Welcome to the blog portion of "All Things with Melanie Hart", a counselling toolkit for my biblical counselling clients. Through increased content on my website as well as a new podcast of the same name (found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, and posted to YouTube), I am endeavouring to build a toolkit for my clients... for beyond the session.
In this blog, I am endeavouring to answer some FAQs around "What Is Biblical Counselling?" And, if you'd prefer the audio version, here it is below.
The term "Biblical Counselling" is not as familiar to those of us in Canada as our neighbours to the south of us. I wonder also if it also runs a little more popular along certain denominational lines. That would make sense, for example, if a person were to hold to a Reformed faith, one that upholds the Authority of Scriptures.
A quick Wikipedia search defines this a little further: "Sola Scriptura ("by scripture alone" in English) is a theological doctrine held by some Protestant Christian denominations that posits the Christian scriptures as the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice."
This theological doctrine is one that I firmly believe in, so it makes sense that I, in God's Sovereign plan for my life, would land on this methodology of counselling as a full-time pursuit and ministry.
And so I am creating this post to help explain for those unfamiliar to biblical counselling, what it is, and what to expect from a biblical counsellor. Of course there are books written on this topic, so this scratches the surface of how biblical counsellors approach counselling, and is heavily weighted in my own experience and offering.
But first, here's a wee bit about my counselling ministry.
I have counselled women from 9-80 something; at almost every age and stage of life. I’ve counselled single women and newly married women, pre-teens and teens, millennials (lots of millennials) and boomers, expecting mothers, and mother-daughter duos. I’ve counselled non-believers, yet-to-be believers, new believers, struggling believers, and seasoned believers.
Through it all, I feel blessed to have been gifted the counsellees I’ve worked with, and always marvel at God’s providence, timing, and fit.
I was counselling and coaching before I began to focus on biblical counselling. As God restored me, brought me into repentance, into a deeper understanding of His Word, humbled me, grew and matured me, my hunger to know Him (more) and His Counsel — even be obedient to it — grew at an astounding trajectory, as did my counselling practice.
So here I am, building content for my biblical counselling toolkit, something born from a desire to provide additional tools, resources, and encouragement for beyond the counselling session.
In this post, I’m going to address the following 7 questions:
- What is Biblical Counselling?
- How is Biblical Counselling Different From Christian (Integrated) Counselling?
- Why Should Christians Seek Biblical Counselling?
- When Should Christians Seek Biblical Counselling Over Christian Counselling?
- When Should Christians Seek Biblical Counselling?
- When Should Christians Seek Secular Counselling?
- Does Biblical Counselling Replace Medical Helps?
Let’s Begin.
1. What Is Biblical Counselling?
Biblical Counselling holds to the authority, inerrancy, and infallibility of the Word of God, for the Counsel of God, for “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3) That is, upholding God-centred theology over man-centred, humanistic theology.
Every meaningful conversation we have is a counselling conversation, to some degree or another. And every conversation involves theology. One can converse, or counsel from a secular, humanistic view…. or a biblical, God-centred worldview. My choice I think is quite clear.
I believe that God has given us everything we need in Him and His Word, and taking any other approach that would have any lasting value is futile. I see counselling using man-centred theology like pumping up a flat tire and sending someone down the road fully knowing that they will need to come back to get their tires pumped up. This is why some people are in and out of counselling their entire lives. Believers know that there is but one answer for life’s problems, starting with our sin problem, and that is Jesus. So Christ-centred, Gospel-focussed counselling is to offer the client an entire new set of tires with a lifetime warranty!
In my counselling room, clients receive Christ-centred, Gospel-focussed, biblically-grounded directive conversation and counsel as we explore God's solutions to problems, issues, and challenges in His Word.
Most of the time the counselling process leads to discipling, as counsellees grow in their knowledge of God, and then learn how to counsel themselves in the Word of God, which is the true transformative power in their lives.
My clients are prayed with, encouraged, and challenged into the Word of God with the ultimate goal of equipping them to counsel themselves with the Counsel of God.
My clients receive attentive counsel, discipleship, support, resources, encouragement, coaching, mentorship, and accountability.
2. How is Biblical Counselling Different From Christian (Integrated) Counselling?
In my view, Biblical Counselling is different from Christian (Integrated) Counselling mainly to the degree with which the emphasis is on God’s Counsel rather than a co-mingling of man-centred theology, ideologies, and philosophies present in the room. (I used to counsel this way!) Some, not all, Christian counsellors may be limited by associations and affiliations with secular organizations that would prevent them from having the freedom to fully explore the Counsel of God (not the least of which could be things like ongoing sin, the need for repentance, spiritual growth and maturity) in addressing the presenting issues of the counsellee.
3. Why Should Christians Seek Biblical Counselling?
Christians should seek Biblical Counselling if any or all of these apply:
- they desire to address their problems, issues, and challenges through a biblical lens and standard.
- they are wanting to grow in their biblical understanding, knowledge of God, and explore the Scriptures for answers to their challenges.
- they are seeking discipleship and mentorship in the counselling process.
- they want to be held accountable to God’s Standards as laid out in the Scriptures "for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3), to walk worthy of the calling to which they have been called (Ephesians 4:1), to walk in a manner of life worthy of the Gospel (Philippians 1:27), work out their own Salvation with "fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12b-13).
Often clients come to counselling thinking that they know the problem or origin of the ongoing issues in their lives, only to discover the healing and freedom in the truths of God’s Word. (Psalm 119:105)
4. When Should Christians Seek Biblical Counselling Over Christian Counselling?
Similar to the aforementioned reasons. But furthermore, it should be emphasized that Biblical Counselling is more directive than other counselling methodologies. Christian or Integrated or secular counselling is more person-centred, less directive, more self-directed than the biblical counselling approach.
5. When Should Christians Seek Biblical Counselling?
Christians should seek Biblical Counselling when they have tried other forms of counselling (Secular/Christian/Integrated) and did not realize lasting change, healing, or breakthrough. Perhaps they were not yet ready for true change, the timing was off, or the person-centred approach did not go deep enough for true change at a heart level.
Biblical Counselling would also be helpful for a person who is new to the Christian faith so they are being counselled with Christ-centred truth rather than humanistic, to help nurture them and grow. Biblical counselling would also be helpful for:
- anyone who has experienced spiritual abuse (in The Church or cult)
- believers needing to address weak or faulty spiritual foundations
- anyone wanting to break free of religious/legalistic pasts, strongholds
- anyone coming from new age/new thought or cult-like backgrounds seeking the Christian faith.
6. When Should Christians Seek Secular Counselling?
A Christian should seek secular counselling if they do not believe that the answers they seek are found in the Scriptures alone and/or value man-centred theology, methodologies, and philosophies over Christ-centred ones.
7. Does Biblical Counselling Replace Medical Helps?
No. In fact Biblical Counsellors value medical helps, and the medical community. A person may need biblical counselling while being treated for a medically diagnosed disease or even mental illness. But because we are not only physical but also spiritual beings, it does not hurt to coordinate with the medical community to address any spiritual issues and problems that could be contributing in any way or making their diagnosis even more challenging.
Lastly, I believe that The Word of God is the best cognitive behavioural therapy a person can undergo. (Psalm 1:1-3). The Counsel of God has much to say about our actions, thoughts, and behaviours, that begin on a heart level, which determine the health of our minds, bodies, and relationships - with God and others. So, this may not be an either/or question but a both/and.
I hope this walkthrough of these questions was helpful to you in discovering more about what biblical counselling.
I’d like to leave you with my theme verse because I really really believe it, because it’s true, and because I’ve witnessed this in my own life and in the lives of my clients, “God’s power has granted to us ALL THINGS that pertains to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3)
If any of the above would be helpful to you, please feel free to reach out to me at melaniejoyhart@icloud.com to book a session.