There are some times in life where you need the help of professional counseling to get through things. And, it’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of – just like going to the doctor if you have a physical health problem, counselling can be extremely useful when it comes to improving mental health and well-being.
For those who follow a faith, there are many counselors who offer faith-based services such as including biblical principles in their counseling techniques. However, you do not need to be a religious person to benefit from the methods used by faith-based counseling, as it also incorporates sound psychological theories and techniques.
For many people, faith-based counseling is useful as they find that having God, as a higher power who can help them to get through issues such as addiction recovery, depression, anxiety and more, is more motivating than other types of therapies. Here are some of the main benefits that you may receive from faith-based counseling.
#1. Moral Values:
Whether or not you are a follower of a certain faith, you may benefit from the moral values that are intertwined with faith-based counseling. For example, Christian counseling promotes godliness, which is one of the virtues that comes with adopting more positive moral values. If you are considering learning more about the Christian faith, then this type of counseling will also enable you to get a clearer understanding of Christian living, advice for living a more righteous life, and psychological help for whatever issues you are working through right now. Your counselor will not only be fully qualified having taken a program such as this online Christian psychology degree, but they are also likely to be a follower of the faith themselves, so they can be a useful source of advice and guidance for you in your own faith journey.
#2. More Positive Relationships:
No matter your faith or the type of faith-based counseling you are receiving, doing so may help you improve your relationships with others. At the heart of every faith are values that include treating others well and with kindness, which will be an integral part of your faith-based therapy. Faith-based counseling will encourage you to be kinder to others and foster more meaningful relationships with the people around you, focusing on both developing you as a person but also developing stronger relationships with others. As a result, you will experience the joys of giving to others, which can be a therapy in itself.
#3. Promotes Forgiveness:
If you are hoping for therapy to help you get over a wrong that was done to you in the past, then faith-based counseling can help you come to grips with understanding forgiveness. Sometimes, when we have been wronged or hurt, forgiveness is the only way forward when it comes to letting go and being able to work through the damage that has been done. Holding on to anger and resentment only hurts yourself, and faith-based counseling can help you to better understand this principle and guide you with figuring out how to finally forgive and let go. Forgiveness is a major principle in the Bible, for example, so Christian counseling is able to help you heal by focusing on damaging emotions and encouraging you to forgive not only those who have wronged you, but also yourself.
#4. Strong Community:
If you are hoping to become part of a strong, loving community, then faith-based counseling could be your first step through the door. Opting for Christian counseling that is a service offered by a church or Christian group, for example, will introduce you to a community of like-minded people, or if you’re still unsure as to whether or not you want to follow the faith, a community of people who can introduce you to it and you can learn from. If you are beginning to follow the Christian way of life, then there are plenty of resources that you may find useful, such as Christian support groups or 12-step programs.
#5. Love More:
Another main factor in faith-based counseling is learning unconditional love. When Biblical principles are making up a large part of your therapy, then you will be learning Christian mottos such as ‘love thy neighbor as thyself’ which helps you to do away with unnecessary feelings of resentment or anger and begin to see others in a more empathetic, caring light. In turn, this can help you heal your life and results in feeling more positive emotions towards both yourself and others on a day to day basis. You will learn that, in the same way God loves everybody regardless of what they have done in the past, you can too.
#6. Increased Hope:
Sometimes, having faith in something bigger than yourself comes with a level of hope that simply cannot be achieved elsewhere. Many people choose faith-based counseling as it provides them with a lifestyle to follow where they can look forward to a wonderful afterlife in Heaven, where they will know only joy, happiness, peace and love. For many who struggle with feelings of hopelessness and depression, this ability to explore the idea of a better life after death can give them the hope that they need to carry on and get past their struggles.
Getting over struggles with addiction, mental health and trauma can be difficult, but having faith in God who can help and support you through it can be a different story. For many people who turn to faith-based counseling in order to get through tough times in their life, it enables them to keep going as they know that they are not alone in their struggle; there is a higher power who is watching out for them. Whether you need to forgive yourself or somebody else, want to improve your relationships with others, feel more peaceful and content while maintaining sobriety, or simply feel lost and want to find a faith based group you can belong to, faith based counseling can help.
Have you been helped by a faith-based counselor? We’d love to hear your story in the comments.
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