When seeking out counseling or therapy services, it can be difficult to know where to start. While therapy is very rewarding, it also can be a vulnerable process making it important to feel safe and understood. If you are a person of faith, there is the additional aspect of knowing that your faith will be validated and understood, and that any advice or insight you receive will be compatible with your worldview. That is why when seeking out counseling or therapy services, it may be beneficial to consider the possibility of Christian counseling.
1. Shared Worldview
As a Christian pursuing counseling services, you may feel comforted by working with a firm and counselor that share your worldview. Much of counseling deals with many intimate life issues such as marriage and family relationships, sexuality, and healing from past hurts. While there are general ways to deal with all of these that are considered healthy, these do not always address the perspectives and responses to these things may vary depending on your faith. In traditional counseling services you may learn some healthy coping mechanisms and tools to deal with life’s big issues, but with Christian counseling not only will you learn healthy responses, but you also can find advice and counsel that also honors your Christian values and benefit your spiritual health.
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2. Setting Faith Goals
A big part of counseling is also problem solving and goal setting. Within a traditional counseling service you may set goals that relate to your personal behavior or relationships with others. But within Christian counseling, you also have the opportunity to also set faith goals. Christian counseling services does not eliminate other important goals you should make in your life, but rather it includes other spiritual steps that you can take to help to face a problem.
3. Getting to the Root of the Problem
In Christian counseling, not only will you be able to look into the emotional, mental, and relational aspects of your life, but you will also be able to explore the spiritual side of these facets. With this, you will be able to not only learn to manage certain aspects of your life well, but you will be able to dig into the roots of various problems. By including a spiritual perspective in this, you can glean a bigger view of these roots and discover even more healing.
4. Finding and Cultivating Christian Community
The great thing about working with a Christian counseling service, is that it will not only help you have better mental, emotional, and spiritual health personally, but it will also help you have and create healthier relationships. Many Christian counselors, including ourselves will encourage you to seek out healthy faith communities so that you can experience encouragement and support on many fronts. When rooted in positive Christian community, you may experience greater rewards in your healing process.
5. Holistic Healing
Finally, as Christian counselors, we acknowledge the reality that healing is multi-dimensional. Meaning, that it involves your physical, mental/emotional, and your spiritual health. If you choose Christian Counseling you will be able to address any issues from all of these fronts and find the healing you are looking for.
