Guideline for the Counseling Situation

Synopsis

Before anyone should start a counseling ministry or even a counseling session, we should make sure that our walk is founded and continued on a solid foundation Christ and our personal walk in Christ.

The counselor and counselee will not be blessed if the counselor isnt walking well with the Lord in their own personal life. That includes, at home, the family, the disciples around them, etc...

What that looks like:

Ephesians 4:1–2 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,”

As a counselor, I should be humbly submitting my life to the Lord. That includes in my counseling. Christ humbles Himself, even to death on a cross. He led with gentleness, patience and tolerance through love. The believer should imitate that.

Counseling isnt about how good the counselor can talk, lead or “fix” problems, it is about what God’s word days. Evry single aspect of my walk should be directed by the word of God and that should reflect in our counseling by counseling through a biblical perspective only.

I have counseled over the years by allowing the Lord to “unfold” the sessions. Not formal, not overly planned, but allowing the Lord to guide where we go through scripture.

The aspects of an effective counseling ministry, and our personal lives, is a life built on prayer to the Father. As said in the study, anxiuosness and counseling go hand in hand. Especially with the counselee, but also through the counselor as we know that there is nothing special we can do without the Lords guidance. To not be anxious, must make our requests KNOWN to God. AND...His word tells us, HE WILL give it to us.

A counselor will not only pray, but will also listen for the Holy Spirits guidance as the client is talking. We must hear the counselee fully to unpack what is really going on and then listen to the Lord on the “next steps”.

The next 2 aspects go hand in hand. How are we able to biblically counsel if the client has not surrendered their lives to the Lord? It is impossible to share the word and them hear it clearly if they are not guided by the Holy Spirit themselves, it is almost like speaking a foreign language to them. My first priority with any couselee is to make sure they are save. And secondly, for the one that considers themselves saved, are they walking in a manner worthy of their calling. Are they seekign Christ in all aspects of their lives, we should be testing that, asking about that, looking for fruit of that, while sharing scripture throughout the session, anticipating that the Lord will lead.

If there is any unrepentant sin, we should always implore the client to go and reconcile this with the Lord and whoever they need to. This is much easier to do when we encourage them to read scripture, give them pointed and directed scriptures that shows them what the Lord expects in any situation and finally, we wash the counseling (counselor and client) over with prayer! Always praying, always petitioning and always thanking the Lord.