I had a wonderful time last evening meeting with a young woman who is interested in beginning our training classes in January. She is completing her degree in Psychology and has no plans to use it! One of the things she said as we talked is that what she has learned in college really is of no value in helping people truly change the way they need to change. She is correct in her conclusion.
That is one of the many reasons we chose to become biblical counselors instead of therapists or secular counselors. Biblical counselors are not therapists, we are conduit. I make no claim to offer psychotherapy or therapy to anyone! As a biblical counselor, my goal is to help the counselee to understand what needs to change is their heart and then help them to implement changes that apply to the wrong behaviors and attitudes. I don't change anyone. I don't have the power or the ability to change anyone, that is the realm of the Holy Spirit. I would never want such responsibility in the life of a person.
Because of the pervasive attitude of “therapy” often counselee’s assume we are here to listen to them vent and that we are their sounding boards to bounce things off of. While talking is our methodology in biblical counseling, we do not encourage or even tolerate venting. If you tell me something and it contains unbiblical thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes I will challenge you.
If you wish to counsel biblically, you must be confident in God’s Word. You must truly believe that God’s Word is enough to change the heart and life of a person. You must believe that it has the answer to every single problem man faces. You must believe that God’s Word is the only unchangeable source of material you have written by an infallible Author. There are certainly times you will be tempted to go to a secular source, but you will find no answers there that are long lasting. Also, the counselee has most likely already tried to go to a secular source for answers and found none! They may be nearly hopeless from that encounter. They come to us deeply desiring something different and something that will actually work!
I have had counselee’s tell me they went to “Christian counseling” and the counselor never opened their Bible! These counselors used psychological theories and jargon and the counselee walked away as empty as they arrived. Do not apologize for making the Word of God your standard. Stand strong in the face of "the experts" who may intimidate you or try to intimidate you with their jargon.