Articles

Biblical Christian counseling is different than other counseling approaches. It is rooted in a biblical worldview; using the lens of Scripture to size-up this life.

You might be surprised to learn how the label “Christian counseling” is being used today. Typically, this type of counseling is not based on the Bible. The term is being used because the counselor is a Christian and won’t come against your faith. However, this believer is trained in, and almost exclusively uses, secular approaches. That’s very different than Biblical Christian counseling.

• Biblical counseling doesn’t leave God or the Bible out of the picture.
• It recognizes that joy and satisfaction in life are not goals in and of themselves. They come when our spirit is thriving.
• It calls us to live in community, not isolation.

The Bible’s perspective often contradicts secular values. That makes biblical counseling, at times, different than what you would hear in secular counseling.

Priorities

With Pastor Tim Tyler, you will be reminded of God’s priorities for us. Here are a few:

–Love God above all else.
–Love those you encounter as much as you love yourself.
–Love other believers in Christ Jesus.
–Be kind, even if that involves suffering for Christ.

Those priorities don’t lead us into simplistic answers to life’s problems: answers like “just do the loving thing.” Life is complicated; we need wisdom from above. We also have to find strength to “speak the truth in love” and act accordingly.

As you sort out life in conversation with Tim Tyler, you will hear about God’s perspective, and different ways of doing things. You’ll have help deciding on your best options, and whatever you choose to do, you will be treated with respect and kindness.

Outcomes

No matter what the problem that you or a loved one is dealing with, there’s no better time to address it than now.

The vast majority of people we have counseled found the solutions they needed through biblical Christian counseling. Sometimes the outcomes have been dramatic, like abruptly stopping divorce proceedings and reconciling, but more often progress has come in stages. We offer not only a different way to see your circumstances, but also the practical advice and support needed to apply that new vision and get results in your situation.

Counseling, even Christian counseling, is not about preaching at you. It’s a conversation with you.

The conversation isn’t always the same, but here are some common elements:

• Information about the situation that brought you into counseling
• Coming to an agreement on the main issues involved
• Exploring solutions for the issues and agreeing on a plan
• Using the plan to make changes in your life
• Adjusting the plan, as needed

You might be thinking that sounds like secular counseling. It might be similar because it’s a logical conversation, but remember that in biblical Christian counseling we recognize God’s involvement, too. We need to depend on Him to uncover the patterns and not-so-obvious parts of the story. His Spirit is quietly involved  to show the way, using Scripture and the “wisdom from above” spoken about in the book of James. Obviously, the Bible is critical in all of this process, too.

So, should you expect to have Bible verses thrown at you left and right? Some counselors actually do that, and they do it excessively. Others use verses to “prove” their secular approach is actually scriptural. Not here, though.

Instead of assorted verses, we look at the major themes and top priority instruction given in Scripture. We really try to avoid using just one verse. Of course, sometimes a verse summarizes the passage so it can be a quick reference to a truth. Even then, you need to know the whole passage to understand the shortcut.

Don’t think every appointment will be a Bible Study, though.

The counselor may not explain every connection between his comments and the Bible. When working from a biblical view of the world, those connections are continuous and natural. It would bog down the conversation to constantly explain such a context.

Instead of a sermon, you should expect to do most of the talking, especially at first. You won’t get a cookie-cutter set of instructions to “solve your problem,” and you won’t be told there’s only one way to do things (that would be the “my way or the highway” approach.) All the options should be considered: the good, the bad, and the ugly; then you can make your choice and your plan.

As you work out your plan, the counselor should be there to support you and help adjust the plan as things develop. That allows you to tailor what you’re doing to the real-life situation you live in.

Hopefully, this helps explain that biblical Christian counseling is not about making you religious. It’s about helping you develop a stronger spirit and soul, in step with what God is already doing in your life.

After twelve years of pastoral experience and seventeen more doing biblical Christian counseling, I have some experience with this question. My simple answer is, “Yes, the Bible is especially relevant today, and every Christian Counselor should use it as the core of what they do.”

Let me explain. On a physical level, things are radically different today because of technology. We are able to function much more like God today than ever before in history.

• We can communicate with anyone in the world as long as they have the technology and we have their ID information.
• We can access almost anything there is to know via the internet.
• We can literally destroy the entire world in a nuclear holocaust if our leaders choose to do so.

In theological terms, we are imitating omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence: everywhere-present, all-knowing, and all-powerful.

And yet…

Despite our technology, we are still human beings. We have the same human spirit as our ancestors; the same mind, will, and emotions, and the same physical body (human). Our response to modern problems come from the same menu as the responses those ancestors used. We may know more stuff, and have more options, but we still laugh and cry as they did.

Keep all that in mind and consider interpersonal relations. We love and hate things and people just as the ancients did because we’re all human. It’s what we do.

That’s not to say that we all think and act alike. It just means we all have the same options. We form values and beliefs and then operate from them in a logical and emotional fashion. If our values are different, our behavior will be different – but the process is the same.

Biblical Christian Counseling for Today

Biblical Christian counseling approaches our modern era with authority; declaring that the values set down ages ago still apply. People are people, and God is God. The Bible is the authority because it has been accurately preserved so we can trust it reflects what was originally written.

So does that mean everyone had better live life the Christian way? Is that the mission of a Christian counselor – to impose the Bible on everyone?

No.

It means the Bible is clear about things that are right and wrong: moral choices. It calls for godly wisdom to be used in making other choices. If someone wants to follow God, they will do their due diligence to be sure a counselor is actually agreeing with the Bible. If it’s biblical, they will want to go that way.

However, Scripture is clear that it’s not the end of the world if someone goes their own way.

WHAT?

Yes, believers can make a mess. If they make a poor choice, there will be consequences. This may create a “teachable moment” when God will give them wisdom. Most of our bad choices can be corrected or repaired. We may be bruised, but we can get back on the narrow path again.

If a moral issue is at stake, the consequences of a bad choice are greater, but the individual still gets to make the choice. God designed us that way. He wants us to make good choices, but doesn’t very often stop us from making bad ones.

The counselor’s role is to help individuals make an informed choice, and all the while show the love of God, as Jesus did. If the counselor sees someone moving toward a choice that is unwise or immoral, the conversation needs to clearly outline the likely consequences.

The shock for some people is that the counselor would not insist that the person make the right choice; that amounts to forcing them, to “see the light.” The tone of the conversation should make it obvious that the counselor is concerned, but he or she should never try to force someone to change their mind. A counselor should recognize with their actions that this is God’s appointment. The Holy Spirit is the One to bring deep conviction and give understanding.