What Does It Mean That We Do Christian Counseling?

Ever wonder what makes Christian counseling different? We actually get this question a lot!

It’s often from Christians who want to make sure that their therapy experience is consistent with their faith. If that’s the case for you, read on to hear some thoughts on Christian counseling from therapist Megan Weller.

Megan is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in working with children and teens. She attended Biola University for her undergraduate studies and Western Seminary for her MA in Marriage and Family Therapy. As you can imagine with these credentials, she’s thought a lot about the integration of faith and psychology!

And if you’re not coming from a Christian background? We’re here to serve you too. A professional and ethical therapist will work within a client’s religious framework, when that’s important to the client.

ICG: What does it mean that you provide Christian counseling?

Megan: Christian counseling means that everything I do in session is shaped by a Biblical worldview. I would actually say that’s true whether I’m working with Christians or clients of other faiths. Everything we do in the sessions is grounded in God’s Truth, even if Scripture is not directly quoted or used in session. For example, I believe that my clients have great potential to heal and grow because of what I’ve learned and experienced through my faith.

ICG: What is the difference between what you do and Biblical counseling?

Megan: Biblical counselors usually stick to Scripture and prayer and do not integrate psychology into their sessions. I find that both Christianity and psychology have valuable insights, so the client really gets the best of both in our sessions.

ICG: What is an example of how psychology can provide insight that the Bible alone might not offer?

Megan: In the same way that the Bible is not a manual for treating physical illness, it also does not provide all the interventions that can be used to treat mental illness. God provides us with His Truth through “special revelation” (Scripture) and “general revelation” (God’s gift to us to study and gather truth from the world around us).

The Bible talks about things related to mental health, such as not being anxious about anything (Phil. 4:6) and taking every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5). I believe that God has provided us with the ability to study our world (general revelation) and identify practical interventions that can be used to manage things like anxiety and our thoughts.

For example, I have been able to teach children how to manage anxiety using skills from something called Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). TF-CBT includes relaxation skills, such as deep breathing and grounding. I also teach children in TF-CBT how to “take every thought captive” by helping them first recognize what they are telling themselves and then use practical tools to help them examine their thoughts and create more helpful and truthful thoughts about themselves and the world. 

This is just one example of how psychology gives us insight and tools for living more God-centered lives.

ICG: How is Christian counseling different from seeing a therapist without a faith background?

Megan: Christian counseling is different than seeing a therapist without a faith background because there is the hope and security of being grounded in the Ultimate Truth. Much of what people work on in counseling are distorted beliefs about themselves based on their past experiences, such as not feeling valuable or worthy. Counseling through a Biblical worldview presents that all people are valuable and important, and we can have confidence in replacing any distortions or lies with what is true.

I think some of my colleagues at Integrity Counseling Group would add that seeking out Christian counseling can be important when dealing with issues like healthy sexuality. Some therapists may not recognize sex addiction, for example, or may think that something like pornography is not a problem because they are not coming from a Biblical worldview.

ICG: On a side note, you specialize in play therapy for children. What changes have you made now that therapy sessions are done virtually?

Megan: Although working with children virtually definitely presented a challenge, I have found that children can be very flexible and adaptable and can adjust easily to doing virtual therapy. I made some changes to therapy sessions such as sending over worksheets to parents that I plan to use with their child in the session ahead of time, informing them of what supplies they might need (paper, markers, games, etc.), or sending over a review of what we did after the session that they can continue to go over it together at home. 

I also have utilized the child’s surroundings to build rapport, such as having them show me their favorite toys in their room. Many things about my sessions with children have also been able to stay the same, such as checking in with parents at the beginning and end of the session, and providing space for the child to teach their parents what they learned during the session.

ICG: How do you manage your work-life balance as a Christian therapist?

Megan: As a Christian therapist, it can be easy to overextend myself with helping others and finding ways to justify being so busy because I am serving others. I have learned and continue to learn that it is important for me to spend time alone with God daily, to work on my own healing and growth, and to invest in my personal relationships. This gives me the ability to walk into my sessions and to give out of a full cup, versus an empty one.

To schedule with Megan or one of our other Christian therapists, please contact us at (760) 283-7000. We are currently offering online video sessions through our secure telehealth service due to COVID-19. Under normal circumstances, we offer sessions at our three San Diego counseling offices—in San Marcos, Carlsbad, and Mission Valley. For more information about online therapy, please see Tips to Make the Most of Online Therapy. For more information about Megan, including how she’s staying physically and mentally healthy during the pandemic, please see our “Pandemic Survival Guide” here.