A couple weeks ago, one of my supervisors presented a topic for discussion: "What makes Christian counseling Christian?" Strangely (or not, if you believe, as I do, that it's a God thing) that same question was presented to me by my Bible study group just the week before. So I've been giving it some thought lately, and this is what I've come up with...
I was taught, and have come to believe, that by nature of the fact that I am a Christian, I bring God with me into the counseling setting. And if nothing else of a spiritual nature happens during that hour, it is Christian counseling. However, because I believe that God is with me everywhere I go, including the counseling office, I tend to draw Him into the experience because that is what my faith is to me - active and personal.
Many clients seek me out, not because they have an active faith, but because "Christian" counseling sounds nice and safe. For these clients who are not interested in having faith, spirituality, or Christianity integrated into the counseling session or into how they think about their life or their problems, at the very least, I pray for them. I pray for them silently during the session, and I remember them in prayer between sessions. Some clients are very clear and adamant that God not be mentioned, and that's fine. My job as a counselor is to meet the client where they are at, in a non-judgmental way.
Some clients may not have an active faith, but they have a church background or attend church reguarly. These clients are more open to my mention of prayer or the Bible as good ways of coping with life's challenges. I believe that the Holy Spirity prompts me to be more open and candid about my belief system with certain clients, and have not offended clients at the mention of church or faith. For those clients who are believers, or Christ-followers, very often we incorporate God's story and character into their story, and connect together as counselor and client on a different spiritual level.
Because of my faith in Jesus Christ, my way of thinking about people - their value, their worth, their eternal significance - is going to be different. However, regardless of where the client is in their life and in their walk, my relationship with the client is the first priority. Christian counseling does not mean that I preach at anyone. If I can't connect with the client and build trust and rapport, there is no counseling period, let alone Christian counseling.
This is how it works for me: Yesterday I happened to come across II Peter 1:5-15 while I was waiting for a client. Not just a happy accident. "So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more your grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ...I plan to keep on reminding you of these things - even though you already know them and are stainding firm in the truth..." (NLT) This passage has stuck with me as a reminder of how God and His word apply to my work, and my life. Made me sit up a little straighter - and wonder how God would be "reminding" me.
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