Our faith can be such a tender subject.
Often we turn to it for guidance, comfort, and instruction. We trust it (or work toward trusting it) to inform our everyday lives. However, because it is so tender to us, sometimes it can be hard to talk to our therapists about integrating faith into counseling. This can lead to wondering if we should find a counselor who shares our faith and how we might even go about finding that. With all of the various approaches to therapy that exist, how do you know which one is right for you? Many people seeking counseling are curious how biblical counseling would work, or even if biblical counseling is effective at all.
An Integrated Approach
There are several different ways to connect your faith in counseling. You and your therapist might talk about it explicitly, or it may come up organically in the course of treatment. The term “biblical counseling” is typically used when the bible is used as the sole or main intervention in therapy. At Tenfold Counseling Group, we do not practice traditional biblical counseling; we practice an integrated approach. What that means is that we explore the client’s understanding of their own faith, how that faith has influenced the client’s worldview and current experience, and the type of practices (prayer, scripture) the client wants to observe in counseling, to the extent of the client’s choosing. This could range from praying with the client, to recommending certain books or authors, to perhaps just keeping the client’s admission of faith in our minds during session.
The main goal for us at Tenfold Counseling Group is to create a safe space in the counseling room where our clients can explore all facets and influences, including faith.
We aim to make it a place where our clients can discuss all of their experiences with their faith-including hurts and disappointments, doubts and questions, along with victories, triumphs, and testimonies. Our worldview influences our experience in a big way, and if a client has a faith-based worldview, it is wise to accept and consider that. Acknowledging that there is a faith in the counseling room recognizes and welcomes another part of self, and that acknowledgment alone can help to make faith-based counseling really effective.
If you would like to consult with us to see if we would bethe right fit for your counseling needs, please submit a contact form or call us today.