Two Tips For Christians Who Require Psychological Support
by Martin Franklin
If you're a Christian and you need psychological support (due to, for example, having depression or relationship issues), the tips below might help you.
Use an online Christian counseling service
In this situation, you should use an online Christian counseling service. There are many reasons for this. For example, a Christian counselor will never offer you advice on how to handle a psychological issue which, if you were to follow it, would result in you going against your religious beliefs. This is because this type of counselor will not only be familiar with the teachings of the Bible but will also understand why it would be unethical and offensive to suggest that you disregard these teachings in order to fix a psychological problem.
Additionally, a Christian counselor could be more empathetic than a secular one when you discuss any faith-related dilemmas that are causing you distress (for instance, you might be confused about why God allowed something terrible to happen to someone you love or you might be worried about dating someone whose religious beliefs completely oppose your own Christian ones). This is important, as it means you won't be made to feel as though your faith-related fears (and by extension, your religious beliefs) are being minimized or dismissed by the counselor who is supposed to be helping you.
Unless you have the good fortune to live close to several Christian counselors, it's probably best to use an online Christian counseling service. If you do this, you'll have a wide range of counselors to pick from and can access the counseling service even on days when, for some reason (such as a public lockdown or your own ill health), you cannot travel.
Consider discussing your counseling experiences with your pastor
If you're close to the pastor at your local church, it might be a good idea to talk to them about some of the things that you end up working on during your online counseling sessions. The reason for this is as follows: if your pastor knows you quite well, they could help you to apply the faith-centered advice that your counselor has given you.
For example, if the counselor suggests that you read some specific Bible verses that are relevant to your psychological problems, your pastor could help you with this homework by offering tips on how best to interpret certain complex passages and by talking about how they might apply to your personal circumstances. They could also suggest ways to implement your counselor's advice; for instance, if you're getting counseling because you feel you are not really practicing your faith in a way that benefits others, and your counselor suggests that you do some Christian-based acts of service as a way to remedy this, your pastor might recommend that you get in touch with some local Christian charities and offer to work for them as a volunteer.
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About Me
As a lifetime sufferer of depression, I have spent a great deal of time in therapy. One thing that I learned early on was the importance of having a good attitude and trying to figure out how to cope with some of the suggestions that my counselors gave me. I realized that when it came to having a good experience, the bulk of the responsibility fell in my lap. I started working hard to take their suggestions in stride and carefully analyze my life and my behavior. This blog is all about improving the counseling process by having a better attitude.