Although there is a variety of definitions of Christian Counseling, but, there is one
that sums it up in a nutshell. a According to Garzon (2011), "Christian spirituality
focuses on cultivating an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ that progressively
transforms one's values, a sense of purpose, beliefs, and lifestyle in the context of
a faith community." In order for Christian Counselors to be effective, they must
have a personal relationship with Christ to fully understand and comprehend the
nature of God before trying to counsel someone else biblically. It's the individuals
faith in the Lord that would move mountains. Garzon (2011) found that in the
Christian realm, "90% of the US believe there is a God, more than 80% live
according to their faith, and 85% identify themselves as Christians." In contrast, in
the mental health sector, Garzon explains the findings of Delaney, Miller, and
Bosono, which showed the major difference in percentages of mental health
counsels who identify themeselves, has faith, or consider to be a part of another
religion. For instances, "only 46% of clinical psychologist view themselves as
Christians, 38% endorsed other religion, and 16% views themselves as agnostic,
atheists, or had no faith" (Garzon, 2011). The only way for Christian Counseling to
be effective everything has to be based off the Truth which the Word of God
(Scriptures). a Its the Word that transforms the individuals mind and heart. When
the counselee has the understanding that they can't do it alone, the reason why
Jesus did what he did on the cross, and also have the understanding on why God
has to be apart of their suffering will bring them a sense of peace and hope to
their situation. When God is in the midst of our suffering then there is hope and
when he's not then hope seems to be lost. The Word of God says All things work
together for the good for those who Loves the Lord and are called according to
his purpose (New King James, Romans 8:28). The highlight in that scripture is
"For Those Who Loves the Lord" without the transformation of the mind and heart
in the Lord we won't have the peace, joy, or hope that we are looking for. With all
that said, a secular therapist using spirituality in counseling with a Christain client a
is a good thing but will not be effective if the counselor doesn't have a
relationship with God. It will take the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help the
counselor in the counseling process in how to handle and counsel the Christian
client. a If the secular therapist doesn't have the full understanding of the scripture,
understands God's nature, or has personally experienced God then he or she can
easily misguide the Christian client in the wrong direction. The Word of God says,
"trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In
all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct you paths (New King James,
Proverbs 3:5). When defining Christian Spirituality as Dr. Garzon explains we look at the
continued debate of religion, theology, with that of mental health professionals. There is
also an understanding of ethical and empirical support regarding the inclusion of
spirituality in counseling. a Early historical counselors would adopt a “don't ask, don't tell"
policy in previous decades regarding a client's faith. a Ethical support for spirituality in
counseling lead to a different approach for accepting a counselee having a spiritual
culture in their lives. a “Accordingly, the ethics codes of all professional mental-health
organizations now include religion and spirituality as important components of culturally
sensitive treatment.” (Garzon) Numerous studies indicate spirituality can positively
impact a person's physical and mental health (Koenig, 2004). (Garzon) a There is
evidence to prove that participation in church services is beneficial in treating some
diseases or conditions. a However, if people use spirituality more extrinsically (for self
focused reasons, such as inclusion in the right social circles, etc.) are more vulnerable
to mental health issues. a Some clients that are more committed to their faith are more
likely to seek counseling from counselors who incorporate prayer, scripture, faith
resources in their therapy. a a A secular counselor wouldn’t fully understand the
importance of of devotional materials, prayer or scripture being incorporated into therapy
for a Christian counselee. a They may try to incorporate religious materials to better meet
the needs of their client, but they will still fall short because of the lack of study of the
scriptures and they themselves having a relationship with God that they can glean from.
Garzon, F., L (2011). Spirituality in Counseling. Liberty University: Faculty
Publication and presentations
The Holy Bible (2013). New King James, Proverbs 3:5: Thomas Nelson
The Holy Bible (2013). New King James, ROmans 8:28: Thomas Nelson
