Do your current trials or circumstances leave you questioning where God is in your suffering?

 As a Christian, you seek to love God and serve Him with your life, but that doesn’t mean life without troubles. James 1:2-3 states, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Experiencing joy and knowing that your faith is strengthened through trials can be hard to believe. When you face trials and suffering in life, you may begin to question: Where is God in my struggle, my parenting, my marriage, or my mental health struggles? Does God care about my family and me? Has God left me? Christian counseling can help answer these questions.

Do you want Christian counseling to help support your faith?

Maybe you haven’t asked those questions. Issues have arisen, and you know that your faith has the answers you’re looking for, but you don’t know how to find them. You’re looking for guidance from someone who can support your faith in counseling. You want someone who can sit with you, listen, and view your concerns through the same lens.

What is Christian Counseling?

What is Christian counseling? What makes Christian counseling different from other forms of counseling? In many ways, Christian counseling is just like any other method of counseling. It uses psychology and proven therapeutic techniques to address mental and emotional wellness.  What makes Christian counseling different is the application of faith-based guidance and support with the understanding that whole-person healing is best gained through Jesus Christ. Here are additional reasons why Christian counseling is different from secular counseling: 

• Faith in a Higher Authority: Unlike secular counselors that often define truth in ambiguous terms that can change to reflect the current society, Christian counselors recognize God as the highest authority for truth and guidance. 
• Purpose-Driven Results: While some counselors focus on managing symptoms, Christian counseling aims at deep, lasting healing through a sense of forgiveness, compassion, and a purpose-driven life.
• Hope Through Jesus Christ: Christian counselors understand that real healing and hope is only found in the promises of Jesus Christ, including an eternity that is free from pain and suffering. 

Benefits of Pursuing Christian Counseling

For Christians, their emotional and psychological well-being can be viewed as closely related to their faith and relationship with God. For this reason, many Christians opt for Christian counseling over traditional, secular forms of therapy. Effective faith-based counseling provides a source of spiritual support, drawing from the principles of Christianity to foster whole-person healing of the mind, body, and spirit. The goals of counseling can vary depending on your needs, but some of the outcomes that you might expect include:

• Improved Relationships with Friends and Family
• Spiritual Support that Fosters a Closer Connection with God
• Effective Methods of Coping with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and More
• A Sense of Community and Support 

What to Expect During Christian Counseling at Sojourner Counseling

When you work with a licensed Christian counselor, you can expect a combination of various therapeutic modalities, including trauma-informed therapy, psychodynamic therapy, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and others. The Christian counselor will likely infuse these methods with a discussion of Christian values, scripture readings, prayer, and other faith-based practices. Your Christian counselor might also consider how faith can play a role in healing, help you work through questions that you have about the faith, and help you use your faith to create strategies for combating mental and emotional health concerns in the future. Some responsibilities of a Christian counselor can include:

• Providing Spiritual Support Based on Christian Values
• Assisting with Spiritual Issues that May Affect Mental and Physical Health
• Offering Teaching of Christian Principles and Values
• Participating in Prayer with the Clients and Their Families as Requested
• Referring Clients to Spiritual and Medical Professionals as Needed

Common Questions about Christian Counseling

What is a Christian Counselor?

Christian counselors are licensed clinicians who implement Christian teaching and insights into their practice. This licensure provides the counselor with the necessary education and skills to provide clinical support through proven therapeutic methods. Some Christian counselors are not licensed therapists, so they are not qualified to perform specialized services, like EMDR therapy and CBT therapy.

What can Christian Counseling address?

Christian counseling can address all varieties of mental and emotional health concerns, such as marriage and family relationships, addiction and substance use, trauma, depression, anxiety, and more. Christian counseling can also address spiritual concerns, including church hurt, relationship with God, and social difficulties related to Christian living. 

I’m not Christian or I don’t want faith included. Can I still be a client?

Absolutely! We respect and see clients from various faiths and spiritual or non-spiritual backgrounds. We are respectful of the views that you hold and will not push you into believing Christian views or incorporate faith or spirituality into sessions if this is not desired.

What should I look for in a Christian counselor?

When looking for Christian therapists in Raleigh, NC, you will want to be sure that you are teaming up with a professional who provides the support that you need. Ask about the counselor’s training, experience, areas of service, and methods of combining faith into therapy. Keep in mind that not all Christian counselors are licensed therapists, so that might be something you want to verify if this matters to you. 

Start Working with a Christian Counselor in Raleigh NC Today!

There are various forms of counseling available in Raleigh, but not all of them can address your spiritual health through a faith-based perspective. If you’re looking for a licensed therapist by searching “Christian counselor Raleigh NC,” then turn to Sojourner Counseling. You don’t have to go through your struggle alone!  We are a trusted choice for Christian counseling in Raleigh, NC, and we provide support for a variety of concerns, including anxiety, PTSD, child therapy, teen therapy, therapy for women, counseling for global workers and TCKs, and more.