What is Biblical Counseling?
When seeking any type of counseling or soul care, it is entirely appropriate for the counselee to inquire about the nature of the counselor's practice. Foundational to the work of every counselor, whether Christian or secular, is a worldview that informs, among other things, who or what they believe about God, the nature of man, and man's primary problem.
Some of our provider’s worldview and theory for counseling is uniquely Christian. Our Biblical Counselors commitment to the authority of Scripture persuaded our Biblical Counselors to decline the seeking of state licensure in order to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest with regard to secular counseling ethics, and what we hold as true concerning the ministry of God's word. Despite this commitment, we are clinically-informed, meaning that we do consider that secular sources do make helpful observations concerning the nature of counseling issues.
We practice what is commonly referred to as biblical counseling. Rooted in the careful interpretation and application of God's word to life's dominating problems, biblical counseling can rightly be described as a form of Christian discipleship, designed to promote the counselee's own sanctification (i.e. growth in Christ-likeness). This means that Christ-centered heart-change, rather than man-centered behavior modification, is our desired outcome.
Despite our primary reliance on Scripture for counseling, God's word is never applied in a legalistic manner. We understand that while God's law is good, it's purpose and design by God is to point us to the gospel of grace found in Jesus Christ alone.
Along with these truths, we acknowledge that to be human is to possess both a body and a soul. While it is not our role to care for the physical body, we acknowledge the truth of sin's effects upon our bodies, and the need for proper medical care. We hold that our function is to help shepherd a person's heart, while medical doctors tend to the needs of the body. As such, we do not diagnose clinical illness, or prescribe or manage medication. We do recommend that counselees follow their doctor's orders as to these important health issues.
Counseling Overview
With the Biblical Counseling process, we recognize two biblical truths concerning the condition of us all: 1) we are both sinners and sufferers, and 2) we are both body and soul.
As such, we do not emphasize the spiritual over-against the physical, but always seek to discern what is the nature of a given problem, or cluster of problems. In this way, we can avoid the error of applying spiritual solutions to physical problems, or physical solutions to spiritual problems.
Counseling issues addressed within Biblical Counseling services are as diverse as is the word of God. From joint marital concerns, such as poor communication or adultery, to individual concerns like depression and anxiety, we're here to serve you or someone you know through a clinically-informed*, biblical approach to soul care.
*By clinically-informed, we do not mean to communicate that we offer state-licensed mental health or psychological services, rather, that our training and education include an awareness of clinical issues that may influence a person's experience. We may at times use clinical descriptors simply because they are common, cutural phrases that describe what a person is experiencing (i.e. PTSD or OCD). We do not, however, diagnose clinical categories or prescribe or manage medication. For those concerns, we refer counselees to their medical doctor.
*Our Biblical Counselor’s training is religious in nature and not subject to licensure or regulation by the State of Texas. It provides non-medical treatment and recovery methods such as prayer, moral guidance, spiritual counseling, and scriptural study.