out to be and sometimes much more simpler. The road to figuring out what it means to be a Christian counsellor has been a long journey for me. I have had quite the inner wrestling match about what it means to me to be a Christian and a counsellor and how these intersect in me. It has been a soul search about how I work out my faith in this world, find my calling, set an example, and to do my best to actually help people (especially, as one of my Seminary professors referred to as, the Least, Last, Lost, and the Little), and to do this all as I try my best to be a loving and supportive wife, mother, daughter, supervisor, coworke, and human being… I haven’t found a definitive answer for being great at all of this, but it keeps me real. And in the midst of this storm of life we all experience, the most important part of being Christian for me, is following Christ. That can make me an alienform for some and a soul sister for others but holding onto my faith helps me weather the storms and get back up when I am dumbstruck, burnt out, cracked up, broken down, or have just plain lost it. I can see how each of the highs and lows has helped me to grow and try to transfer the learning in my counseling sessions.
I have post graduate education in Counseling Psychology and Christian Studies and my value system is based on principles from the Bible which strangely enough fit with a lot of basic counselling principles (e.g. acceptance, nonjudgment, kindness, caring, patience..). God, my two Masters degrees and lots of life experience have taught me that I am human with limitations and the power of relationships, good or bad, should never be underestimated. My faith keeps me humble and real which I think is a superpower in counselling. Working with any good counsellor can provide a place to be affirmed, process life stressors, learn about relationships and the inner workings of my brain, and learn strategies and tools to improve overall life functioning. The bonus of working with a Christian counsellor is speaking with someone who understands that there are spiritual parts that are interwoven in our struggles with no holds barred. And I may even talk to God about you, for you, and even with you. 😊
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