Today people are under almost constant stress, and personal problems plague many. Millions of people of all ages seek advice and support from trained professionals. For Christians, faith-based counseling is an option that might heighten the chances of a successful outcome. A shared belief in biblical principles means that the counselor should be able to offer hope and positive steps that the client would be able to accept.
Counseling is difficult for many people to initiate. It is normal for troubled individuals to feel that they can handle their own problems. It is also usual for people who have serious difficulties with addictions - to drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, over-spending, or other self-destructive activities - to blame those around them rather than to accept responsibility.
Once the need for sessions with a trained professional is acknowledged, people need to find the person that can best help them. Now is when the world view of the advisor should be investigated. A shared belief system is important, which is one reason that people often seek advice from their pastor or someone within their church.
For example, a secular counselor will stress understanding past problems. The client might be asked to talk about experiences of the past, try to understand them, and attempt to come to terms with them. A Christian counselor might be less interested in what happened and more focused on the client's response to such experiences then and now. Experiencing and expressing forgiveness will be more important than coping mechanisms.
For a Christian, it is important to forgive hurts and injuries from the past - forgive both others and self - and move beyond circumstances to the future. The realities of healing, peace, and hope for the future is extended by God to His children. Understanding God is a more important life skill than understanding the past and all its pain.
Allowing God to heal and to change the heart of a person is not easy, but it is simple. Let God be in control and follow His ways. Giving up control of one's life is not a concept that is familiar to the secular world, but it is of paramount importance in living according to biblical precepts.
The goal of someone going to counseling, unless it is court ordered, is to build healthy relationships and learn how to cope with difficult circumstances in better ways than by resorting to addictions, retreating into depression, or acting out in anti-social ways. Having a relationship with the deity, who has promised to never leave or forsake, can give a shaky life a foundation for future happiness.
Of course, being a Christian as well as a trained counselor is not a sure-fire certificate of competence. It is still important for those seeking faith-based counseling to choose carefully. Getting recommendations from pastors and people who have been helped, as well as seeking direction through personal prayer, can help those in need find the advice and support they require to move forward in a new direction.
Counseling is difficult for many people to initiate. It is normal for troubled individuals to feel that they can handle their own problems. It is also usual for people who have serious difficulties with addictions - to drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, over-spending, or other self-destructive activities - to blame those around them rather than to accept responsibility.
Once the need for sessions with a trained professional is acknowledged, people need to find the person that can best help them. Now is when the world view of the advisor should be investigated. A shared belief system is important, which is one reason that people often seek advice from their pastor or someone within their church.
For example, a secular counselor will stress understanding past problems. The client might be asked to talk about experiences of the past, try to understand them, and attempt to come to terms with them. A Christian counselor might be less interested in what happened and more focused on the client's response to such experiences then and now. Experiencing and expressing forgiveness will be more important than coping mechanisms.
For a Christian, it is important to forgive hurts and injuries from the past - forgive both others and self - and move beyond circumstances to the future. The realities of healing, peace, and hope for the future is extended by God to His children. Understanding God is a more important life skill than understanding the past and all its pain.
Allowing God to heal and to change the heart of a person is not easy, but it is simple. Let God be in control and follow His ways. Giving up control of one's life is not a concept that is familiar to the secular world, but it is of paramount importance in living according to biblical precepts.
The goal of someone going to counseling, unless it is court ordered, is to build healthy relationships and learn how to cope with difficult circumstances in better ways than by resorting to addictions, retreating into depression, or acting out in anti-social ways. Having a relationship with the deity, who has promised to never leave or forsake, can give a shaky life a foundation for future happiness.
Of course, being a Christian as well as a trained counselor is not a sure-fire certificate of competence. It is still important for those seeking faith-based counseling to choose carefully. Getting recommendations from pastors and people who have been helped, as well as seeking direction through personal prayer, can help those in need find the advice and support they require to move forward in a new direction.
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