Christian counseling vs. secular counseling. What are the differences and similarities?
As a general rule, both Christian counseling and secular counseling share the same desire to help people overcome their problems, find meaning and joy in life, and become healthy and well-adjusted individuals, both mentally and emotionally. Most counselors have graduate degrees and have spent years learning their craft. The word “counseling” can have multiple meanings, including offering advice and encouragement, sharing wisdom and skills, setting goals, resolving conflict, etc. Counselors often probe the past (whether the problem happened a week ago or during childhood) in an attempt to repair the present. Sometimes they explore possible affects of physical and chemical imbalances that can cause physiological problems. A major part of counseling is resolving and restoring conflicts between people. We were created for relationships with others and when those are not healthy we experience suffering, difficulty, and pain.
Christian counseling is distinct from secular counseling in that it specifically incorporates the spiritual dimension, Biblical truths, and seeking God’s will in an individual’s life. People are not just physical beings, we are also emotional and spiritual beings. All three must be addressed to reach the whole person. Christian counselors understand that the Bible has a lot of practical wisdom about human nature, marriage and family, human suffering, and so much more. By using biblical concepts in counseling, they can sometimes provide specific direction and accountability that secular counseling does not offer.
Another key distinction is how Christian counselors relate to and see the people they meet. We are all created in the image of God, have immense value, deserve to be respected, heard, and helped. We also struggle with sin, difficulty making good decisions, and navigating a world that is slowly breaking down and falling further away from it’s original design. Compassion, empathy, and grace are extended to everyone we meet with as Christian counselors because we have been shown compassion, grace, and forgiveness by God. We are not better than anyone, nor are we assuming we have all the answers. We walk along aside people with the intentional goal of helping meet their needs, point them toward their Creator’s design for their life, and remind ourselves that we are equally needy people.