Five Reasons to Love Church-Based Counseling
Kevin DeYoung Blog | June 5, 2012
Over at the Biblical Counseling Coalition blog, Pat has written a nice piece on why he loves church-based counseling. It's worth reading. I like his first point in particular because I hadn't really thought about it before.
First of all, no one has to pay me anything! I'm so thankful that the church pays my salary so I can counsel for free. Congregants appreciate it too. It feels more in line with gospel ministry ("freely you have received; freely give") and I think it promotes a less "professional" and more pastoral relationship.
I've often wondered in "pay for service" counseling how anyone knows whether the counselee got her money's worth at a particular counseling session. How much do insights, practical suggestions, or encouragements cost? Some days I might feel the need to give them a refund! I'm also glad I don't feel pressure to meet only for one hour or for only a certain number of weeks, etc. I like the flexibility to meet longer or shorter, depending on what's happening and what the needs are.
Read the whole thing.
Comments:
June 5, 2012 at 11:41 PM
I agree. More churches should budget towards Christian Counselors. In the end many Christians avoid counseling because of the cost and or awkwardness of getting it started.
June 5, 2012 at 08:35 PM
[...] Five Reasons to Love Church-Based Counseling – Kevin DeYoung [...]
It Helps
June 6, 2012 at 11:25 AM
I'm so grateful for my church's commitment to helping those of us who find ourselves in need of formal counseling but are dealing with financial hardship. While my church doesn't have an "in-house" counselor, my pastor works to find a referral to a reputable therapist. And for someone (like me) who cannot afford expensive therapy, the church offers reimbursement(up to a fixed amount) to help defray the costs. I can't tell you how much I've appreciated my church in this regard.
And as an aside, I'm also grateful for my pastor's view that we are not just body or mind or spirit, but body, mind and spirit TOGETHER. And the counselors I've been referred to are Christians, yes, but are also trained and licensed psychologists who take an integrative approach to counseling.