Faith vs. Counseling

"Faith and counseling aren’t at odds with one another. Spiritual growth and emotional health are both part of God’s desire for us. Counseling—like time with a mentor, personal scriptural study, a small group experience and outside reading—can help you grow, and can help you connect more deeply with God." -Relevant Magazine

All too often people of faith (good meaning individuals) tell people who are struggling to pray about it or to seek out the help of the pastor. As a former pastor, I can tell you that pastors have very limited training in counseling (especially when there are deep problems). Pastors are basically trained in premarital and marital counseling. This is a very small window of "expertise." I am not saying that prayer and the guidance of a pastor are bad; I am, however, saying that there is a legitimate need for good counseling for many parishioners.

I believe that God wants us to be healthy and whole. I also believe that he has uniquely gifted individuals that can help people get on the path to wholeness. I would never recommend Christian counseling, but I do feel like having and counselor who is a Christian is imperative. Proverbs 12:15 states that a wise man (or woman) seeks counsel. When seeking counsel you must seriously consider the problem. If the problem is medical, seek a doctor. If the problem is spiritual, seek a pastor. But when the problem is emotional or mental, seek a counselor.

I have sought out counseling. I am tired of the stigma and shame of being a Christian who needs help. Michele, my therapist, is one of the biggest tools God has used in my life. Faith and counseling are not mutually exclusive. They work together. When I started therapy with Michele, I "knew" I would never go back to church. I was questioning everything about my faith. We have had to (and still are) dealing with many tough things, but she has helped me tremendously in working out some of the kinks in my faith.

The next time someone tries to talk you out of seeking a trained individual for help I would urge you to ignore that advice. Getting yourself healthy, happy and whole is much more important than what people think of you.