Christian Counseling

Christian Counseling is a unique approach to therapy. Some confuse it with Pastoral Counseling or Lay Counseling of leaders in a church. As an approach it can be compared to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Rogerian, etc. True Christian Counseling is done by a professional counselor who upholds their state's licensing requirement. They can be a psychologist, psychiatrist, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, Marriage and Family Counselor and Certified Addictions Therapist.

Typically the client seeks a "Christian" counselor and expects it to be a part of therapy. The therapist then can integrate his/her knowledge of psychology and theology to best treat the client. For some clients, they are comforted knowing their counselor is a Christian and feel their advice can be trusted. Some clients also wish to use the Bible as a reference for their therapy.

You do not have to have a degree in "Christian Counseling," but some schools offer a Masters of Arts in Professional Counseling while teaching Christian Counseling through the classes. There are about 19 programs currently offering teaching in integration on the subject matters. One example is the Psychological Studies Institute.