Top 5 myths about Christian counseling in Tacoma, WA

Christian counseling in Tacoma, WA

So you’re living in the City of Destiny and looking for Christian counseling in Tacoma, WA.

Or maybe you’re even looking for Christian counseling in Seattle, or Christian counseling in Spokane—this is for you too, thanks to the wonderful world of online video therapy!

But what is Christian counseling, exactly? How is it different than “regular” counseling? And what should you expect if you’re considering starting counseling for the first time? Let me help by debunking 5 of the top myths about Christian counseling in Tacoma, WA.

Myth: Christian counseling is the same as talking to my pastor or church leader.

Talking to your pastor or church leader is AWESOME, and there are many reasons I think this would be beneficial to you. To have their spiritual guidance, their prayers, the support of the church, the empathy and comfort of confiding in another person—and many more benefits. Many pastors offer pastoral counseling and it is great to take advantage of this resource.

I believe that Christian counseling and the pastoral ministries or inner healing ministries offered by churches can work wonderfully as complements to one another. They are not in competition in my book.

There are some differences and benefits to working with a Christian counselor though. For one, a Christian counselor will have been trained with a Master’s degree or higher in psychology. Pastors typically are trained theologically and may not have received a lot of psychological training. Christian counselors will have gone through a rigorous licensure process that requires thousands of hours of counseling and meeting with a supervisor to ensure that they are practicing ethically and expertly within the field. They will have been educated with an eye to the latest research and evidence-based studies about mental health and methods of treatment. And they are required to keep up their education through yearly courses and consultation groups to ensure that they stay up to date in the field.

We are complex beings of spirit, mind, body, and emotions. A Christian counselor can help address your whole personhood and has expertise when it comes to evidence-based psychological methods that can be combined with the care that you receive from your spiritual community to give you the best of both worlds.

Plus, pastors often have many demands on them and may not have time for the intensive and regular meetings that you would benefit from, while a counselor is equipped to meet with you weekly and develop a treatment plan to help you reach your goals.

Many people often appreciate, too, that a counselor is someone outside of your world. They are an objective third party and don’t have any agenda, and it can be nice to have a safe place to confide in who is not involved in your life otherwise and has no expectations on you.

Myth: A Christian counselor will preach at me or shove the Bible down my throat.

Oh man, if this has happened to you, let me be the first to say I am so sorry. This is not what counseling should be. While I am sure there are some bad apples out there, a good Christian counselor will never preach at you, shame you, or ram the Bible down your throat. Their job is to work with you to help you understand your values, beliefs, thinking patterns, and pain points. They can help you see where you are lining up with your faith and where you are feeling out of alignment.

Instead of thinking of a Christian counselor as a Bible police officer, ready to give you a citation if you are out of line, instead, think of a Christian counselor as your biggest cheerleader. They are someone whose main goal is to see you through the eyes of unconditional love. They are here to be a safe place where you can be honest about your struggles and shortcomings and they are not going to think less of you. You can show up as your messiest, rawest self and be met with love. They are going to champion the true you, the beautiful child of God who you are, and help you get to the root of what is driving behaviors or thoughts that are hurting you. They will do this with so much love and compassion and gentleness.

Doesn’t this sound a lot like the love of Christ we are called to show one another? No counselor is perfect, but this kind of kindness, compassion, and honesty is our goal. The last thing you should feel in counseling is shame or judgment.

Myth: Christian counselors only work with Christians.

Not true! Christian counselors work with people from all walks of faith, background, and beliefs. No one is excluded. As a Christian and a counselor, my faith in Jesus is the foundation of my belief that every person is worthy of love and belonging, and every person is deeply beloved by God no matter what. And my faith is also what gives me hope for every client that things can always get better and we are not out here on our own, trying to self-help our way into wholeness. God’s grace is available and present to us all, no matter who you are.

Myth: I wouldn’t have mental health problems if only I could just have enough faith.

I cannot stress this enough: Struggling with depression, anxiety, or any mental health condition does NOT make you a bad Christian. Struggling with mental health does NOT mean you don’t have enough faith. There is a myriad of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to our mental health and can cause symptoms of mental illness.

Things like depression and anxiety are real illnesses that affect our brain and body, and they need treatment just like any other illness you might visit your doctor about. There is no shame in struggling with these things. Many devout, faith-filled, powerhouse Christians have struggled with mental illness such as depression anxiety, schizophrenia, OCD, and more.

Also, let’s be clear: It is not a sin to deal with depression, anxiety, or any other mental illness. God has compassion and wants to help you find healing. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma about mental health in some parts of the Christian community, and a Christian counselor can help you release any false guilt about your struggles, as well as help you get treatment to decrease your symptoms and start feeling better.

Myth: Christian counseling is only for people who have been through serious tragedies or have major problems.

Not true! While Christian counseling can of course be helpful in healing from traumas and tragedies, we all face stress living in our modern world and balancing the demands of work, relationships, self-care, and more. We all have areas of our thinking that have suffered distortions that are causing us pain. We all have gone through hurts and disappointments that can leave us with an emotional limp, or self-medicating in a way we wish we didn’t. Meeting with a counselor can help you have an outside perspective to locate these points of pain or distortion, and address these things before they develop into bigger problems.

You can also think about working with a counselor like working with a personal trainer. It’s a great way to take your emotional and mental health from “good” to “great.” They can help you identify goals of how you want to thrive even more in life and make a plan to get there.

I hope this helps to debunk some myths and help you feel more comfortable when it comes to finding a Christian counselor in Tacoma, WA who is right for you. If you have other questions, feel free to call me at (253)-365-0403 for a free 15-minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and see if we are a good fit.

I provide Christian counseling in Tacoma, WA but also I can provide online Christian counseling in WA state. So if you are looking for a Christian counselor in Spokane or a Christian counselor in Seattle, feel free to get in touch. If you’d like to see more about how I can help, check out more below.