During Christian Counseling Minneapolis MN Believers Can Grow Closer To God

By Mark Graham


The fast pace of life and the continuous pressure to perform can become exhausting. Many people simply cannot cope from day to day and develop anxiety and other stress related disorders. Counselling often help. Christians are not exempt from problems, stress and psychological problems. They too sometimes need professional help. When they opt for Christian counseling Minneapolis MN patients hope that they will renew their faith and receive healing from God.

Psychologists and counsellors commonly use the theories of behavioural science and psychology when they treat patients. Science is not the only basis of departure for all therapists, however. There are numerous therapists that offer counselling based upon the principles of old civilizations, alternative belief systems and even disciplines such as meditation and yoga. Christian counselling is based upon the teachings of the Bible and the importance of faith in God.

Christianity believes that God is all powerful and that there is absolutely nothing that He cannot do. God, through His teachings in the Bible, therefore also provide solutions to psychological problems. Those suffering from maladies must seek the solutions to their problem by studying the Bible and by believing in the power of God to heal. Faith based therapists aim to help their patients find these answers.

Faith based therapists do not shun the principles of modern psychological treatment approaches. Many are, in fact, qualified secular therapists with degrees in psychology. They simply use psychological techniques to help their patients find answers in the Bible. In cases where it is deemed necessary, they will even refer their patients to a psychiatrist who can prescribe appropriate medication and investigate the possibility of medical disorders causing the psychological symptoms.

Many faith based therapists specialize in specific fields. Some focus on relationships and marriage counselling, others on trauma therapy and others on behavioural disorders such as substance abuse. In most cases therapy consist of an initial interview, followed by one on one sessions and in many cases, group therapy as well. Patients have to understand that therapy often requires many sessions over a long period of time.

Patients seeking help from faith based therapists often expect a miracle of biblical proportions. They think that the therapist has a special relationship with God and that the answer to their problems is just a prayer and a blessing away. This is not the case. The main role of the therapist is to help the patient to analyse the causes of their problems and to seek solutions in the teachings of God.

Critics accuse faith based counsellors of misleading their patients by making them believe that they can find answers through faith and a study of the Bible. Some even go as far as to say that this type of counselling is nothing other than religious indoctrination. Many critics also believe that science and religion do not belong together and that the use of Christianity in conjunction with psychological principles is a travesty.

Christians, on the other hand, view faith based counselling as just another channel that is used by God to communicate with His children. They do not believe that there is no place for science in religion or for religion in science. They believe that all science is just another manifestation of the power of their God.




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