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Christ in Counseling

Mention the words “church” and “counseling” in the same sentence and I assure you the response will be surprising. While the Church has been a place people have turned to during emotional struggles for centuries, the development of modern psychology has sparked an intense debate within the Church. What causes mental illness or emotional struggles? What is the best way to address those issues? Should a pastor provide counseling or is that the job of a professionally licensed therapist? Does embracing certain aspects of psychological study mean we are compromising our faith?

Many have jumped to conclusions about the Church Therapy model, asserting that I have somehow sold out on my faith because I have studied psychology and advocate for professional licensure. Previously on Twitter, a person I do not know who has never asked a single question about this model wrote to me: “Counseling minus Christ equals deception.” Whoa. I have learned not to take these comments personally, but it did get me thinking about how to articulate my views on the role of Christ in counseling. First of all, I want to clarify that the Church Therapy model is primarily focused on counseling those who are already following Christ. Of course there may be some who are in a seeker-phase of the spiritual journey, but typically those who come to a church for counseling are already Christians. I do not believe it is the role of a counselor to proselytize in a counseling session, so for this reason Church Therapy does not seek to gain new converts.

Counseling in the Church Therapy model is part of the discipleship process as spiritual growth and emotional health provide increased freedom. Christ is 100% at the center of this process because he alone is able to supernaturally change lives. However, that does not mean that my primary methods are quoting Scripture or praying with clients. At times these can be helpful, but more often psychological strategies such as Motivational Interviewing or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are far more effective in helping a person overcome various emotional challenges. For this reason, training in the Bible is not enough to train a person to be an effective counselor. Even basic helping skills like active listening, though useful on some level, are not enough to train a person to be a competent counselor.

So how can it be that I claim Christ is at the center yet I highlight modern psychological techniques as superior methods for therapy? Perhaps an illustration would help clarify this point. A couple of years ago, I walked alongside some friends whose baby had lost oxygen for nearly 15 minutes at birth. He was rushed into the NICU and placed on a cooling pad, an advanced treatment for babies at risk for brain damage at birth. The baby had to be on the cooling pad for 72 hours before any testing could be done to assess brain damage. During this time the goal was to slow the development of brain cells in order to stop any further damage. That was the longest 72 hours I have ever experienced as we prayed and fasted and poured everything we had into seeking a miracle for this baby (who the doctor’s warned would probably be very brain damaged). Every day that I see that little boy, who has little to no signs of brain damage today, I see a walking miracle. Was Christ at the center of his healing? Absolutely. Did the doctors use a modern method to facilitate that process? Yes.

Using researched strategies to address mental health issues is no different. We no longer have to accept the ideologies of Freud, Jung or Skinner in order to believe that modern psychology has a lot of knowledge to offer. Even most secular counselors do not hold tightly to these early definitions of psychology. The Church Therapy model connects biblical, psychological and biological truths in order to most effectively move a person towards healing and life change as they deepen in their walk with Christ.

Unfortunately, even many Christian counselors do not view counseling as part of the discipleship process and they counsel many non-believers. They can help them change certain aspects of their life, help them cope, or improve their communication skills. But this does not move them into deeper relationship with Jesus. The Church Therapy model is a true integration of Christian faith and psychological study. Both are in mind at all times as the Holy Spirit moves in the midst of effective therapeutic strategies.

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Why We Blame People For Their Mental Illnesses

Most people in and out of the Church can accept that mental illness is real when manifested in a visible way. Someone who has witnessed a person with schizophrenia in a psychotic episode would have no doubt that that illness is real (though some in the Church might actually assess that as demon possession). But what about someone living in reckless ways during a manic episode of bipolar disorder? What about someone who struggles with suicidal thoughts? Where is their faith? Is that sin or illness or both? Are those even the right questions to be asking?

Enter a theology of sin that is not big enough for biological factors to be at play. Those of us Christians who have the privilege of being mentally well generally believe that we are able to control all of our thoughts and choices. When we are tempted, we need to flee from temptation. When we worry, we need to cast our cares on God. These are the responsibilities of the Christian to stay on the narrow path. Perhaps even in this theology we place ourselves in too powerful a position over our own lives. We have to remember that if we have it together, that is solely by the grace of God. Romans 9:16 is helpful here: “So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.”

But how do malfunctions of the brain factor in here? Are some more capable of self-control than others? In my book, On Edge: Mental Illness in the Christian Context, I use an example of a person with developmental disabilities. Certainly (hopefully!) no one would expect a person of limited intellectual capacity to have a well-developed theology in order to enter the kingdom of God. (And by the way this is not a requirement Jesus placed on anyone regardless of capacity.) Can, for example, a non-verbal person with autism receive salvation if they cannot understand the Gospel and cannot “confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord”? Or are they shut out from the Kingdom?

Similarly, a person struggling with depression may not be able to consistently engage at church. They may struggle with doubt or have thoughts of killing themselves. Is this because of a lack of faith? Or is their disordered brain incapable of overcoming these thoughts no matter how much faith they try to muster? And why is it their responsibility to fix this themselves?

This is where the Church has to do its job: demonstrate love and compassion. Why is it not the entire Church’s responsibility to spiritually carry those who are struggling to carry themselves? Why do we not enter into these situations to offer care and non-judgmental support? Why do we have to have a neat and tidy explanation and evaluate the person’s spiritual standing before helping them?

I would like to challenge the Church to rise up to support, love and defend those with mental illness even when we don’t know how to understand or explain it. Let us reach out with open arms to those who are marginalized, misunderstood and downtrodden. Let’s show the love of Jesus and get off the judgment seat in every way. Messages from the pulpit that support a “try harder” theology are unhelpful for all of us. May we live and preach the Gospel in its entirety.