Christian Counseling The Rev. Christopher Hershman, MA, STM, DMin
I have been hammered on the anvil of this world, yet I have not given into despair or surrendered to my fears. Life is difficult, and the assumption that life will not be difficult is the root of all insanity. I have suffered. I have walked the lonely path through the wilderness and my illusions have fallen under the weight of the shadows of darkness. But the cross of Jesus Christ has brought forth a great light. I am wrecked by the cross of Christ and the incredible sacrifice of God. I want intimacy with God through Jesus by the Spirit more than anything in life. It alone can be the only source of my healing.
St. Paul writes,
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:1-10)
Rejoice in our sufferings? That seems so out of place in our world. But amid even the most intense loss or suffering our only hope comes from faith.
Martin Luther wrote, “The theology of the cross is our theology.” The common misconception is that the theology of the cross is simply concerned with helping us get through our struggles and sufferings. The theology of the cross certainly speaks to our sufferings, but it doesn't end there. In May, 1518, Martin Luther included these theses in his Heidelberg Disputation:
3. Although the works of man always appear attractive and good, they are nevertheless likely to be mortal sins.
4. Although the works of God always seem unattractive and appear evil, they are nevertheless really eternal merits. And further, the heart of the Heidelberg Disptutation and of the theologia crucis...
19. That person does not deserve to be called a theologian who looks upon the invisible things of God as though they were clearly perceptible in those things which have actually happened [Rom. 1.20].
20. He deserves to be called a theologian, however, who comprehends the visible and manifest things of God seen through suffering and the cross.
Martin Luther is saying that the theologian of the cross isn't one who merely discerns his own sufferings as "crosses," but who also discerns and comprehends "the visible and manifest things of God seen through suffering and the cross."
The theology of the cross isn't only about "getting us through suffering," but is rather, first and foremost, about how we perceive God. God is the "hidden God" who is veiled in suffering and the cross. This is most certainly how God is revealed for us.
The opponent of the theologian of the cross is the "theologian of glory."
The theologian of glory is the theologian of this world,
The theologian of glory perceives God's hand only in the "good" and "beneficial" things of this life. This appears sufficient when life appears to be going well. However, it is said that while men make plans, God laughs. Life doesn't typically work out exactly the way we thought it would. We discover we cannot control the world and become overwhelmed. And so, the humanly conceived theology of glory falls to pieces every time.
Unlike the theologian of glory, the theologian of the cross perceives God's hand even in suffering and affliction. The theologian of glory says, for example, that the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 couldn't, in any way, be the will of God. The theologian of glory teaches that God only brings us good things.
But the theologian of the cross sees God's hand in everything. Could it be God's will that we suffer? After all, the Lord "hardened Pharoah's heart," caused an "evil spirit" to enter into King Saul, and invited Satan to "consider my servant Job." The theologian of glory seeks the wisdom and power of God, the theologian of the cross perceives God's true power only through the foolishness of suffering and the cross. But this foolishness is the greatest wisdom!
The theology of glory is a theology that flees suffering at all costs because it believes that suffering and the Christian life are incompatible. "Why does a good God allow good people to suffer" is a question only asked by a theologian of glory.
The theologian of the cross understands that in Christ even suffering is redeemed. The Lord takes the curse and redeems it all. As man was once tempted and fell by a cursed tree, the cursed tree itself becomes the instrument of man's redemption in Christ! The curse becomes a gift! Suffering becomes a gift! All of it is redeemed in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus Christ. Consequently, only in suffering and the cross can the glory of God be perceived properly. The theology of the cross is a theology of God's self-revelation for us.
How does God come to us? The theologian of glory sees God's hand only in the good things of life, in blessings and successes. The theologian of the cross receives even suffering as a gift. After all, it it is in Christ's suffering that suffering itself is redeemed. It is in suffering where Christ is found.
And where Christ is found is where God has revealed His glory for us. The theologian of glory attempts to pry behind the "mask" of God's glory, just as Moses asked if he could see God's face in all His glory. But God turns to Moses, and to us, His back side - for we shall not see his glory and live! Instead, God comes to us veiled in suffering and the cross. He comes where we are, that we might be where He is - glory in suffering. Glory in a cross. The curse couldn't get its bony hands on Christ.
The glory of the theologia crucis (theology of the cross) is that, even the curse itself is redeemed. The glory of the cross isn't a matter of helping us to look past our sufferings, but to find Christ in suffering itself. He took suffering upon Himself.
Now suffering itself is redeemed in His blood. Suffering itself becomes gift. "Take up your cross and follow me" isn't a matter of pious self-reflection in suffering. It isn't a matter of imitating Christ and pridefully bearing our afflictions because, after all, Christ did--and if it is good enough for him, it is good enough for you and me too.
On the contrary, to "take up" our cross, is to take up Christ's cross. It is to cling to Christ, not merely through suffering, but in suffering itself. Because it is through the greatest curse - the curse of the tree - that the greatest gift is given.
St. Paul writes in 2Corinthians (4:7-12):
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 1We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
For this reason Jesus said in Matthew 23:27-28:
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
True Christian counseling doesn't attempt to put a coat of whitewash over human problems with a few obligatory, but superficially pious references to the Bible or pronouncements regarding the love of God. Human suffering is taken very seriously. But the divine power to heal is taken even more seriously. And Christian counselors seek to get to the root of human problems because Christian counseling takes human sin seriously.
St. John writes (1John 1:5-10):
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
And Psalm 51 (vss. 3-5)
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Christian counselors believe that individuals, couples and families can change.
Mark 1 (vss. 14 - 15):
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God."The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
Thus Jesus' entire mission was begun by announcing the need for metanoia, which is commonly translated "repentance."
In Greek - the language in which the New Testament was written - the word translated "repentance" in English is the Greek word "metanoia." Unfortunately, in English there is not one word that catch the meaning of "metanoia" in its fullest sense. "Metanoia" literally means "beyond the mind."
So it's an idea of stretching or pushing beyond the boundaries with which we normally think and feel. When we push beyond the boundaries of what we have been doing we are allowing God really to take an active role in our formation.
Consequently, repentance does not mean simply regretting some action or some word. Repentance means a profound change, of mind and even character, completely turning around one's life and one's being. It means going in an entirely new direction from that which one has been going.
Contrition involves a change of mind, whereby we start thinking anew about everything. So to bring our thoughts into a godly, godlike form, that's part of contrition; that's part of metanoia.
So we need to discover who God really is and what God wants for for our lives.
New Testament writers seem to agree that Jesus preached metanoia - conversion or transformation, change of heart and, literally, change of mind.
Metanoia is the idea of the need for conversion.
This is recognizing that we really don't know God or ourselves as God intends. We really need metanoia, which means allowing the grace of God to enter into our lives and teach us to see our true self.
"The kingdom of God is at hand," Jesus says, meaning it's at arm's length. But in order to grasp it, it is necessary to undergo something like a conversion or transformation and change of heart and mind. It means understanding life and the world in a new way.
Metanoia is a new-minded way of looking at life. Metanoia is not a backward-looking glance of regret. Rather, it's a forward-looking vision of hope; a new openness to what is truly beyond ourselves, our view of life and how we put the data together and draw conclusions.
Jesus was preaching about the need for conversion or transformation. Conversion in Greek is "metanioa," something whereby God takes center place in our consciousness, in our awareness, and in our minds. Metanoia means a new mind about who we are. This involves a radical revision and transformation of our whole mental process. It means new mindedness, new change of mind and change of heart in the Hebrew sense of heart - how you think. And that means letting go of rigidly held notions and ideas about life.
The basic change is being able to trust God in every situation, no matter what it is or how painful it may be.
God is to be trusted. God is always present.
God is always inviting us into more life, and so to be questioning our own ways and our own habits is a good thing--and letting go of rigidity.
Unfortunately, our own attempts to change have been futile. We become gridlocked by interlocking mutually exclusive desires. It is no wonder that we feel powerless, overwhelmed and out of control.
Psalm 51 (vss. 9-17):
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Salvation refers to deliverance or rescue from some undesirable state or condition. Most significantly, in Christianity, it refers to the grace of God in delivering His people from bondage to sin and condemnation, transferring them to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Col. 1:13), and giving them eternal life (Romans 6:23)--all on the basis of what Christ accomplished in his atoning sacrifice on the cross.
The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith. We could not do this ourselves; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).
In theology, the study of salvation is called soteriology, from the Greek soteria meaning "salvation". Salvation, virtually synonymous with the overall concept of redemption, includes a past, present, and future sense. As Christians, we were saved from the penalty of sin when God brought us to faith in Christ; we are presently being saved from the power of sin by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit; and we will someday be saved from the presence of sin when we meet Christ face to face in glory.
Rather then being threatened by pastoral counselors, the church needs to use pastoral counselors for more effective ministry. Professional pastoral counselors receive degrees in both psychology and theology and complete years of formal clinical supervision of their clinical work, not only in order to become effective therapists, but also to integrate theology and psychology. Pastoral counselors are certified as Fellows or Diplomates by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
Although I have personally studied most current theoretical schools of psychotherapy, my “theoretical rationale” continues to be that of a confessional Evangelical Lutheran Christian. This Christian world view affects all that I do in my counseling ministry. I am not a psychologist that also happens to be a pastor, instead, I am a pastor involved in a significant specialized ministry. I have been trained to integrate theology and psychology in order to help persons experience the light of Christ within the midst of the darkness of their lives. Persons seek me out because I am a competent psychologist, but also because I am a pastor and can help them with spiritual issues as well.
Unfotunately, some individuals often set up false dichotomies between psychology and theology. Sometimes the world of psychotherapy--varieties of counselors and insurance providers--tries to sell the myth of “valueless” or “value free” counseling. Counseling is not without values, and attempting to not teach a value is in fact teaching a value. When we cut away the facade, we discover that counseling is inseparately connected with a person’s values and morality. Faith in God, and what faith means for a person’s life, is the most central value system that we have. Faith is integral to how we understand ourselves, life events and the world.
Consequently, just as pastoral counseling is not just counseling done by a pastor, pastoral counselors is also not just the process whereby a church related agency simply hires counselors with varieties of faith commitments and training who then work under the agency’s name. Rather, pastoral counseling is deeply involved in shaping values and calling persons to spiritual integrity and character. Simply sending faithful persons to any mental health professional, who may even be antipathic to religion, is not helpful.It is inadequate and does not serve the gospel. Rather, pastoral counseling necessitates ethical, high quality pastoral ministry. It involves sophisticated integration of Christian theology and ethics with knowledge about human experience, as well as the utilization of techniques which help people enter into fuller relationship with God.
Our relationship with God in Jesus Christ impacts our daily lives and changes us from where we are to where God wants us to be:
A man whose wife had committed suicide sought me out for counseling. Previous to coming to me the man had been seen by a psychologist that the man was referred to by his HMO. When the man expressed his concern about his wife’s entry into heaven due to her suicide, instead of helping the man work through this and explore his beliefs, this psychologist told the man in a very uncaring way, “Don’t believe that crap - when you’re dead, you’re dead.” Obviously, this was poor psychology as well as poor theology, but it does make a point about the attitudes of many psychotherapists that our people seek out to help them with life’s challenges.
I had a female client who was a faithful Lutheran, serving as president of her congregation’s council. After a number of stressors, including health problems and a husband who gave her little affection over many years, she found herself in an extramarital affair.She ended the affair, but found that she could not forgive herself and became very depressed.She went to several psychologists. They used a number of techniques to help her move beyond the affair but she continued to feel guilty and depressed. Then she came to me. Along with my utilization of standard psychotherapeutic techniques, we also talked about the forgiveness of God. On a number of issues I referred her back to her own pastor, who saw me as a resource to his ministry. In therapy, we not only discussed the woman’s feelings and behavior in light of the forgiveness of God, but also discussed passages of scripture such as the story about Jesus and the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11). As a Christian, she needed reconciliation with God as well as cognitive-behavioral therapy of depression. Therapy appropriately became a place where she not only dealt with her depression, but also heard the Word of the Gospel proclaimed as she was lovingly challenged to return to the promise of her baptism. She heard the promise of Jesus in his words, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again (John 8:11).”She not only became less depressed, but in order to change directions and go in a new way, became more assertive and eventually entered marriage counseling with her husband. Today she has an apparently healthy marriage and is a resource to many whom she serves through her roles as a congregational leader, employee, wife, mother and friend.
A man who deeply loved his wife and two small children was devastated when his wife abandoned him and the children for another man. He needed to overcome his serious depression and find meaning and purpose for his life. But he felt unable to find healingor peace in God due to childhood abuse both at home with his family of origin and in a religious school environment. Pastoral counseling helped him find healing. The day he took his children to Sunday school for the first time he sat in the church alone and wept. He felt that he had finally come home.
A woman, confirmed at a Lutheran church, had become very successful in business but had serious relationship problems and was presently married to an alcoholic. She spent thousands of dollars each year exploring Eastern Religions and New Age Gurus. But none of this made her happy. Deep down she was looking for a relationship with Jesus Christ that would also help her make some significant life changes. During sessions with her I had moresophisticated theological discussions than I had ever had in a congregation, or even with classmates in seminary! She eventually found what she was searching for in Christ and today she is a weekly participant in worship and a good steward in her congregation.
A successful businessman, suicidally depressed,made significant changes in his life after we talked about biblical notions of “success” and “failure.”
A Roman Catholic woman went to mass faithfully but never received Communion because she had been having an affair for years with a married man. Although a number of secular counselors had tried to convince her that this relationship was not healthy, nothing seemed to help her intense shame. It was only when she and I approached the matter from the perspective of her identity as a Roman catholic and her need to confess her sin to a priest, be absolved and repent, that she found healing. She needed integrity between her self and her faith commitments. After months of hesitating, she finally went to confession and received communion on Christmas day. She later told me that that Christmas was the most joyfilled Christmas of her entire life..
A woman phoned me to schedule a counseling session. One of the first questions out of her mouth was to ask whether I was a "real" Christian Counselor. After I explained my credentials to practice "Christian" or "Pastoral" counseling, she was relieved, and explained that her 16 year old son had just had a very bad experience with a local psychologist. Apparently, her son had been in quite a bit of trouble over the past few years at school and at home. He often protested even attending church on Sundays with the rest of the family. It was only after a lot of pushing and prodding that both mom and dad had been able to get this young man to go on a week-long church youth event in another state.
But upon his return, this young man revealed to his overjoyed parents that this week had made a significant impact on his life. He said that at one key point during a worship service near the end of the week, he had even gone forward to the altar rail and knelt and said in his heart that at that moment he had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.
He went on to apologize to his parents for the way that he had been acting over the past few years and said that he was going to make a serious attempt to take a whole new approach to how he lived and behaved at both home and school.
Unfortunately, a couple of days later this young man had his next appointment with the psychologist he had been seeing weekly for the past six months. Apparently, he told the psychologist about his "conversion experience" with as much passion and joy that he had expressed when he had told his parents. But the psychologist's reaction to the boy's sharing of this deeply moving and profound personal experience was just to laugh, brush it off, and suggest that "all that religious nonsense is a lot of crap!"
Of course, the boy was crushed and felt extremely confused. Someone who he had learned to respect and look up to as a role model of mental health for the past six months had just made a fool out of him. The boy was hurt, the parents didn't really know what to do--except to allow their son to ever see that psychologist again, and that was when they called me.
This story reminded me of another incident that occurred a few years ago. A man in his early 30s had a beautiful wife, a good job and two small children. Then one day his wife discovered that she had developed a very painful and debilitating disease which would eventually result in her death. Facing intense pain on a dialing basis with no real hope of improvement, one day she took a whole bottle of her pain medication and died. The mad was devastated and of course the children were devastated too. The man was so depressed that he couldn't go to work and contacted his insurance company for a referral to a psychologist. Over the course of several sessions with this psychologist the man explained that he had been raised with the belief that individuals who commit suicide go to hell. At this point, the only thing that was really holding this man together was his belief that some day he would be with his beloved wife again. He was concerned about whether she would be in hell because this thought got in the way of his resurrection hope that he would be with his wife again. Finally, after a few sessions of discussions about this issue, the psychologist apparently became very frustrated with the man and at one point said, "You have to stop believing all this religious nonsense. Once your dead your dead!" Again, just as in the other case, that was that man?s last session with that psychologist and he called me. Unfortunately, it even took several months for me to help that man deal with the psychologist's remarks before we could even get to really addressing issues involving his wife's death.
These are not uncommon experiences. We get new client referrals almost every day from Christian individuals, couples and families who express concern that their faith commitments will not be taken seriously by a so-called "secular psychologist." And this is really a very legitimate issue of serious magnitude for a committed Christian believer. Such encounters are Word and Sacrament ministry. This reality seems particularly true for me on days when I am working on my Sunday sermon at the officeand have clients interspersed throughout the day. As I meet with people, it is very clear that what I am doing by studying scripture, writing sermons, teaching, counseling, calling people to live the promise of baptism, confession and absolution, leading worship, and celebrating Holy Communion are all inseparately connected activities of word and sacrament ministry.
There was once a conversation on the Internet listserv of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association on the issue of psychologists treating people who identified themselves as "Christians." Despite the typical back and forth comments that one would expect to hear in a forum like that, what was most unsettling to about the whole tone of the conversation was a serious lack of appreciation by most psychologists in the conversation for the real significance of faith in Jesus Christ for people who really do take the Christian faith seriously. Certainly, there were a lot of sensitive and wise things said by a lot of psychologists, and many psychologists are also Christians, but a number of psychologists were completely clueless about why a committed Christian who has given his life over to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, can't feel comfortable talking about the matters of faith and the meaning of life with a psychologist who has is comfortable with his own belief that even if Jesus wasn't a myth, and really lived on this world at one point, he was simply some sort of deluded moral teacher whose social skills were so poor that he made a very serious mistake by irritating some of the wrong people. So how does a born again Christian just walk into a secular humanist's office and get into a meaningful dialogue about matters of faith and life with a post-modernist psychologist or counselor who accepts postmodern notions such as:
There are no moral absolutes; All truth is limited, approximate, and is constantly evolving. No theory can ever be proved true (we can only show that a theory is false).
No theory can ever explain all things. Thus absolute and certain truth that explains all things is unobtainable.
That all points of view have equal validity and therefore must be tolerated; the only point of view which cannot be tolerated is one which purports to be the ONLY TRUTH.
Multiculturalism is an ideal whereby atheists, agnostics, and adherents of Islam and a variety of Eastern Religions, as well as Wicca and other varieties of pagan fertility cults, should be given preferential treatment over Christianity because Christianity has been a dominant ideology in western culture, and all other ideologies need to be given an equal opportunity as well as the support to achieve equal status with Christianity.
People are getting better and better all the time, and when a person has a problem it is only because he or she has gotten off the natural path to self-actualization. Affirming that person and offering unconditional positive regard will provide them with the opportunity to naturally get back on the path to self actualization. (Carl Rogers' humanism)
So what is a Christian Worldview?
It is impossible for devout Christians who have given their hears and minds to Jesus to just toss their faith in the wastebasket and somehow feel better by accepting a psychotherapist's own politically correct and secular humanist worldview. This is just not possible for many devout Christian believers.
Everyone has a worldview. Whether or not we realize it, we all have certain presuppositions and biases that affect the way we view all of life and reality. A worldview is like a set of lenses which taint our vision or alter the way we perceive the world around us. Our worldview is formed by our education, our upbringing, the culture we live in, the books we read, the media and movies we absorb, etc. For many people their worldview is simply something they have absorbed by osmosis from their surrounding cultural influences. They have never thought strategically about what they believe and wouldn't be able to give a rational defense of their beliefs to others.Christians are healthier and happier when they are equipped to think and live with a consistent and cohesive Biblical worldview. Just consider how these few ideas seriously conflict with the Postmodern assumptions listed above:
We believe that God exists (Heb. 11:6) and that He is the standard by which we measure everything else. God created everything that exists (Gen.1:1) and everything is held together by Him (Col. 1:17).
We believe the Bible is God's divinely inspired Word, revealed to mankind (2 Tim. 3:16).
We believe that the fullness of God came to earth and lived in the human body of Jesus Christ of Nazareth 2,000 years ago (Col. 1:19).
We believe that mankind chose to rebel against God in the Garden of Eden and because of that act of rebellion, sin and death entered the world (Rom. 5:12-14).
We believe that believing in (John 3:15-19, 5:24), and obeying (Luke 8:21, John 3:20, John 14:21, 23-24),
Jesus Christ is the only way to have eternal life or to be reunited with God (Acts 4:10-12).
Truth is absolute, not relativistic, and can only be understood by submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the one who said "I am the way, the Truth and the life, no one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
Christianity is believed by faith, it is most definitely a reasonable and rational faith. It answers the questions of the mind and the heart. We all live by faith. Some people have faith in themselves. Some have faith in the government or in a hope for world peace. Some have faith in their money, their education or their employment. All of those things are temporal and can change. They can all let us down. Our health can fail, we can lose our job, we can end a meaningful relationship with someone we care about. Life changes, but God can be depended on through it all. He will never leave nor forsake those who belong to Him. (Heb. 13:5b)
Christians desire Christ to live in our hearts by faith, so that we will come to know and understand the height and the depth and the width and the length of the Love of Christ. It surpasses all human knowledge. We pray that you can be filled with the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:18-19.
Unfortunately, there are also serious problems from the other end of the issue. Many years ago when I was a parish pastor I attended a workshop for mental health professionals in the Philadelphia suburbs. The name tags that had been given to each of us as we registered that morning bore not only our names but also our organizational affiliation. Most name tags either listed the name of an agency or the words "private practice." Since I worked at a church, my name tag was the only one that had my name and then the words "St. John's Church." When the seminar adjourned for lunch I was waiting in line to get up to the table where they had all the sandwiches, potato chips and sodas set for conference participants.
Just then, somebody asked me in a very loud and irritated tone, "And just what is someone like YOU doing here?" I was quite taken aback by the statement which surely seemed like a personal attack. And I was correct in taking it that way. Several psychologists and social workers in line ahead of me then proceeded to tell me horror stories about so-called "Biblical Counselors" they had known who had committed at least as much damage to some of their patients as the two psychologists that I mentioned above. Unfortunately, rather than accept me as a fellow mental health professional, these individuals were assuming that I was some sort ofhorrible monster who had dared to trespass into their professional mental health worker's seminar. Of course, that was closed minded on their part, and I doubt that I certainly would not have referred any Christian clients to any of them, but the source of their outrage against self-identified "Christian" or "Bible" counselors certainly had some basis in some of the real problems which can occur when people who don't know what they are doing attempt to play psychotherapist. At the same time, it was quite ironic for these supposedly "enlightened" individuals to verbally bludgeon a stranger wearing a navy blue suit, white shirt and tie, just because his name tag indicated that he worked for "St. John's Church." They knew absolutely nothing else about me and yet they accused me of being a rigid and narrow-minded Christian. How ironic?
Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
Christian counseling is counseling done by a professional counselor who upholds the Christian value system, beliefs and philosophy. The unifying factor is the therapist who has integrated Christianity (Christ-centered and Bible-based), psychological research, an understanding of family systems and the methodology of psychotherapy. Christian counselors base their basic principles on scriptural teachings that people have been created good by God, have fallen into sin, and seek the healing power of God's love and forgiveness to change themselves, their unhelpful relational pattens and their lives.
Christian Counselors are distinct from secular counselors in that Christian counselors understand the Bible as their supreme source of truth, continually nurture their own growth in the Christian faith, seek the help of the Holy Spirit during the process of counseling, and consider counseling as a ministry by which they serve others in the name of Christ.
Although there are differences bertween secular and Christian Counselors, both may utilize similar models of therapy. For example, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Marriage and Family Systems Therapy can be used by both Christian and non-Christian therapists and counselors. Depending on the clinical perspective informing any given Christian counselor's integration, this process may take various avenues and target diverse goals. Some clients are comforted knowing their counselor is a Christian and feel such a person's advice can be trusted. Some clients also wish to use the Bible and prayer as resources for therapy.
Although “pastoral counseling” is one of the many duties required of a parish pastor, most pastors only had one required course in Pastoral Care and Counseling during their seminary training, and perhaps also participated in a summer program of Clinical Pastoral Education in which the seminarian was supervised completed some chaplaincy work in a hospital or similar setting while being supervised by an approved chaplain-supervisor. Parish pastors can be very effective in doing crisis counseling with congregation members and others within the context of parish ministry. Generally, pastors are called upon to be involved in some pre-marital counseling with engaged couples before the date of the wedding, crisis counseling at the time of an individual or family tragedy, such as divorce, job loss or serious illness. Pastors are also typically called upon to engage in grief counseling with the friends and family members of someone who has died in the congregation. Far too often, however, pastors are drawn into difficult and potentially serious situations when they are called upon to deal with intricate individual or family problems involving intense dysfunction or serious mental illness. At times like these the best thing that a pastor can do for the members of the congregation is to make a good referral to a professional therapist who specializes in the type of problem which has emerged as well as who can use that person’s faith in God as a resource for healing and forgiveness. In this sense, professional “Christian Counselors” are no different than the physicians who are specialized in areas like Dermatology, Cardiology, Oncology, Orthopedic Surgery, or any other medical specialty. Just as a family doctor or Primary Care Physician would never consider personally performing open heart surgery or the repair of a compound fracture of the knee, parish pastors need to consider making referrals when a parishioner is suffering from serious anxiety, depression or severe marital or family problems.
At the same time, there is a similar problem at the other end of the spectrum. Even though the ethical code of the American Psychological Association expressly forbids psychologists from practicing in an area of therapy in which they do not have specific training, supervision and demonstrated competence, many psychologists and other mental health professionals seem to be able to understand why this means they cannot ethically practice law, psychiatry or neuropsychology unless they are actually licensed as a lawyer, a psychiatrist or have had considerable post-doctoral training and supervision in neuropsychology, those same individuals often appear to have any hesitation about declaring themselves experts on religion and “Christian Counseling.” It is unethical for a mental health professional to address spiritual and/or religious matters with a client unless that professional is working under the direct supervision of someone who has in fact considerable training and experience in theology, religion and the integration of religion and psychology within the practice of psychotherapy.
An individual who offers competent and professional services as a “Christian Counselor” should have attained at least a masters or doctoral level degree in Ministry, Psychology, Counseling or Social Work. In addition, a “Christian Counselor” should also have professional academic training in Theology with an emphasis upon integrating Theology, Psychology, Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy. Finally, a “Christian Counselor” should be licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Psychologist, Clinical Social Worker, Professional Counselor or Marriage and Family Therapist.
Both Christian and secular counselors need to adhere to ethical codes, professional standards, and be under appropriate clinical supervision. Consequently, professional “Christian Counselors” typically have a formal relationship with their Christian denomination and have met the required criteria to be endorsed or certified by their denominational leadership as engaging in a ministry of the church. In addition to state licensure, professional “Christian Counselors” also maintain membership with organizations which monitor and certify “Christian Counselors” such as the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC), the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) or similar organizations.
American Association of Pastoral Counselors
Introduction As a professional organization founded in 1964, AAPC was originally established to bring standards, order and communication to the newly expanding profession of Pastoral Counseling. Responding primarily to the Christian community's need for a form of depth ministry, pastoral counseling specialists emerged, drawing together the inspiration of the church and the wisdom of behavioral sciences. While maintaining these historical roots and vision over the past 40 years, AAPC is evolving into a more diverse professional organization serving within an increasingly complex world. Our members now represent a broader spectrum of theological and spiritual traditions and work among a wide variety of health care providers and settings. They provide services within increasingly multi-cultural, interfaith, multi-disciplinary and racially diverse communities and within a vastly more interconnected, conflicted and technically sophisticated world scene. The following Plan will assist the Association in building upon its historic mission and discerning new goals which reflect the changing needs of these complicated and uncertain times. As Regions and Members review and begin to implement the resulting action plans, we will each be strengthened in our abilities to promote the well-being of persons and communities.
Mission Statement To promote the profession and the practice of Pastoral Counseling and to train future generations of the profession.AAPC through the work of its members strives to:
Provide pastoral counseling, psychotherapy, consultation, education, certification and accreditation as an extension of the ministry of faith communities.
Commit to recruit new members and retain and revitalize present membership.
Promote pastoral counseling and care practices that are ethically sound, clinically competent, theologically grounded and sensitive to multiple faith and spiritual practices.
Provide professional formation, credentialing and collegial membership for those who seek to integrate the resources of spirituality, theology and faith traditions into their professional practice.
Utilize governance, education, training, professional practice and collegial relationships to move AAPC toward a culturally competent and diverse Association.
Advocate the well-being of persons and communities.
Core Values As an Association we are committed to:
Grounding our work in the theological, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of all human endeavors.
Affirming the dignity and diversity of all persons by embodying cultural, ethnic and racial sensitivity in our professional practices, collegial relationships and our Association governance.
Respecting and engaging religious diversity as a way of discerning the rich and varied expression of the Holy and spiritual practice in the world.
Working actively for the wholeness of individuals, relationships, families, institutions and communities.
Engaging in lifelong formative processes of personal, professional and spiritual growth.
Maintaining high standards of accountability and ethical conduct.
Practicing responsible stewardship in the use of resources.
Contributing to the support and health of existing religious institutions through our professional services and our covenantal relationships with our own faith communities.
Future Direction
In five years, AAPC will be widely known and respected as a theologically diverse, professional association that supports psychologically informed, culturally and spiritually sensitive therapeutic and pastoral practices. Through supporting its membership and providing a resource for congregations, communities, and networks of care, it will contribute significantly to the wellness of individuals, families, congregations, institutions and communities.
