The Benefits Of Christian Counseling

I posted an article recently about my spiritual journey. In that article I mentioned that I have been through several years of Christian counseling. In another article, I talked about strongholds. (Click on my name at the top of this article and those other two articles will come up).

What led up to my need for Christian counseling was that strongholds had developed over a long period of time, but I did not recognize them as such. Also, other Christians would throw spiritual sayings at me as if they were “solutions” to my problems. They were no substitute for Christian counseling. When people tried to put “spiritual bandages “on my emotional wounds, the bleeding was still there.

So, how did Christian counseling help me, and how can it help you if you have experienced things that I have talked about?

It helped me identify the causes of my hurts. It showed me how my childhood had influenced my adult life. I recognized that problems have common elements. Many of my problems were behavior patterns or habits that could be changed. There was discussion relating to how religious upbringing can cause problems later in life. Counseling helped guide me through the healing process, which proved to be very valuable in understanding myself, and helping other people heal as well.

Another way I was helped was in the family context. I came to realize how much emotional baggage one can bring into a marriage, which could be a topic for a book.

I need to add here that most pastors are not trained counselors. With that said, they can be a good listener, but there is no way they can be of help to you in all of the areas that enter into healing your hurts. I’m not being critical of pastors. They are simply not professionals when it comes to counseling.

The following was written by the counselor that I went to, which can provide additional insight into how counseling can be of help:

” In my experience, people come for therapy/counseling with problems, dilemmas, quandaries, pain, grief, and confusion. Occasionally, they wish to explore the reasons and direction in which their lives have gone or are going. Then they can choose their direction/adjustment for the future. Some of the greatest stumbling blocks to successful conversation can be the assumptions, preconceptions, and perspectives that each person brings. These possible blocks come from our culture, society, religious, educational, plus family experiences and values. They influence every conversation that we have, including the ones that are named fights, arguments, debates, mental, emotional, physical and verbal abuse, plus advice.”

I sincerely hope that this article has been helpful to some out there who are in dire need of counseling. “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisors, they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22).

However, the best counseling is found in God’s word. “I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel. In the night, also my heart instructs me”(Psalm 16:7).

If people live according to the life principles given in the Bible, they may not need as much counseling on the human level.