Christian vs. Secular Concept of Family Counseling

Counselors of any type want to help others.

Christian and secular counseling both hope to help individuals achieve a sense of overall health and well-being. The difference comes in what these counselors use to determine healthy goals and guidelines. Although both types of counselors usually must answer to authorities, the government regulates secular counseling, while individual churches or church convention leaders set the requirements for Christian counseling.

Basis of Secular Counseling

Secular counseling does not have a "standard of absolutes." This means that secular counselors use legal and socially acceptable standards to help guide their clients in decision making. As government-licensed entities who must adhere to government regulation, secular counselors refrain from offering advice based on religious ideas.

Basis of Christian Counseling

Christian counselors emphasize living by the moral codes presented in the Bible. High priority may be given to laws of the land, but the relevance of modern culture takes a back seat to religion. Christian counselors freely give religious advice and help clients examine their lifestyles to ensure that their thoughts and beliefs align with scripture.

Education for Secular Counseling

Most states require counselors to obtain licensing or certification. Counseling certificates and licenses require a master's or doctorate's degree, along with a varying amount of field time, (typically 2 years) depending on the type of counseling the individual wishes to pursue.

Education for Christian Counseling

While an increasing number of people who wish to become Christian counselors now seek state licensing, many counselors still try to maintain the delicate line between church and state. These people opt to attend faith-based colleges that offer counseling certificates, or they might seek out Christian organizations that offer licenses, usually with the same educational requirements as secular organizations.

Misconceptions

People tend to believe that secular counselors push medication and Christian counselors refuse to see the need for drug intervention. While these issues certainly exist in isolated cases, both types of counselors seek to provide their clients with quality care. This means that secular and Christian counselors choose the methods they deem best suited for the client's needs. The intervention and advice may or may not involve the aid of pharmaceuticals.

Considerations

A host of insurance companies willingly cover all or a portion of the costs for secular counseling. As the number of state-licensed Christian counselors rises, the number of insurance companies willing to accept claims for service from these providers rises. However, the ratio of Christian providers to covered insurance types remains relatively low, making Christian counseling difficult to obtain for those who cannot afford to pay in cash. Cost, insurance coverage, individual needs and personal preferences all become important when looking at either Christian or secular counseling. While individuals must decide which option suits them best, both options offer the benefit of personalized service from people trained to help others live up to their full potential.

References

• National Board for Certified Counselors: Certifications
• National Christian Counselors Association: Christian Counseling Training
• American Counseling Association: Licensure and Certification