Not all counselors and counseling techniques are created equal

I get asked this question a lot, which is a great things! If you are seeking care you need to know if it is the right fit for you or if it is aligned to your own beliefs.

For the sake of being succinct, I will not make this blog entry simple yet informative.

1. Christian

My approach is Christian, and I am a Christian

By Christian I mean that I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that forgiveness of sin is given through repenting (turning away from sin) and believing (trusting) in Jesus. [Ephesians 2:8–9]

By Christian I mean that I believe that there is a great cloud of witness who came before me. These men and women have asked the same questions and have answered them by reading Scriptures and asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate their hearts and minds. As a result, traditions and spiritual disciplines were passed on through generations of Christians. One old spiritual discipline that I use in my counseling is Lectio Divina which was originally practiced by Christians since the 6th century AD.

By Christian I mean that I believe in good science. Good science is rooted in the belief that humans are created by God. Scientific observation that begins and sustains a Biblical understanding of humans will yield truth, hence good science. In my practice, I use good scientific observations to explain and assess the health of my clients.

2. Holistic

Theologians have observed that today’s church have an unhealthy way view of humans, primarily because we overemphasize the separation of our physical body from our invisible soul. Functionally, this looks like exercising and applying spiritual disciplines while neglecting the to exercise our physical bodies. I believe that if our body is not cared for, it will inevitably impact our souls and vice versa. This might look like me asking you to schedule a regular nap and snack times. I mean, when the prophet Elijah was moping God sent angels to make him nap and eat. Sometimes it is all we need.

3. Learning about Emotions

In our society today, and even in our churches we somehow have a negative view of emotions. We think they are nuisance that gets in the way of productivity and efficiency. However, I believe that God made emotions. God Himself has emotions!

Most counselors focus on changing the way a person believes to be true. For them, wrong thinking or wrong theology of God is the culprit. Therefore if they can change what you believe, then they will feel better. While that is good, I think it is incomplete.

My favorite counselor, Paul Tripp believes that human beings in turmoil experience what he calls the Gospel Gap. There is a gap between what you believe and how you feel, which affects the way you behave.

My goal is to bridge the gap between what you know and what you feel, to remove all the debris (pain, trauma, guilt, shame, etc.) that is hindering one’s growth and healing.

4. Healing and Growth

I have two main goals whenever I meet with people. I ask the question, “Where does this person need healing?” From answers to this question, I am able to map a curriculum for healing. This step is crucial because self-awareness must be achieved in order for healing to be possible.

Once we have unearthed and processed areas of the soul that needs healing, we proceed to discovering areas for growth. Most of the time people are already aware of areas they need to grow, but they do not know how to grow. My desire is to help you know how to grow and how to sustain that growth.

5. Trinity-centered

By Trinity-centered I mean that my standard for health is Jesus. That I believe our only hope for healing comes primarily from the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That guilt and shame were nailed to the cross of Jesus. That all fear, especially of death are defeated when Jesus rose from the dead.

By Trinity-centered I mean that I point needy human beings to God the Father for love and acceptance. That displaced humans find their belonging in the arms of the Father. That protection and safety are guaranteed by the Father.

By Trinity-centered I mean that I believe the power to change comes from the Holy Spirit. That the Holy Spirit sustains growth. That wisdom and direction come from God the Holy Spirit.

6. Beginning at Gen. 1

Some counselors either begin at Gen. 3, wherein they inevitably emphasize sin and the brokenness of human beings.

Some counselors do not even acknowledge Gen. 3, wherein they completely ignore the sin and brokenness of human beings.

I make sure that I begin at Genesis 1, wherein I emphasize the imago Dei. Gen. 1:26-27 guide my reading of passages in the Bible pertaining to human beings.

By Beginning at Gen. 1 I mean that I look at the Bible as the “God-breathed Scriptures are wholly true in all things that they assert in the original autographs and therefore function with the authority of God’s own words.” (source)

7. Trauma-informed

By trauma-informed I mean that I provide care that consider the visible and invisible impact of trauma on the client. I believe that people who experience traumatic events and come out the other side with trauma.

By trauma-informed I mean that I am trained to detect signs of physical, emotional, verbal, and spiritual abuse.

By trauma-informed I mean that traumatized people heal and grow differently than people who have not experienced trauma.

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I hope this blog post answered some of your questions. If you have further questions, please let me know!