NATALIE BOYD
What can you expect from Biblical Counseling?
1. Biblical Counseling is grounded in Scripture.
All counsel offered must be grounded in Scripture because of its sufficiency and authority in a Christian's life (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3-4). This means that God's Word is the expert in the counseling room and not the counselor. The counselor is ready to point the counselee to God's truth and assist in its application. As a result, Scripture is the main resource used in the counseling room and is not blended with other modern psychologies.
Biblical counseling encourages you to consider a biblical response to your situation in a way that pleases God. Therefore, it is important to study and apply the principles found in God's Word to learn the response that glorifies him.
2. Biblical Counseling is Christ-centered.
Biblical counseling must be Christ-centered because in him is our greatest hope. Scripture tells us that that our ultimate problem is with sin: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Jesus Christ provided our answer when he paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. Whatever we are facing today, there is hope in Christ because he delivered us from our great sin and shame. This doesn't mean we need to ignore the pain of our hardships, but placing our hope in Christ helps us endure them biblically.
Additionally, counseling must be Christ-centered because Scripture tells us that true heart change comes as we grow in our understanding of the gospel (Titus 2:11-14). Since Christians are alive in Christ and dead to sin (Romans 6), the gospel must remain the foundation for any growth as God conforms us into the image of his Son.
3. Biblical Counseling addresses the heart.
Biblical counseling addresses the heart. It doesn’t simply encourage behavior change, but true heart change by his grace and through the work of the Holy Spirit. Putting off sinful behavior and putting on godly behavior must be coupled with an understanding of what our hearts are worshiping in certain moments or situations.
During counseling, we may ponder questions like: What are you believing about God? What is keeping you from turning to him? What are you desiring or serving? Such questions help us learn more about the motives of our hearts and from there apply God's truth.
To summarize, biblical counseling offers counseling to encourage life change through heart change established in God's Word. Biblical counselors are not trained in psychologies or medicine, but are trained in God's Word, practical theology, and biblical methods of change.