Exploring the Role and Challenges of a Christian Counselor

This essay delves into the multifaceted role of a Christian counselor, highlighting the challenges and complexities inherent in the profession. It begins by emphasizing the significance of trust and the counselor-counselee relationship, recognizing that individuals seeking Christian counseling often face significant life challenges. The essay explores the integration of psychology and theology, discussing the historical debates and contemporary perspectives on incorporating psychological methods into Christian counseling, emphasizing the importance of understanding the counselee's perspective and the role of spirituality and the Bible in the healing process. Furthermore, the essay addresses the challenges of multicultural counseling, particularly in the context of the United States, where diverse populations seek support. It examines the cultural differences, language barriers, and potential for racism that can affect the counseling process, stressing the need for counselors to develop cultural sensitivity and awareness. The essay concludes by underscoring the importance of inclusivity and the need to create a comfortable and supportive environment for all individuals seeking help.

Running head: Role of Christian Counselor
Role of Christian Counselor
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

Role of Christian Counselor
1
Introduction
When an individual seeks help from the Christian counselling center, this indicates
that the individual is exposed to challenges in the sphere of his life and is unable to face all
the situations all alone. Though the Christian counselor is considered a prominent figure in
present times but that does not comply with the fact that he will have the answers to all the
questions that are possessed by the individuals regarding the conflicting situations in life. The
counsellor should use all the available resources which comprise mainly of the Scriptures that
have a healing effect providing peace and belief to the counselee. There are a number of
challenges that are faced in the relationship between the Counselor and the counselee but the
understanding between both of them about their respective roles in the structure of the society
will create harmonious conditions that will help in the achievement of expected outcomes1.
At the initial stage the counselee in a state of dilemma as there is no development in the
relationship with the Counsellor which is necessary for him to openly convey the problems to
him. This requires the development of the trust bond between both of them as if the
relationship lacks trust it will result in hiding of important facts that are necessary for the
process of counselling. The situation worsens if the counselee develops a sense of shame in
being a member of the church which makes him prone to the fact that he may be facing
difficulties at the emotional and personal level. These reasons make it the duty of the
Christian counselor to make the counselee trust his intentions that he is working for his
betterment and holds ardent interest his personal pain and respects him as an individual. The
duty of understanding the counselee lies with the counselor. The main purpose of every
session held is to help the individual in not feeling the aloofness in his life and to provide him
the courage to face all the challenging situations that arise in his life. The bond that is formed
1 Baruth, Meghan, Melissa Bopp, Benjamin L. Webb, and Jane A. Peterson. "The role and influence of faith
leaders on health-related issues and programs in their congregation." Journal of religion and health 54, no. 5
(2015): 1747-1759.

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Role of Christian Counselor
between the counselor and the counselee rests on the pillars of mutual respect, limitations and
dedication. The purpose of this article is to provide the guidelines about how the development
of relationship between the counselor and the counselee take place and what are the
difficulties that can arise in the formation of the bond between the two. The ways to find
solutions to the difficulties and always having the concept in mind that the Lord is the prime
focus in the Christian counseling process.
The importance of integrating psychology and theology as an effective tool for
counseling
In the present times it is possible that the introduction of psychological methods in the
Christian counseling process can face resistance from the society but the scenario is changing
now. In the article, The Past Generation and the states of The Field which is concerned with
the concept of Christian counselling by Rick Marrs shows that from the year 1970s, there has
been a difference in the views related to the process of integration. In the article written by
Mars the views of Jay Adams are explained. Jay Adams was the leader who was in support of
the biblical counselling movement which has a firm belief in the fact that the sins committed
by the individual are the prime cause of the emotional sufferings experienced by him. He was
in opposition to the concept of modern psychology and his idols were Freud and Carl Roger.
This made the concept clear that Jay Adams did not believe in the use of psychology by the
counselor to cure the problems as he believed that the prime cause of difficulties in the life of
the individual are caused by spiritual reasons. Therefore, in order to cure the problems
spiritual concepts should be applied. On the contrary, Gary Collins, who was an ardent
supporter of Christian counselling, believed that psychology should be incorporated in the
area of counseling. He also wrote articles that supported his advocated concept. He also
helped to create programs in the area of Christian doctoral research in clinical psychology.
Fernando L. Garzon and M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall, in the article, Teaching Christian

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integration in Psychology and Counselling: Current status and future directions, expresses
that during the preparation of the curriculum of subjects in the universities and pedagogical
approach of teaching integration is applied which will help in the process of academic
foundation of the Christian counselor through integrating psychology in the process of
Christian counselling. The concept of psychology and theology will work in collaboration
and play a key role in the educational sector to would organize the relationship between the
counselor and the counselee. In the book Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian
Counseling written by Mark R. McMinn provides information pride and confidence can act
as the driving force for the acts of the Christian counselor therefore they should avoid the
integration psychology in counselling. In Christian counselling the center of attraction is the
counselee who is suffering from misery. The sufferings are only experienced by the
counselee and can only be cured by applying spirituality but the Christian counselor can avail
help by adopting psychology with the concepts of theology to understand the mind of the
counselee and help him to solve the problems faced by the counselee and help him in the
process of healing. Psychology is an important tool that helps in the process of recovery
which can be used by the counselor for treating and understanding the situation of the
counselee. The inclusion of psychology in the process of Christian counselling does not
provide that the counselor would neglect the concept of spirituality and dismiss the
application of the concepts of bible as a prime source in counselling. On the other hand, the
inclusion of the concepts of theology and psychology and Christ as the center of the
counselling process will provide strength to the process and provide a structured base for the
propagation of the mission. In the article “THE PASTORAL CONJUNCTION OF CARE:
CONCEPTUALIZING CONTEMPORARY MINISTRY AND MENTAL
HEALTHCOUNSELLING SERVICES, STEPHEN P. Greggo on page 300. Writes about the
situations where it is mentioned in the Bible that the emotional and the personal needs of the

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Role of Christian Counselor
individual need to be assisted. Greggo advocates the concept of partnership between the
social workers, counselor and the psychological experts for fulfilling the needs of the
counselee which can only be addressed by proper integration of theology and psychology.
Stephen Greggo, proposes in his article, “God may demonstrate his grace in supplying
comprehensive care by blessing the benefits found in a full range of sources, including
medical, psycho-social, pastoral and lay care from the body of Christ or community.” Page
298.
The Christian Counselor in a Multicultural World
The country of the United States of America is formed by people from different parts
of the world in search of better opportunities in life who face a number of challenges while
living in the country which includes the learning of a new language and adapting to a new
culture. Most of the people from other countries seek shelter in the premise of the church
which is beyond the sphere of Christianity2. The immigrants who have stayed in the country
for a long time face difficulties while learning the language and to get accustomed to the
cultural values of the country. There are number of challenges that are faced by the
immigrants both new and old while seeking help from the church if the counselor is not fully
prepared for the process of counselling. In the article published by the Keith C. Fullerton
Christian counselling in the Urban Context is discussed. The role of the counselor is given
importance by him in the process of understanding his own culture and the culture of the one
who seeks help from him. Caucasian culture is described by Fullerton as a concept that is
characterized by dominance in nature which the counselor is unable to understand and
identifies it as neither being superior or inferior, which leads to a rejection from the counselee
towards the counselor. Fullerton while describing his own experience from the church in
Anchorage in Alaska where he was pastor and the majority of the population was Natives or
2 Hunter, William, and Matthew Stanford. "Adolescent mental health: the role of youth and college pastors."
Mental Health, Religion & Culture 17, no. 10 (2014): 957-966.

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Role of Christian Counselor
Eskimos after he had served a considerable amount of time as a pastor in Canada where the
majority of population was Caucasian. In his writings, Fullerton highlights the difference in
cultures and all the new concepts he had learnt to be a central part of the society and get
acceptance from the society. In the present times, in order to have a friendly relationship
between the counselor and the counselee there needs to be an understanding on the part of the
counselor that there are differences in the cultural sphere. It is the duty of the counselor to
understand that there are must be some difficulties that are faced by the counselee in
understanding and speaking the English language as it may not be their native language. The
difficulty in speaking the language makes it difficult for the individuals to express their
emotions and feelings properly, this should be understood by the counselor. He should also
understand that in different cultures relationship with the families are viewed differently. The
counselor should change his personal views about the superiority of a particular culture and
should try to understand the sufferings which have resulted from personal and emotional
conflicts and also sufferings that have arose from cultural perspectives. The challenges faced
in multicultural counselling are aggravated when racism is brought into consideration. In the
article INTEGRATION, MULTICULTURAL COUNSELLING AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
Joshua N. Hook and Don E. Davis have provided description that in present times conflicts
on racial basis are a burning reality that too within the sphere of the churches which is a firm
believer in the concept of supremacy of the whites and the subordination of the other people
who belong to the other races namely Blacks, Latinos and Asians3. The churches believed
that according to the Bible, the people who belong to the Caucasian culture have the access to
their places of worship and they believe in the concept of differentiation from the other
communities. Therefore, counselling is available to the people who belong to the race of the
whites and those who are concerned with them. On the contrary, there are churches who are
ardent believers in the concept of equality for all the people who belong to castes, creeds and
3 Burnard, Philip. Practical counselling and helping. Routledge, 2013

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races and they preach the religious values to all. They promote the concept of multiracialism
in churches and inculcate different cultures and defend their causes for doing so. Hook and
Davis, report in their article from different viewpoints that exist within Christianity are
responsible for the difficulties that are experienced during the counselling of people
belonging to different cultures and Christianity. It is the responsibility of the counsellor that
despite all the challenges that are experienced in the process of counselling, he should make
the process comfortable for every individual. The concept of counselling in Christianity
should always include the concept of inclusion and should never promote exclusion that
makes the individual feel alienated. It the duty of the counsellor to accept all the people who
need help irrespective of their financial, cultural status and their ethnicity. The position that
the counsellor holds is that of a representative who represents the kingdom where love is a
dominant concept and he should always help those who are in need of it and ask him for his
helping hand when they face crucial stages in their lives.
Role of the church in counselling
The fundamental principle of Christian counselling is spirituality in life, an intimate
connection with Jesus is the prime reason for all the differences in the life of an individual
and the church is the center where it all begins. The church is the main body which promotes
the concept that Christ is the soul of the individual and the he is the light and salt in the
universe. It works for the restoration of the individual’s soul. The comforter is the presenter
of Holy Spirit, the base is Christ and the churches are the tributaries that display the concept
that spread the concept of love and healing by keeping Christ in prime focus. The church
holds an eminent position in the concept of Christian counseling as the church poses a warm
and welcoming gesture towards the individual and provides support to them. When the
personal life of an individual is full of distress the help is needed from someone who is
proficient in his job which includes the pastor or the counselor but the credibility of the

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church cannot be neglected in the process of counseling. Philip A. Coyle in his article
ESTABLISHING A FAMILY LIFE AND COUNSELING MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH
advocates that the involvement of the church is important in the process of counseling and
further advocates the ability of the church in the development of a counselling ministry with
the possibility of a counselor who works on a full time basis. The church should work for the
management of a person’s mental health who are the members of the church and also of those
who are not as it is the responsibility vested on them by Christ. In the article written by
Coyle, he gives a brief description of the works performed at the Manley Baptist Church in
Morristown, Tennessee, where more than 1035 sessions were held which had positive
outcomes for the counselees and the church as well as the community observed that the
church cared about the well-being of the members as well of those who are not the members
of the church. The look out into the emotional health of the individuals in the community is
the concern of the church and there are many members in the church who are suffering from
many problems at personal level which can result from the death of a loved one and
sufferings in family life. They can be suffering from bullying and sexual harassment in their
personal lives. The church cannot neglect the sufferings of the people and let them stay in a
state of suffering. All the churches do not possess the a counselling ministry to work in the
formation of a body that consists of trained staff which is also contributed by the lack of
economic resources but there are some other ways that can be used by the church to help and
engage in useful activities which include group work which helps in strengthening the ways
of help that can be helpful in providing help to the needy. It also works to develop a healthy
relationship with Christ and his teachings. The church can offer help to the group and help in
recognizing the scriptures, this will be helpful in making the process more easy for the
participants who are in the already in the process of counselling. In the article, Group
Counselling in the Church: An Integrative Theological and Practical Analysis, Jared Philip

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Pingleton, writes that unity, love, loyalty and commitment are the necessary aspects of a
group will develop what he advocates as : “A healthy group therapeutic experience. Pingleton
advocated that the development in the activities lead to strengthening of the relationships
which will promote interaction with the church and reveal the main purpose to help in the
process of maturity. The people who will participate in the process will experience comfort
and develop an immediate relationship with God which will bring glory to God and will help
in the liberty of the man.
Spirituality in Counselling
When an individual seeks help from the Christian counselor, it is practiced that
spiritual resources are the base for individual encounters, psychological integration, theology
and spirituality is an effective tool whereas it is the responsibility lies with the counselor to
bring the counselee close to the concept of Christ and inculcate belief in him that he is the
sole entity who can solve his sufferings both in good and bad times. It is the sole difference in
the concept of Christian counseling the pastor or the counselor will listen to the individual but
has to follow the guidelines that are clearly prescribed in the bible4. In the Gospel of John
Chapter 16:33 Christ says it himself: “These things have told you to have peace in me. In the
world you will have afflictions: but be of good cheer: I have conquered the world.” The
principle of Christian counseling is to clear the concepts of bible to the counselee. In the book
STRATEGIC PASTORAL COUNSELLING The Short-term Structured Model, David G.
Benner, says: “Problems should never be the prime focus. The focus should be on the whole
person as he or she lives out life before the face before the face of God.” The counselor
should provide support to the individual to cure his sufferings but also make him understand
the prime cause of his suffering is spiritual as we as individuals live in a world that has fallen
with fallen individuals. During the sessions conducted by the counselor, he should present the
4 Falaye, Ajibola O. "Counselling from the Christian point of view: religious psychotherapy." IFE PsychologIA:
An International Journal 21, no. 3 (2013): 54-61.

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Role of Christian Counselor
texts from bible and tell about the effects of spirituality in the life of a man and the fact that
we all need the presence of Lord in our lives5. The counselor may not have experienced
spirituality in his personal life but he should use the concept of the Holy Spirit but it is not
necessary that he will be able to make the counselee believe that it is Holy Spirit who
provides comfort, guidance and conviction. This will be the action of the Holy Spirit who
will grant freedom to the counselee and restore his faith in love and guide him in the process
of praying. The role that the counselor plays in the process of counseling but is restricted
without the action of the Lord. In the book PSYCHOLOGY, THEOLOGY AND
SPIRITUALITY in CHRISTIAN COUNSELING. McMINN, defines that he is not a learned
individual who will be able to reflect the character of the Christianity and provide help to the
counselee but the counselor who has lived the life of spirituality, fasting and adoration will be
more helpful in the process of counselling. The base of Christian counselling is Christ and his
teachings that are prescribed in the bible are the base for the actions, behaviour feelings of
grief and sorrow for understanding the course of human actions. The individual seeking
support should understand the fact that the solutions that the counselor provides for his
problems will be based on the teachings prescribed in the Bible. In the article THE
SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE IN COUNSELING, Wayne A. Mack says that many
counselees believe in the fact that the sayings and teachings in the bible are the sayings of
God but they do not provide support for the conflicts of the man. Bible is a holy book that
does not provide solution to the emotional and psychological issues faced by the man6. Mack
advocates that the scriptures act as a medium where we can find about the origin of man and
Bible is the medium which can make us understand about the man and the problems that are
faced by him, the cause and what are the means to solve them. Mack suggests that the
scriptures can provide solutions to the problems that are faced by the man as they are the
5 Watts, Fraser. Theology and psychology. Routledge, 2017.
6 Hardiman, Piers, and Janette Graetz Simmonds. "Spiritual well-being, burnout and trauma in counsellors and
psychotherapists." Mental Health, Religion & Culture 16, no. 10 (2013): 1044-1055.

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results of his sinful activities. It is the function of the counselor to restore the belief of the
counselee in Christ and propose that he is the only one who can solve the problems that arise
in this life.
Final section
The pastor is prepared to discharge his duties of teaching, preaching, visiting and
praying for the sick but to take up the role of the counselor there should be desire at the
personal level that are my feelings throughout the events of ministerial life. This is the prime
reason I went in the search of enlightenment to understand the areas of conflicts which result
from sex, child abuse, separation from their partners and why people seek help on the
grounds of spirituality. The nature of problems are constantly growing adverse which
demands the Christian counselor to be prepared to face the challenges, which made me feel
that I need to be a part of the doctoral program which will help me in understanding myself
which would help me in obtaining the necessary skills to make me understand the process of
counselling. Being a part of the doctoral program has helped me to understand and enhance
my learnings and excel my own expectations. It was an integration of the concepts of
psychology, theology and spirituality. It was clarified to me that I have not been able to
understand that psychology and theology can go together and spirituality has provided
efficiency to the theological and psychological tool and helped them to become powerful
mechanism for the counselor. The quality that helped me was my ability to listen patiently
and work on the interpreting what is being conveyed to me. John Savage’s Listening and
Caring Skill helped to understand about what and how people talk about and what is the
actual meaning of their communication rather some part of the session I was unable to
incorporate as they displayed inability in the interpretation to the signs. Being a potential
listener the counselor, John Savage advocates in his book about the inner functioning of the
brain and the interpretations it makes at the personal level and the senses that we have in the

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in the ability to take a perception of the outer world which creates a gap in the
communication process and this is a reason that ideas cannot be communicated properly. The
purpose of the book is to mend the gap in the communication process thereby creating
favorable relationship between the counselor and the counselee on the contrary disruption in
the communication process can lead to chaotic situations. The concepts made me understand
the concept that body, clarity and voice are the base to understand the concepts clearly to
understand what information the concepts are trying to portray. With every chapter I read it
provided me a deeper understanding of the facts which I did not know earlier about the
process of Christian counselling. My expectation from the doctorate program that I will be
able to develop a deeper understanding of the process of counseling and the difficulties that
arise in the process. I also possess the willingness to pass my knowledge once I am fully
prepared for elevating the concept of Christ to achieve betterment in the lives of many
individuals.

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References
Hunter, William, and Matthew Stanford. "Adolescent mental health: the role of youth and
college pastors." Mental Health, Religion & Culture 17, no. 10 (2014): 957-966.
Falaye, Ajibola O. "Counselling from the Christian point of view: religious
psychotherapy." IFE PsychologIA: An International Journal 21, no. 3 (2013): 54-61.
Burnard, Philip. Practical counselling and helping. Routledge, 2013.
Baruth, Meghan, Melissa Bopp, Benjamin L. Webb, and Jane A. Peterson. "The role and
influence of faith leaders on health-related issues and programs in their
congregation." Journal of religion and health 54, no. 5 (2015): 1747-1759.
Hardiman, Piers, and Janette Graetz Simmonds. "Spiritual well-being, burnout and trauma in
counsellors and psychotherapists." Mental Health, Religion & Culture 16, no. 10 (2013):
1044-1055.
Watts, Fraser. Theology and psychology. Routledge, 2017.