Title: Christian Counselling
1Christian Counselling
Christian Counselling, also known as biblical
counselling and Christian psychology, combines
your faith with the principles of psychology to
improve your mental health and relationships.
The truth is, when you are in the midst of
troubling life events like the death of a loved
one or pet, the loss of a job, declining health,
financial problems, and/or relationship issues, a
strong and resilient faith may be just what is
missing from your life. The ultimate goal of
Christian counselling is to help Christians
identify behaviours that are inconsistent with
Gods teachings, so they can become more
accepting of Gods will even when its not
their will.
2Christian Counselling
How Did Christian Counselling Begin? The root of
Christian counselling lies within biblical
accounts. Jay E. Adams, the founder of the
Biblical Counselling Movement, discussed this
faith-based approach to treating mental health
conditions, relationship/adjustment issues,
trauma, emotional distress, abuse, addiction,
etc., in his novel, Competent to Counsel. This
approach was quite controversial because it
differed from the more popular therapy approaches
of the time. But, by the late 1960s and 1970s,
this new form of counselling took off only to
later become one of the most popular therapy
options for Christians, and those who want to
include their faith in the therapy process. In
1968, the Christian Counselling Educational
Foundation was formed to provide present-day and
future Christian counsellors with guidelines on
how to properly treat those seeking a faith-based
therapy approach.
3Christian Counselling
Who Can Practice Christian Counselling? Psycholog
ists of any specialty, counsellors, pastors,
reverends, religious leaders, clinical social
workers, etc. can practice Christian counselling,
however, they must have a masters degree or
Ph.D. in counselling, psychology, Christian
counselling, or another mental health discipline
in order to treat people. They must also be
licensed to practice or provide counselling to
clients. However, an individual, who would like
to provide Christian counselling to others, but
only has a bachelor degree may still be able to
practice by graduating from a Christian
counselling certificate program. This program
teaches future Christian counsellors how to
properly use the basic principles of the Bible in
the counselling sessions, the importance of
family therapy, and how to help clients get the
maximum benefit out of rehabilitative counselling.
4Christian Counselling
What Issues Do Christian Counsellors
Address? The goal of Christian counsellors is to
use faith-based principles and psychological
instruction to help people better manage and/or
resolve any issues in their lives. More
specifically, these mental health professionals
not only assess, diagnose, and treat mental
illnesses, they also teach clients coping skills,
so they can better adjust to any changes that may
occur in their lives.
5Christian Counselling
Goals of Christian Counselling As mentioned
above Christian counsellors treat a wide variety
of issues, so clients set a wide range of goals,
ranging from adjustment issues to mental
illnesses. Listed below are some of the most
common issues and goals of counselling
Conquering Marital Problems Christian
counselling places a great deal of value on the
sacrament of marriage. When a couple enters a
marriage, they are making a commitment to love
and honor one another for life. In the Christian
faith, divorce is not seen as an option, so
couples are encouraged to work through any
problems together in marital counselling, rather
than giving up on their marriages. Coping with
Parenting Challenges While gratifying, raising
children is not easy. As a parent, you will
experience many ups-and-downs, joys, and
frustrations thats normal. In fact, there may
be times when raising your child is extremely
challenging, which is where a Christian
counsellor can come into play.
6Christian Counselling
Goals of Christian Counselling He/she can guide
you on your parenting journey. However, if your
parenting challenges are more in-depth or severe
like mental illness, physical ailments, learning
disabilities, bullying, eating disorders, and/or
developmental challenges, you may be referred to
a therapist or psychiatrist. Support For Mental
Health Conditions Having a mental illness is hard
enough without having to deal with it alone.
Counselling helps those with mental illnesses by
providing them with support and an outlet to
express their feelings. With Christian
counselling, you learn how to accept that you are
a Child of God just like everyone else. It is
this understanding that provides you with some
much-needed comfort and solace when you need it
the most.
7Christian Counselling
Goals of Christian Counselling Recovering From
Grief Loss The death of a loved one is
heart-breaking, and the grieving period can seem
never-ending. But, for many, this is the time
they lean most heavily on their faith to help
them get through this taxing time. However,
sometimes the grief is just too deep to find the
Light of God. Healing From Substance Abuse
Addiction Seeking help for addiction requires
courage. But, admitting that you have a problem
with drugs, alcohol, and/or gambling is often the
first step in receiving the help you need to turn
your life around. Once you admit that you need
help, a Christian counsellor can provide you with
the support you need to kick your habit.
8Christian Counselling
- Who Should Seek Christian Counselling?
- Anyone, who is experiencing psychological or
health issues should seek Christian counselling.
It is important to understand that Christian
counselling does not centre on one particular
problem, concern, or mental illness, rather, the
goal of this type of counselling is to address a
broad range of personal, relationship,
parent-child, social, and mental health issues. - Reasons why you should seek Christian counselling
include - Relationship, parent-child, or marital issues
- Parenting guidance
- Mental illness or psychological distress
- Grief and loss
- Poor goal-setting skills
- Low self-esteem and self-confidence
- Weak faith and/or a poor connection to God
- Substance abuse or addiction
9Christian Counselling
- Why Innovative Counselling Solutions?
- We are one of the few counselling providers in
the Greater Calgary area that have experience as
trained pastors and licensed psychologists, with
decades of combined experience providing
comprehensive counselling solutions to those that
are struggling. - We Provide
- Confidentiality
- Spiritual and Emotional Guidance
- Well Rounded Christian Support
- We know how much of a struggle it can be to
maintain your faith and your beliefs in todays
high stress world, as well as what it takes to
overcome many of lifes challenges. If you are in
need of Christian counselling or therapy
solutions, contact Innovative Counselling
Solutions today and start healing your spirit and
your mind today.
10Christian Counselling
Thank You