Thoughts on Christian counseling....

The implications of a Biblical worldview for the profession and ministry of counseling are numerous. First, Biblical authority means the Bible is the final authority for all life, ministry and counseling, not counseling or psychology. Objective morality, faith and values have an objective basis and are not just philosophical ideals. The Christian must always be vigilant to ensure that psychological ideas do not usurp the position of the Bible.
Second, humans are under God. While the individual derives personhood from being made in the image of God, when the individual truly operates “under God”, the individuals feels a sense of meaning and purpose, and more importantly, has a calling, purpose and hope. For Christians for whom operating “under God” leads to a ministry of counseling, the Holy Spirit undergirds and strengthens the ministry. The Christian must be engaged in contemplative activities such as prayer, fasting and Bible reading in order to truly operate “under God”.
Imitating and studying Jesus, the God-Man, enlarges a Biblical understanding of relationships between self, others, and God, ministry, and even how to face death. In a very real way, the life of Jesus helps translate what often seems like philosophical ideals into real life.
Therefore, repentance and transformation, not symptom reduction, are the goal of Christian counseling. The Holy Spirit gives provides the ability for the believer to change and also leads the unbeliever to God. In fact, change does not occur without the working of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said, “… for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 English Standard Version). This means that nothing of lasting consequence will be accomplished without the power of the Holy Spirit and therefore without the work of the Holy Spirit there will be no true transformation or repentance.
Finally, although the preceding paragraphs speak almost solely of the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the importance of a Christian worldview, ideas from counseling and psychology, if carefully studied and applied, can work to illuminate the principles described above. For instance, group counseling can aid a Biblical understanding of relationships between self and others giving individuals an opportunity for experiential learning. This experiential learning helps the individual to apply concepts learned from Biblical study as well as from science.