WHAT IS CHRISTIAN COUNSELLING?

We acknowledge that the words Christian and Counselling hold different meanings for different people.

Christian counselling, as we intend it in this ministry, is professional counselling, implying graduate level academic training and adherence to the high standards of a professional association of psychotherapists. It is offered by those whose personal faith and hope rest in Jesus Christ, who recognize that human nature is deeply spiritual, and who understand that human functioning occurs in an integrated manner. Many of our staff, in addition to having the academic qualifications of professional psychotherapists, also holds a certificate or degree in theology, divinity, or Biblical studies from their respective denomination.

At Christian Counselling Ottawa, our mission is to join people in their struggle, as God does, and to assist them in their healing journey toward the effective management of life’s challenges. We do this by using our professional expertise and also by integrating the faith of the person being counselled into the therapeutic process, as feasible and appropriate. We rely on God to guide us in the process with each of our clients, in order to sensitively and wisely provide the level of spiritual integration required in each case. This largely depends on the comfort level of each client.

The counsellor’s personal belief and value system rests upon the historical, orthodox rudiments of Christian teaching. At hiring, each counsellor indicates their adherence to our Summary Statement of Faith.

The counsellor draws upon the repository of skills and resources derived from their education, training, and professional experience. However, they do not use interventions that contradict the clear intention of biblical precepts.

Though never imposed, at Christian Counselling Ottawa, prayer and the discussion of Scripture and Biblical concepts may be used in the therapeutic process. We recognize that our client's needs and expressions of faith are diverse. Clients are asked to indicate their expectations about the integration of their faith into the therapeutic context prior to beginning the process in order to ensure that they are comfortable with what is offered in sessions.

At Christian Counselling Ottawa, therapists pray individually for each of their clients outside of sessions. For certain cases, we also pray collectively at our weekly staff meetings without naming clients. We are also upheld by our prayer partners, who pray for the needs of the agency as well as certain client situations which remain anonymous.

The Christian counsellor may be described as a specially gifted co-worker or collaborator with the Creator in the reconstructive work He is doing in the lives of people who are wounded or distressed.  The work of the Christian counsellor is an expression of the grace of God.