Christian counseling is distinct from secular counseling in that Christian counselors’ have an absolute standard by which to measure behavior. They see the Bible as the source of all truth. 2Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The secular counselor tends to use the latest and newest psychological or secular findings as their standard. These of course can change quickly. A Christian counselor uses the Bible for practical wisdom when it comes to marriage, family and life issues.

There are two extremes when considering mental health. The most dangerous extreme is to exalt counseling above Scripture. We do not want to forget that psychology is limited and that man is basically sinful and selfish. We want to be sure that the Bible is our foundation and that no knowledge should be elevated above it. We also want to use other knowledge such as Christian radio, books and courses. However, we do not want to elevate other knowledge above sound scripture. At Christian Counseling of Arkansas we always put any knowledge through the grid of scripture to make sure it does not disagree. The other extreme is to think that all mental health treatment is of no value. In 1Thess 5:3 Paul is concerned about ones spirit, soul and body. Emotions can produce medical disease and in turn, medical diseases can produce emotional symptoms. The Bible definitely points to the importance of counseling Prov 24:6, “surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers”.

Here at CCA we use Biblical concepts in counseling knowing that “all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for training…”. As Licensed Professional Counselors we have skills from the field of psychology and counseling and use both of these to help you with true life issues.

If you or a loved one needs help please give us a call at Christian Counseling of Sarasota 870-935-4102 to set up an appointment. We are dedicated Christians that are followers of Jesus Christ who show compassion and love and correction as needed.

Laura Hodges, LPC NCC