Biblical Counseling vs a Christian Therapist
One of the questions we get quite a bit, is if we use biblical counseling. Most people calling (that I have spoken to) aren’t sure what they’re asking - as demonstrated by their reactions to my answer.
What I typically say is, “That’s a complicated question. We are licensed, professionals with Master’s degrees in a counseling field - and some of us profess Christianity as our faith, but we are not biblical counselors.”
So what’s the difference? A LOT.
Biblical Counseling
In Texas, a biblical counselor is a person who uses the bible as the only resource to adapt behavior or find meaning in the client’s life. PastoralCounseling.org describes it this way, “Quite simply, anyone who wants to be a Biblical counselor can consider themselves one. Biblical counseling is based on the idea that all one needs is a deep understanding of the scripture to offer counseling. While it’s true that many who consider themselves Biblical counselors are ministers or other types of church leaders, this isn’t a requirement. Any person who feels as though they have been called to offer Biblical counseling to another may do so.”
Biblical Counseling may be a great fit for you if you also share the same belief. Biblical Counselors may be very helpful in holding you accountable with your faith goals and understanding of scripture - but they are not Therapists.
Licensed Christian Counselor
A licensed Christian counselor holds a master’s degree and has passed their licensure exam (keyword: Licensed). This person probably took additional coursework that specialized in scripture and application to human behavior and treatment. Your experience with a Licensed Christian Counselor will include discussions of prayer, God, and Jesus. This option would be best for someone who’s Christian faith is meaningful and important to them, but they’re suffering from things like depression and need the help of a diagnostician who shares their faith openly.
A Therapist who is also a Christian
A licensed therapist without the “Christian” tag in their name could be Christian or any other religious affiliation. Their program is focused on psychology theory, pharmacology, research, and treatment modalities. Faith is usually not introduced to treatment unless the client requests for it to be part of their treatment plan. There are some Christian ideas and practices that would not be part of someone’s treatment plan who identifies as atheist and finds no meaning in the idea of a higher power. A therapist who is Christian, will respect this person’s way of identity and work within it - meeting the client where they’re comfortable without judgement. Self-disclosure from the therapist about the therapist’s faith may or may not happen based on what the client needs are at the time. Self-disclosure is a clinical decision and may not be appropriate in some cases.
Faith is an important part of how we experience life and consciousness - no doubt - but how someone experiences their faith can vary from person to person and should not be judged within the context of a therapist visit. The beauty of Solution Focused Brief Therapy is that the therapist asks questions that the client needs to hear their own answers to.
Think about it… rarely did Jesus ever give an answer, he asked the questions that people needed, so that they could change their own perspectives and build relationships. Jesus asks 307 questions. He is asked 183 of which he only answers 3. #therapistgoals
