Benefits of Faith Based Counseling – Bridging Together Religion and Therapy

Many people who are interested in counseling wonder, what are the benefits of faith based counseling? The simple answer is that having a faith-based approach allows a counselor to recognize the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspect of each person that they counsel. In short, therapy will focus on treating every part of the person, rather than minimizing their complexity.

Benefits of Faith Based Counseling

There are many practical benefits which come from this larger benefit. These are just a few benefits of having faith-based counseling.

Recognizing Absolutes and a Higher Authority

While counseling and psychology has undergone many changes over time, faith-based counseling stays on a similar course. Counseling is based on the principles laid out in their faith, providing a firm foundation. Additionally, a faith-based approach recognizes that there are moral absolutes and provides principles for recognizing positive and negative aspects of a person’s life. Even people who are not religious have often benefited from this type of counseling.

Counseling Offers Hope

Many people who seek out counseling have undergone a huge number of problems. From trauma to loss, there is no end to sadness in the world. However, with a faith-based approach, there is ultimately a real hope that comes out in sessions. It’s easy to focus on feeling better with any type of therapy. Knowing that there is a genuine peace that each person will ultimately experience. This does not mean that faith-based counseling completely removes all problems. Instead, it offers real healing and a knowledge that there is a greater hope for everyone. This is applicable in troubled marriages, relationships with family members and more. For example, it helps for someone to honor their wife and recognize the elements of a successful marriage. 

Counseling Connects People with their Faith

While a faith-based counseling is not designed to convert anyone to a specific faith, it can help to strengthen and grow a person in their faith. For example, people who are struggling in life often feel as though they are disconnected from what they truly believe. They may even want to have those strong beliefs but simply feel as though they’ve been left behind. Instead of allowing that to continue, faith-based counselors can help their clients recognize what they have lost and work on regaining their true beliefs. This often aids in the health process and helps people learn how to be more patient in a relationship. 

Faith-Based Counseling Is Also Evidence-Based

What some people may not realize is that a faith-based approach to counseling does not mean that evidence-based approaches are not also followed. Counselors who practice from this perspective continue to be a part of the larger counseling community. They are trained professionals who look at the evidence and apply it as appropriate in their practices. This means that a faith-based approach seeks to add onto the counseling experience rather than take away anything from it.

Bottom Line 

These are simply a few of the benefits of faith based counseling, but they’re certainly not the only ones. People who have experienced both secular and faith-based approaches often notice the difference in their results. They notice a change in not only their counseling experience but also how they were able to find recovery. For anyone who is seeking out professional help, a faith-based approach offers an effective solution for many. For additional questions, the community at Christians Around Campus can also help.