6 Signs of a Good Christian Counselor

In today's episode we talk about the 6 signs of a good christian counselor

Faithful Counseling
https://faithfulcounseling.com/krisreece


Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.

TRANSCRIPT

So you are going through a rough patch and you think you might need some help?  Perhaps you’re struggling in a toxic relationship or you just suffered a bad breakup or maybe your negative thinking is finally catching up with you or perhaps, you just need a little direction for your next steps in life.

You want help but you also want someone who aligns with your faith. That’s where a Christian counselor can help. But like, in every profession, there are good ones, not-so-good ones. So, how do you know?

Well, today I want to talk to you about how you can find yourself a solid Christian, counselor to help you in your time of trouble.


But first, I want to share with you the six signs to indicate a good Christian counselor.

Now, I’m not just talking about the basics that all counselors need like the ability to listen and empathize or even professionalism like punctuality and boundaries. I am talking about the signs that are necessary to help you experience growth and breakthrough. Now, I want you to keep in mind that these are indications of a good counselor. These are not a guarantee, but these signs will certainly give you the confidence to move forward in the right direction.

#1 – They always come back to the original problem. Once someone begins counseling, it’s not uncommon for other issues to kind of present themselves and it’s okay for it to lead to a tangent, down a little bit of a rabbit trail, or even seem like it’s going down an unrelated road, but a good counselor will always circle back. 

#2 – They’re realistic. A good Christian counselor knows that we have both positive and negative emotions and they are realistic about what’s going on inside of you. They don’t have this Pollyanna everything is okay, here, take this scripture and call me in the morning, attitude. They understand the realities and the troubles of this life and how sin, and these troubles can bring. And they are able to walk with you through that journey.

#3 – They know when to talk, and when to listen. Counseling is a balance and there is no exact formula. There will be times when listening is necessary and they’re going to be other times when the professional input is called for. Some not-so-good counselors will talk at you the entire session. While other not-so-good counselors will just listen to listen so much that they aren’t considered much more than a rented friend. A good Christian counselor knows when to listen with understanding and when to interject.

#4 – They promote Independence and dependence, as well as interdependence. A good Christian counselor’s goal is not long-term therapy. Now, while this is needed in some cases. It should not, it shouldn’t be the norm. It’s usually the exception because what happens in long-term counseling is it creates a dependency on the counselor.

You see, a good counselor will teach a client to be independent for himself or herself, but also interdependent in the relationships that they’re in. But at the same time, also dependency on God, not on the counselor. 

#5 – The Bible is their benchmark. Whether your counselor is an LPC, a licensed, professional counselor, or an LCPC, a licensed clinical pastoral counselor, if they’re claiming to be a Christian counselor, the Bible should be their standard of measurement over any other secular tool.

Now, it’s not to say that these tools can’t help but you want this counselor to speak biblical truth into your life. And there’s a difference between a Christian counselor and a counselo