A Christian Counselor is one that provides emotional & relational support rooted in the word of the Bible. When a client shares their faith and asks for guidance, a Christian counselor comes alongside the client to help support the client with connection through their shared faith, incorporating scripture & Christian resources to help strengthen the client’s emotional & spiritual self. With EMDR, we can weave in the client’s favorite scripture that offsets their negative belief about self.
An example of this is when a negative belief is present like “I have to be in control,” the client can then identify a positive belief about self such as, “In all your ways acknowledge Him & He shall direct your paths” Proverbs 3:6 (NKJV). This scripture may help a client release some of the control that is present. We then solidify the belief by listing out events in the client’s life where they may have prayed, been in touch with God and/or felt God has taken care of them. Knowing they can release that control to God & being reminded that God’s got them gives them that peace & empowerment component.
Here are 6- Ways I implement being a Christian Counselor into therapy for Christian clients:
1-Seek 1st the wisdom of God. I ask clients to pray about the things that are bringing them distress so that Jesus will guide them through this, for according to James 3:17 (NIV) “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
2- I pray for my clients each day asking Jesus to give me guidance on how to help clients on their therapy journey. Asking Jesus to assist clients in being able to drop their mental weight that they have been carrying, for Jesus to give clients clarity, for clients to see movement, gain healing & peace in their situations.
3- I offer to share with clients a scripture or some words from a Bible study that I feel might bring them strength & that is fitting to their current situation or struggle. I love “The Life Promises Bible” written by William Kruidenier, which highlights the amazing promises of the Bible to help us know that God has us.
4- I ask various questions, remain curious and interested as to how clients incorporate their faith into their daily lives. I may offer suggestions to help clients strengthen their faith and grow closer to God during this trying time by collaborating with clients on a daily routine that works for them. It may be a routine like starting the morning out with prayer time, listening to the Bible apps-guided scripture of the day, & ending with a praise music playlist. I also ask how I can assist in incorporating any practices into their therapy session if desired.
5- Building a grounding tool rooted in the Bible is a beautiful strengthening experience. For instance, say a client is dealing with issues around self-esteem, the client can look up scriptures on God’s love for us that resonate with the client. When the client brings the scriptures to session I can then read their various loving scriptures back to them, as the client closes their eyes, we tap it in to solidify the beliefs about self & helping clients to gravitate towards the positive beliefs in the future.
6-Lastly, I share Christian resources that I have come across like the Abide app for Biblical meditation-to calm anxiety or depression or various other issues that may come up for clients. The Abide app is especially helpful for clients who may also suffer from sleep issues during the night, putting on a peaceful Sleep Story to get them back to sleep and their mind at ease.
This work brings me so much joy, to align with clients, feel God working in their lives & enable them to let go of the pain of the past. I would be honored to assist you in your work.
Join me for a free consultation or an appointment and let’s begin to work together to customize your Christian Counseling experience. Empowering yourself to begin your journey to freedom and grow into what Jesus has in store for you.
