Should You Get Counseling at Church? 5 Things to Consider

Taking the first step towards seeking counseling can be daunting. The prospect of telling someone everything about you to claim emotional healing and understanding can take time to wrap your head around. Many Christians avoid counseling at church because of this very reason; telling a pastor everything.

However, someone who already knows you well is arguably in a much better position to offer to counsel. Take a look at some things to consider if you’re thinking about counseling at church.

1. Submit To Your Leader

Hebrews 13:17 says, ‘Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.’ Your leader already watches over you as one of the congregation. Pastors are already in the practice of counseling and often do it for the long haul.

Your pastor is someone who will often stay in your life for decades and walk alongside you through every life struggle. The advantage of combining counseling and your faith is that your pastor can lead you in both emotional healing and the things of God’s kingdom.

2. Strengthening Faith

Although there is a benefit in seeking counseling outside of the church, there’s always a temptation to just fix the problem at hand. Religious counseling takes your counseling one step further. It aims to build your spiritual maturity to stop similar future struggles.

It has a way of addressing the root of the problem and using God as your anchor.

3. Extending Covenant

Your covenant is your commitment to love one another and build each other up in Christ. Biblical counseling is an extension of your covenant in the church. Although each member promises to love the rest, seeking counseling is another commitment to work on yourself so you can love others better.

Christian counseling is an excellent way to equip yourself for being part of the church, even when you’re struggling with something.

4. Lead By Example

When you see a counselor outside of the church, it’s common to only see that counselor during your sessions and nowhere else. It’s impossible to know if your counselor lives by the lessons he teaches. When your pastor is your counselor, he gets the chance to lead by example.

You will always have an example of what to do in trigger situations. You’ll be able to see someone live by their teachings in their actions, as well as their words.

5. Accountability

Your pastor is already accountable for you but is arguably more so as your counselor. Unlike other counselors, your pastor won’t go home and forget about you until the next session. You are part of his church and life so he will be more concerned for your welfare than the average counselor.

Getting Counseling at Church

Getting counseling at church can feel more like family helping you through a tough time. There’s no better resource than using the greatest healer of all to bring you to a place of spiritual maturity. What have you got to lose?

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