Now returning to the question: What’s the difference between Christian
counseling... and just seeing a counselor who also happens to be a Christian?
At first glance, those two things might sound pretty similar, right? But
there's actually a big difference — and understanding it can really help you
make the best decision for your emotional, mental, and spiritual care.
Let’s break it down.
[You may listen to this article on the podcast here:]
Christian Counseling: Scripture and God’s Truths at the Center
Christian counseling isn’t just therapy with a few Bible verses sprinkled
in. It’s counseling that is rooted in Scripture, guided by a Christian,
biblical worldview, and intentionally integrates prayer, spiritual formation
practices, and the truths of God’s Word into the healing process.
In Christian counseling, we absolutely use research-based strategies —
like cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, and mindfulness
techniques — but we pair them with soul-deep truths. And Christian counseling
itself is a subset of professional counseling that has it’s own research
journals sharing evidence-based practices. Two of these are the Journal of
Psychology and Christianity and the Marriage and Family Journal. Both of those
are peer reviewed bodies of research that focus on the integration of Christian
life principles with evidenced based mental health and counseling strategies.
So the difference is that – in full Christian Counseling - the work isn’t just
about behavior or mindset change... it’s also about spiritual transformation.
Let me give you an example.
There’s a well-known, evidence-based technique for anxiety called
“scheduled worry time.” You basically pick a specific time each day to sit down
and let yourself worry. Write out all the anxious thoughts, give yourself 15
minutes to feel it, and then move on. And how this practice becomes effective
is, that over time, your brain starts learning not to worry all day long —
because it has a designated time to deal with those anxious thoughts.
Now, as a Christian counselor, I’d take that same strategy and add this:
I’d ask you to bring your “worry notebook” to our session. And together, we’d
hold up those worries to God’s truth. What does Scripture say about them? What
lies might you be believing? What half truths or questionable narratives do you
have spinning around in your mind, maybe just on the edge of your everyday
awareness? What promises can you cling to instead?
So instead of just dumping your worries into a designated worry time or metaphorical worry bucket - you’re also filling back up with truth, assurance, and hope. That’s what Christian counseling does. And by doing so, it invites the Holy Spirit into the process.
A Real-Life Example: Reframing with Purpose
Let me tell you about a woman I worked with recently. She spoke with me
about feeling burnt out and anxious at work. She’d been trying to rest more,
take breaks, even plan restful weekends — but nothing seemed to help. She
couldn’t truly feel better during the short weekend, and she still dreaded
Monday.
So we started exploring her thought life. I asked, “What thoughts are
making you feel so anxious?” And what came out was really telling. She shared
these thoughts she was having at work:
“My workplace isn’t fair.”
“My supervisor takes me for granted.”
“I’m being held back. I am limited here.”
“I could be doing so much more somewhere else.”
Now, that might sound like anxiety on the surface... but those
thoughts were actually more aligned with depression. She wasn’t feeling
on edge or frustrated or anxious — she was feeling unseen, undervalued,
and purposeless.
That realization changed everything. This woman thought she was
experiencing anxiety but she was actually experiencing thoughts and feelings
more in line with depression.
So next, we don’t just stop at labeling emotions — it goes deeper to
uncover how your beliefs and thoughts align with (or don’t currently align with)
God’s truth. And let me say this – just because we may know a lot of Scripture
and know a lot of God’s truth in our higher brain – in a knowledge and
intellectual sort of way – it doesn’t mean that we are actually operating in
those truths. It doesn’t mean that we are running thought scripts in the back
of our mind that are the opposite of those truths But aways, in this case
study, I was able to help this woman take her thoughts captive and reframe them not just
with more positive thinking, but with biblical positive truth which
spoke into her truth, her identity, and her purpose within God’s purposes.
Instead of “My gifts are being wasted,” she began declaring, “God has
good works prepared for me today.”
Instead of “No one notices what I do,” she reminded herself, “My Father sees me
and is with me in this place.”
And that shift was transformative. Because now her workday wasn’t
just about getting through — it was about partnering with God, looking for
meaning, and walking in purpose, even in an imperfect environment.
Now, a secular counselor might’ve helped her reframe her thoughts with
something like: “I don’t need my boss to validate me.” And that’s fine — it’s
true to an extent. But Christian counseling takes it further: “I am already
validated and chosen by God. I work for Him first. And He sees me, and He is
with me, and He appreciates me.”
Do you see the difference? Which one resonates most with you. If you love Christ, the Christian counseling method will most likely resonate with you because scriptural truths will resonate with you. It’s like when Jesus teaches in …… that His sheep know his voice and are comforted by it. We are comforted deeply by the truth of God’s words and His promises comfort us in our heart, mind, emotions, soul, and spirit.
Why I Only Offer Christian Counseling
So personally, I only offer Christian counseling within my Faith and Soul
Care ministry and offerings. Not because
I’m against secular strategies — because I use a lot of them! But because I
believe healing goes deeper for us, as Christians, when we invite the Holy
Spirit and God’s truth into the process.
I just couldn’t, in good conscience, hold back the spiritual piece when I
know it’s the most powerful part of all.
That said, Christian counseling, for the most part, is ideal for those common struggles we all
face — things like anxiety, depression, burnout, grief, stress, life
transitions, or relationship conflicts.
But if someone is facing something more clinical — like PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD, or psychosis — then that’s when it’s best to see a specialist trained in those specific conditions. Often, that might include a medical team, a psychiatrist, or a trauma-informed licensed therapist.
New! Christian Counseling Cohort Starting Soon
And now — I have a really exciting announcement!
For the first time, I’m offering an online Christian Counseling Cohort
that will run alongside our Faith and Soul Care Online Retreat. It’s a
small group, 5-session series that will meet live over Zoom on Thursday
evenings, starting at 7pm Central on May 29th.
Each week, we’ll review one of the teachings from the retreat from its
video replay from the day before, and
then dig deeper — with time for personal sharing, discussion, and coaching or
counseling from me in that safe, small group space.
And the cost? It’s just $65 for all 5 sessions if you register by
this Sunday night at midnight. Yes, that is $65 for all 5 group sessions – that
is not $65 each – it is total for all 5 sessions. After this Sunday the 18th
at midnight, it goes up to $85 — which is still a huge value. And then,
during this Online Retreat special, you can even add on a private, one-on-one
session with me for just $30 more, but again only through this Sunday at
midnight. It’s like an early bird sign up special.
Now remember, the Faith and Soul Care Online Retreat teachings start the
Wednesday before – and will also run for 5 weeks and that will take place in my
online private Facebook group and it is completely free by simply requesting to
join the Facebook group if you have not done so already. You can find the linkto the Facebook group here or in the episode show notes.
So if this all resonated with you… if you’re wanting more support, deeper
insight, and a Christ-centered approach to your mental and soul health — come
join us!
You can find all the details and sign up at sherryelaine.com/cohorts
or click on the “Cohorts” tab on the website or find the direct link HERE or in
the episode show notes.
Spots are limited — and once it fills, I’ll have to close registration. So don’t wait too long, friend!
Thanks for spending time with me today. If you’re navigating stress,
burnout, or emotional fatigue — you are not alone. There is help. And there is hope
in Christ.
Until next time — take care and speak God’s truth to your soul.
More Resources:
Join the author's Facebook group for the upcoming online Renew and Revive Retreat for Soul Care:
New! Prayer and Reflection Journal I Designed! I love how the journal turned out! It has all I need for prayer tracking and reflections and re-setting my mind with struggles I am facing.
If you would like to learn simple, practical ways to walk with God every single day, then you would really enjoy Closer to God: Simple Methods, Starting Today
If you need motivation to eat healthier or lose weight while also growing closer to God, then you would enjoy Weight Loss for Christians, An Extraordinarily Simple Way to Conquer Cravings
If you want to learn more deeply and fully about what Jesus taught, then you would enjoy Words of Jesus - Bible Study on Christ's Teachings
More Resource Channels:
Gospel Life Learning Instagram
Sherry Elaine - Books Authored