What is Christian Counseling?

Christian counseling is an organization and a ministry-profession that it is growing worldwide. It consists of a group of individuals who deliver care and counseling services to a wide range of clients who share the same Christian’s beliefs. Christian Counseling honors Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and it is guided by the Bible. Christian counseling has many goals, “but it has one ultimate concern: helping clients become more like Christ and grow into a deeper intimacy with God and with one another” (Clinton & Hawkins, 2011, p. 1).

Even though present Christian counseling has a short history, its initiation in the pastoral counseling care and counseling ministry of the church is at least two thousand years old.  “Hundreds of thousands of professional and pastoral counselors – and millions more lay helpers – are now doing counseling ministry in every state and on every continent” (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2002, p.42). Christian counseling is not only a ministry of spiritual individuals that practice pastoral care but also it’s a group of individuals emerging in the clinical profession of the mental health field.

Values

Christian counseling has its own set of values. As secular counseling, Christian counselors should understand that their values should not be exposed or imposed on their clients. Christian counselors need to have awareness of their own values and how these may influence the counseling practice.  The goal of the counselor should not be to impose their values but rather to help the client establish how their behavior is negatively affecting their lives. In Christian counseling it is important that both the client and the counselor should have the same religious background.  Yet, even though the client has identified having the same religious background, the counselor should not assume their beliefs are precisely the same.  

Christian counselors should respect the client’s right to self-determination regarding religious values and should not judge the client due to their opinion or choices.  If a client asks for help and this one has a different religion or a sexual orientation that is not supported by the counselor, the counselor should refer them to another professional that can address the issue “Counselors with faith backgrounds who feel conflicted about counseling people living a gay lifestyle are ethically responsible to refer to professional counselors who can best help those clients obtain their goals in therapy” (Clinton & Hawkins, 2011, p. 19).

 

 

 

Biblical-Ethical Foundations of the AACC Ethics Code

 

1st FOUNDATION: Jesus Christ—and His revelation in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible—is the pre-eminent model for Christian counseling practice, ethics, and caregiving activities.

 
2nd FOUNDATION: Christian counseling maintains a committed, intimate, and dedicated relationship with the worldwide church, and individual counselors with a local body of believers.

 
3rd FOUNDATION: Christian counseling, at its best, is a Spirit-led process of change and growth, geared to help others mature in Christ by the skillful synthesis of counselor-assisted spiritual, psycho-social, familial, bio-medical, and environmental interventions.

 
4th FOUNDATION: Christian counselors are dedicated to Jesus Christ as their ‘first love,’ to excellence in client service, to ethical integrity in practice, and to respect for everyone encountered.

 

5th FOUNDATION: Christian counselors accord the highest respect to the Biblical revelation regarding the defense of human life, the dignity of human personhood, and the sanctity of marriage and family life.

 

6th FOUNDATION: The biblical and constitutional rights to Religious Freedom, Free Speech, and Free Association protects Christian counselor public identity, and the explicit incorporation of spiritual practices into all forms of counseling and intervention.

 
7th FOUNDATION: Christian counselors are mindful of their representation of Christ and his church and are dedicated to honor their commitments and obligations in all social and professional relations.


  

References

Clinton, T. & G. Ohlschlager. (2002). Competent Christian counseling. Waterbrook Press: Colorado.

Clinton T. & R. Hawkins. (2011). The popular encyclopedia of christian counseling. Harvest House  Publishers: Eugene, Oregon.

American Association of Christian Counselors. (2004). America association of christian counselors code of ethics. Assessed from http://www.aacc.net/about-us/code-of-ethics/

Christian Counseling

Christian Counselors are trained professionals who normally behave ethically in their every day work.  Many of them hold advanced degrees in the helping field and are licensed to practice in the community.  Today, Christian psychology is a major movement and has had a great impact in the Christian community.  Many Christians whose personal problems went unnoticed in the past are now receiving intervention.  However, Christian counselors are surely not protected from ethical misbehavior.  Christian mental health professionals field have expanded; providing many services to their clients.  “Where there are more practitioners and more services rendered, there is an increased probability that ethical and legal infractions will occur:” (Sanders, 1997, p. 16). 

This blog will consider some of the ethical considerations for working as a Christian Counselor.  It is designed in order for individuals to have an understanding of the many aspects of Christian Counseling and have a construct perspective of what Christian counseling involves and its ethics.  This blog will outline some of the many topics in the work of Christian Counseling: the foundation, the major modalities, process and practice, code of ethics, ethical and legal issues, resources and its future.   

A Christian Counselor is: “A committed believer, doing the best to help others, with the help of God” (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2002, p.44).

References

Clinton, T. & G. Ohlschlager. (2002). Competent Christian Counseling. Waterbrook Press: Colorado.

Sanders, R. K. (1997). Christian counseling ethics: A handbook for therapists, pastors, & counselors.  InterVasity Press: Downers Grove, IL.