Submitting Counseling to the Word of God
Restoring Counseling to the Local Church
OUR APPROACH
There is a difference between secular counseling and Biblical counseling. Unlike secular counseling, we will not settle for Christ-less, grace-less attempts at change. We believe the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. Our goal is not to increase your self-esteem or give you quick fixes. Rather, our goal is to reveal your sin and your Savior. We will not allow you to settle for anything less than a Scriptural solution.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
● Biblical
● God-Honoring
● Christ-Centered
● Local Church-Focused
"Biblical counseling isn't about offering superficial solutions or temporary relief. It involves bringing together the wisdom of Scripture and the love of Christ to address the deepest issues of the heart. Biblical counseling isn't a band-aid; it's heart transformation."
- Rev. Caleb Davis
BIBLICAL
Coming alongside you with the Word of God in our hands
and the Love of Christ in our hearts.
We are NOT Christians who counsel. We are Christians who employ Biblical Counseling.That may sound like semantics, but it is a vital distinction. We are committed to the Word of God sustaining you through your difficulty.
We are not simplistic in our counseling. It’s easy to treat the Bible like Tylenol. Take two doses daily. We go deep and reach the soul of your issue. Complex problems need complex answers, but all those answers are found in the Scripture.
The Scripture will reveal your sin or reveal where you need healing. We are committed to dealing thoroughly with both the sins you have committed and the evils you have suffered.
“The world is fallen, and it often falls on us. The world is a mess, and it often messes with our minds.” - Robert Kellerman
The Word of God will renew your mind and heal your hurts. It is our textbook, our guidebook, and our light as we walk with you in this dark time.
GOD-HONORING
Biblical Counseling is not ultimately about the counselee,
but about The Divine Counselor.
We are not Soul physicians, but God is. We are powerless as counselors apart from the powerful work of the Great Soul Physician. Each counseling session is God-honoring and attempts to inform your soul about the character of God.
"A large part of good counseling is helping counselees see that at the root of all psychological problems are often theological errors. No one can have a proper view of self without a proper view of God." - Dr. Garrett Higbee
CHRIST-CENTERED
Our goal is not simply symptom relief but Christlikeness.
We are not solution-focused but Christ-focused.
Christ-less Counseling is sinful counseling. Isn’t it strange that we seem prepared to learn how to live life, learn how to face tragedy, and learn how to process hurt from almost anyone but Christ? The goal of our counseling is to help your whole person become a whole person in Christ.
"We discover wisdom for how to live life in a broken world from the wisest person who ever lived—Christ!" - Robert Kellerman
LOCAL CHURCH FOCUSED
God has given us His Word and His Local Church:
everything we need to live sane in an insane world.
Our counselors are all members of a solid theological local church. They are committed to serving their church on a weekly basis, and they submit to their local church pastors. They are not lone rangers but members of a local body. Because we have deep convictions on the importance of being members of a local church, we require all of our counselees to be members of a local church or be in the process of church membership at a local church.
"I don’t know of any reason, from a biblical perspective, to distinguish counseling from discipleship. They are the same thing: helping other brothers and sisters in the church to follow Christ by embracing the Word of His gospel." - Jonathan Leeman
RESOURCES
The Christian Counselor's Manual by Jay E. Adams
Competent to Counsel by Jay E. Adams
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change by Paul David Tripp
How People Change by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp
Biblical Counseling Basics: How to Help People in Need by John D. Street
The Biblical Counseling Movement After Adams by David Powlison
The Truth About Forgiveness by John MacArthur
Counseling the Hard Cases: True Stories Illustrating the Sufficiency of God's Resources in Scripture by Stuart Scott and Heath Lambert
The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context by David Powlison
Christ-Centered Counseling: A Handbook for Pastors and Professionals by James MacDonald
God's Healing for Life's Losses: How to Find Hope When You're Hurting by John McCollum
The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande
What Is Biblical Counseling? by Bob Kellemen
Redemptive Counseling: A Biblical Approach to Personal Help by Robert D. Jones
A Theology of Biblical Counseling: The Doctrinal Foundations of Community by Heath Lambert
Jesus: The Perfect Counselor by Dr. Chris Thurman
Biblical Counseling: A Very Short Introduction by David G. Benner
CATEGORIES
Grief and Loss
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
God's Healing for Life's Losses: How to Find Hope When You're Hurting by John McCollum
Finding Hope in the Midst of Grief by Robert D. Jones
Anger and Conflict Resolution
The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande
When Anger Hits Home: A Bible Study on Anger Management by Rick Horne
Anger: Handling a Powerful Emotion in a Healthy Way by Gary Chapman
Lust and Sexual Issues
Every Man's Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker
Pure in Heart: Keeping Your Kids Sexually Pure by Ryan Dobson
Sexual Sanity for Men: Recreating Your Mind in a Crazy Culture by David White
Marriage and Relationships
The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy Keller
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy? by Gary Thomas
Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs by Emerson Eggerichs
Anxiety and Depression
Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest by Edward T. Welch
Good Mood, Bad Mood: Help and Hope for Those Who Feel Discouraged by Charles Stanley
It’s Okay Not to Be Okay: Moving Forward One Day at a Time by Sheila Walsh
Parenting and Family
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp
Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel
Forgiveness and Reconciliation
The Truth About Forgiveness by John MacArthur
Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall
Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds by Chris Brauns
General Counsel and Life Issues
Biblical Counseling: A Very Short Introduction by David G. Benner
Counseling the Hard Cases: True Stories Illustrating the Sufficiency of God's Resources in Scripture by Stuart Scott and Heath Lambert
A Theology of Biblical Counseling: The Doctrinal Foundations of Community by Heath Lambert
Biblical Counseling Coalition Blog
The Gospel Coalition
Paul Tripp Ministries Blog
Desiring God Blog
CCEF Blog
The Biblical Counseling Blog (by Eric Scalise)
The Faithful Counselor Blog (by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood)
The Restored Podcast Blog
Redeeming the Pain Blog
Truth in Love (by ABC)
The Biblical Counseling Podcast (by BCC)
The Paul Tripp Podcast
The Counsel of the Lord (by the Biblical Counseling Coalition)
The Honestly Speaking Podcast
Counseling with Confidence (by ACBC)
The Heart of Counseling (by CCEF)
The Hope+Help Podcast
The Journal of Biblical Counseling
Counseling & Theology Magazine
The Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC) Magazine
Journal of Psychology and Theology
International Journal of Biblical Counseling
Journal of Christian Counseling
Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC)
Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC)
Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship (IBCD)
The Biblical Counseling Institute
Austin Stone Counseling Center
Redeemer Counseling Services