Maya
Any tips for choosing between biblical counseling and secular counseling?
#psychology #counseling #biblicalcounseling #therapy
2 answers
Emi Keshler
Emi’s Answer
Hi Maya!
It depends on who you want your clients to be, your style of counseling, and your personal convictions.
Do you want to use aspects that are religiously-compliant however not explicitly stated in the Bible? Do you feel most comfortable working in the confines of biblical counseling?
Remember, counseling is still Bible-based, even if it's not specifically "biblical counseling." You can still market yourself as a religious counselor. I wouldn't recommend narrowing your target audience to biblical-based only unless you feel a strong conviction to do so.
Figure out who you most want coming through your doors and that will help lead you to the answer. You'll do awesome with your clients!
Emi recommends the following next steps:
Thank you so much for answering my question!
Maya
Mary Galloway, PhD
Mary’s Answer
Emi makes some excellent points. I would add the following to bolster Emi's points:
There are so many therapeutic approaches to therapy that you don't have to choose one. For example, you can use a biblically based counseling structure AND integrate a humanist approach or a cognitive behavioral approach or both. Some of the best therapists that I know often have an extensive cache of approaches that they can rely on based on the needs of their clients. Some clients will need DBT while others may need a more Jungian approach in Expressive therapy sessions.
I invite you to explore various approaches by looking at different types of licenses. For example, do you want to focus on diagnoses, counseling, testing, or social services?
All the best,
Mary
Mary recommends the following next steps: