Christian Counseling Debunked

Christian Counseling Debunked 

What comes to mind when you think of Christian counseling? Judgy, ignorant, uncomfortable… 

I have heard all those things but in response to what it is not. 

I was once told as a student that no one will talk to me if I wear my cross. I was told that no one will tell me their secrets if I tell them that I am a Christian. That could not be farther from the truth. I have sat with some of the most gut wrenching stories of sin, anger, hurt, and even merciless behavior. 

All the walks of life that I have seen have one thing in common, they are all in the confines of the human experience. They all feel deeply and have acted in ways that may make some shudder. Since we are all flawed as humans, we can also empathize with each other’s varied experiences. I can understand when a woman chooses to terminate a pregnancy, I can understand when a victim of abuse can not leave their abuser, I can understand when an addict is too broken to quit. I can understand because I am human and have found myself in difficult and emotional experiences that have left me with limited options as well. 

On to the ethics …. 

As Christian counselors, we are bound not only to the ethical standards of our craft but also to the laws of Christ. We are to do no harm to our clients and to respond to them with unconditional positive regard. We are to empathize and uphold Christ-like character in their sessions. We are to treat them like Jesus treated the woman at the well.  We are to love them, pray with them, honor their boundaries, and hope for reconciliation that they can autonomously come to. We do not impose our values but only invite the Holy Spirit to work on each of our souls. 

As a Christian counselor, my favorite moments are when the client comes in and says that they have found Jesus in their suffering. He does that, not us, we are just vessels for his service.