Christian Counseling for Couples
When seeking Christian counseling for couples, remember that the ethical guidelines of counseling clearly specify that it is inappropriate for a therapist to influence or enforce his/her beliefs upon a client. Professional associations have created these boundaries to protect client’s rights to make their own choices. The result, however, for many client/therapist relationships was the removal or avoidance of any discussion relating to faith and spirituality. We feel that by not examining the client’s faith or spiritual matters is an imposition of the therapist’s worldview upon the client.
Several decades of research have revealed that 80-90% of clients wish to express their spiritual beliefs and have it combined into their treatment. Because of this research, many therapists have become open to allowing spiritual input. Today, we continue to provide Christian counseling for couples because we are willing and well-equipped to incorporate their distinctive faith system as a resource in attaining their therapeutic relationship goals.
Though we uphold strict, value-informed approaches to counseling, we also believe that refusing to explore or force ones belief system during counseling is a violation of boundaries in the client/therapist relationship. When we encounter clients who are seeking Christian counseling for couples, we share with them our Christian beliefs and explain to them that these values will influence our interaction and treatment.
Many couples approach us because they have heard from former clients who were seeking Christian counseling for couples that we are both a faith-based and professional practice. Couples that seek us desire to have Christian-based principles and techniques incorporated into their treatment. In our practice, we do not believe that it is our role to debate issues that often come up regarding theological matters in the Christian faith, but rather we respect each couple’s views and opinions and access their information to successfully counsel them.
