LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Faith and Counseling: A Christian Counselor Speaks About Integration
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
5/2022
As a pastor and theologian, I am often asked of how my theology lines up with
psychotherapy. That question suggests that counseling cannot be therapeutic when scripture is
incorporated into it. Likewise, biblical scholars argue that the use of psychotherapy in Christian
counseling somehow violates the integrity of the Bible itself.
As a Christian counselor, it continues to be my pleasure to integrate psychotherapy with
spirituality in order to establish a well-rounded and holistic process of moving my clients to a
place of wholeness. In this article, I explain what this means for my practice as a Christian
counselor.
Integrating Therapy and Spirituality
Both the gospel and counseling seek to meet people where they are – spiritually,
physically, and emotionally. I admit that many of my clients have complained that others have
done a poor job of connecting with their spiritual convictions while challenging their emotional
dysfunctions. The integration of therapy and spirituality requires one to be comfortable
functioning in both areas. This is no different than integrating cognitive behavioral therapy with
emotional focused therapy. I have to be comfortable using both CBT and scripture if I am to
help the client manage the cognitive distortions of “all or nothing,” while at the same time
soothing their anxiety by reading Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield.”
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More and more clients are seeking counselors who can honor their faith. This is less about
religious preference and more about respect for what they consider to be sacred. But I have
also had clients enter therapy who are hesitant about whether a pastor should be involved with
the science of the mind. It is interesting how we can go to the doctor for direction, but question
the therapeutic relevance of counseling. If an annual check-up were to identify high blood
sugar, we would take the doctor’s advice about taking a prescribed medication without
hesitation. Yet it is somehow taboo to see a counselor when depression or anxiety presents
itself because prayer is supposed to be all we need. The individual diagnosed with diabetes and
the individual diagnosed with depression require prayer and professional support.
God is the Ultimate Healer
I believe that God is the ultimate healer, but the manner in which that healing comes can
be dynamic and diverse. Some people can pray themselves out of an anxious or depressed
mood. Other people need to call on others for help in order to overcome their struggles. God
made both medical doctors and counselors for a purpose and as society continues to find value
in counseling, our spirituality has found a healthy way into the counseling room. Therapy can
assist Christians who have a rigid view of God as punitive and without grace. Many of my clients
enter therapy to find their way back to the loving God that they read about in the Bible. There
are clients who have spent a great deal of time in therapy without much progress or change
until a Christian counselor took them through a survey of their spiritual journey.
Spirituality Helps Us to Make Sense of Life
One could say that both faith and therapy can be perverted, leading someone to a feeling
of abandonment and neurosis. For example, I had a client who could recite passages from the
Bible as a coping skill, but could not allow herself to verbalize what she felt and needed from
her abusive husband. A counselor can help a client to identify abusive behavior both inside and
outside her spiritual community.
In the world of church, “Faith without works is dead.” (James 1:14-26)Confronting your
past relationships or your defensive mechanisms can produce anxiety or depression and
research has proven that spirituality serves as a psychological and social resource for coping
with stress. Without faith, many clients would be hard-pressed to make sense of suffering and
would find it difficult to manage the overwhelming forces of life.
Christian Counseling Provides an Integrated Way to True Healing
Is it possible that therapy and faith can co-exist with one another without one violating the
other? The answer has to be “Yes.” It is through my faith that I have the ability to be a witness
of the goodness, kindness, and hope of God, even when the individual cannot connect with
their own faith. As a Christian counselor, I am privileged to be Christ’s witness in the therapist’s
seat. I am a Christian counselor and am proud of it. If would like to explore how Christian
counseling can help you in your struggles, please reach out to me here.
