How Is Christian Marriage & Family Counseling Different From the Secular World?

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There is a world of difference between Christian Counseling and secular counseling. While secular counseling can help to improve a marriage, authentic Christian Counseling provides the means for identifying, and addressing the core issues of the soul; mind, emotions, attitudes and behaviors.  Approaching marital problems from a Christian perspective enables couples to more accurately identify the issues and resolve  the underlying causes of their marital problems, heal emotional pain and make lasting behavioral changes. Christian Counseling differentiates itself from secular,  humanistic counseling in several important ways.

 

The primary difference with Christian Marriage Counseling is that it based upon timeless biblical principles as the final authority in matters pertaining to the life issues that individuals and couples face.  Cornerstone Marriage & Family Ministries is a Christian Marriage Counseling service which addresses individual and marital issues from a Christian, biblical  worldview.

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One of the primary differences in Christian Counseling and secular (humanistic) counseling has to do with understanding how individuals are empowered to change their attitudes and behaviors. Secular therapy primarily regards the individual as being self-empowered to make the changes that they need to make.

 

Christian Marriage Counseling, operates upon the foundation that the Holy Spirit works through both the counselor and the individual to facilitate changes that the individual needs to make. The changes that the individual is able to make are often more internally empowered and prevailing.

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Understandably, it is up to the individual to make the decision to be willing to change. But once the decision to change is made, the individual has the Holy Spirit within them that prompts him or her to know what changes need to be made, and then guide and empower the change process. Some of both the Christian and secular methods of counseling  are similar, but often the activities suggested to the individual in Christian counseling will be associated with the individuals  spiritual development and their relationship with God and others.