Introduction
The purpose of Life Counseling Center is to serve the body of Christ by providing biblical counseling to individuals, couples and families in order to both glorify God as well as strengthen His Church. It is also our hope to be able to introduce people to Jesus Christ who do not know Him yet, as well as to allow them to experience His healing in their lives spiritually, emotionally and relationally.
Simply put, it is the goal of Life Counseling Center to interact with each client in the same way that Jesus would if He were talking to that person. Using a biblical foundation from the Word of God mixed with clinical insight, our hope is to see each client move into a spiritually and emotionally safe place in their lives. Each therapist at Life Counseling Center relies deeply on the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit throughout the counseling process.
Individual Treatment
The Lord tells us in Psalm 139:14 that each of us are “…fearfully and wonderfully made.” In other words, we are all similar in that we are made by God and in His image, yet we are all unique and different in other ways.
We strive to get to know each person as an “individual” who is loved deeply and deliberately by God. We realize that without this understanding of God’s immeasurable love, we have nothing to give that will adequately fix a person’s problems.
It is our desire to balance biblical solutions with the art of walking people to a healthy place in their lives through connecting with God in their issues. Noting that in the final analysis, it is God that has the wherewithal to bring emotional healing to our lives. “Seeing that His divine power has given to us everything that we need for life and godliness.” (1 Peter 1:3)
Knowing God
Life Counseling Center is guided by a desire to help people connect with the healing presence of Jesus Christ when it seems at times that He may be at a distance.
At Life Counseling Center, we strive to help people identify those areas in their lives that hinder them from drawing close to the Father. We hope to serve as agents through whom God can reveal Himself in grace and truth to His people. Consequently, some people come to Life Counseling Center to find relief from a specific problem they’re facing, only to find a deep union with God who is pursing them with intense love and a defined purpose for their lives. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “…I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” (Philippians 3:8). The “value” of knowing God in a deeper dimension positively affects our lives, spiritually, emotionally and relationally.
Discovering One’s True Identity
Though many clients discover their God-given gifts and attributes throughout the course of treatment, still there is often a void of just who they are and what their purpose is. Gifts, talents and attributes in and of themselves aren’t the total sum of who a person is. The Apostle Paul tells us that our “…life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3) If a person is to truly find out just who they really are, as well as their purpose on earth, then the place to start is with Christ! Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we live and move and exist…” Ultimately, our emotional, psychological, relational and spiritual wellness (our identity) is found in the existence of who we are in Christ, not in our own repaired self-image or newfound confidence. In the final analysis, our connection and on-going relationship with Christ will provide the true and stabilizing identity that effectively meets every challenge that comes our way. Therapy is merely a ladder that helps us climb to a higher place of emotional peace and steadiness in Christ.
Enjoying God
A final area to consider at Life Counseling Center is the area of enjoying God. The invitation of Jesus in Matthew 25:23 is to, “enter into the joy of our master.” Yet, we all have a dark side (sinful nature) that we often try to hide from others and even God, which causes us to run from God rather than enjoy Him in the way that He desires us to.
Our goal is to provide a safe and secure haven for exploration of just how dark and sinful we really are so that we can then experience God’s love, grace, holiness and forgiveness. Clients are presented with God’s unconditional acceptance of them on the basis of being adopted into His family by Him (Romans 8 and Ephesians 1). This is in opposition to us relying on our own merits with a feeble attempt at increasing “self-esteem.” The result is most often that clients begin to experience the joy of the Lord in a deeper and more meaningful way.
What Methods Do The Counselors At Life Counseling Center use?
The staff of Life Counseling Center have training in a variety of approaches to counseling, which range from treating issues within individuals to treating family systems as a whole. The common ground that all our counselors share is that Biblical principles serve as the foundation for all of our interventions. These interventions include helping clients deal with present issues as well as identifying how they got to this point.
Usually, we find that there are patterns that have been in existence for a very long time that the client may not even be aware of. These patterns are brought into light and then evaluated in the Light of God’s word. The result may be repenting of previously unknown sins or it may be thanking God for giving the grace to cope with life. Many times, we discover and realize that God has been faithful all along by helping the client develop strengths during trials.
In our clinical work, we place a very strong emphasis on the strengths clients have rather than focusing only on their shortcomings and weaknesses. The reason for this is found in Philippians 1:6, which states that, “He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion.” This means that if a client is in Christ, God has been at work in that person’s life long before they ever got to Life Counseling Center. Consequently, there are strengths and even godly traits that already exist that the client may not fully realize. It is our aim for clients to walk in the grace that God has already manifested in their lives.
In summary, our approach in clinical terms could be described as eclectic. In spiritual terms, we simply rely on God’s principles and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show us what intervention will most effectively bring about God’s purposes in the lives of clients.
