In therapy, the goal is to improve the relationship and to alter behaviors through very specific techniques that are unique to this profession. For example, we might attend therapy because we are having communication difficulties with our partner. Our pastor should be able to help us see the biblical way of interacting with our partner, but they are not typically trained to work with attachment distress a form of anxiety that occurs when we cannot emotionally access our partner that is often the source of the communication difficulties.
Nor are they typically equipped to work with pervasive mental health issues, such as long-term depression, chronic anxiety, or psychotic disorders like borderline personality. Each profession has a unique and vital role to play in our care and healing.
We can refer to this as our scope of practice … one is typically more of an expert in one domain, while the other is an expert in another domain. The bottom line is that each profession needs to rely on the other profession. In this way, both of them can form a larger and more effective system of care.
This is vital, especially when working with people who may have more severe mental illnesses. Certain diagnoses, such as Borderline Personality Disorder, are very difficult to detect even for a trained therapist. Behaviors can go on for years, keeping people stuck in unwanted and unhealthy patterns of behavior.
When both professions collaborate, things tend to work better. It is more helpful for everybody involved when pastors refer people very early on. Simply put, when we work together we draw from a deeper well. As mentioned previously, it would not be uncommon to discuss your private and sometimes uncomfortable issues with your pastor and to then hang out with them.
However, the relationship with a therapist is considerably different and the boundaries are very clear. We do not do business with our clients or engage with them on social media sites. Why not? Because these clear boundaries are necessary for a specific type of change. Call Now. Schedule Now: New Clients. Meet Our Specialists. All Locations. Goose Creek. Mount Pleasant.
We live in a society that values getting help from "professionals". And in many cases this is indeed a good thing. For example, if I were having heart surgery, I would want to ensure that I was getting help from a professional who was licensed by the state and was experienced enough to be successful. However, the idea of finding a "professional" has taken over almost every aspect of our lives.
We now hire professionals to do our shopping, teach our kids to play the piano and pick out our outfits. We seem to want professionals for everything. In the area of counseling, this way of thinking has also permeated the church. We have come to believe that we as believers are no longer able to help one another deal with our problems.
Although the Bible commands us to admonish and instruct one another Romans , we now refuse to seek help from anyone without a specialized degree.
It's important to remember that biblical counselors and christian counselors are both on the same team and we serve the same Jesus. I have friends on both sides of the coin whom I admire and respect.
And while I have painted with broad strokes in this article, there will always be exceptions to this rule. However, when choosing between a biblical counselor vs a Christian counselor, your choice will have real implications. What is the ultimate source of authority? What is the true nature of our deepest problems? And what is God's solution to our problems?
The Bible has answers to these questions and we need not look elsewhere. The Neuthetic Counseling movement The modern day biblical counseling movement has its roots in the Neuthetic Counseling movement started by Jay Adams in the s.
Completing training curriculum, observations and required reading. Passing an examination and receiving references. Completing 50 sessions of supervised counseling.
How To Become a Christian Counselor? This process involves: Getting a graduate level education in counseling. Passing an examination given by your accrediting board. Similarities Between Biblical Counseling and Christian Counseling As brothers and sisters in Christ, biblical counselors and christian counselors have many things in common. Both want to help hurting people.
Both have received extensive training to help people. Both hold to the Christian faith in their personal life. Both will incorporate biblical truth into the counseling process. Differences between biblical Counseling and Christian counseling We've already discussed differences in the way biblical counselors and christian counselors are licensed. What is our source of authority?
0コメント