Let me start by saying that it is hard finding a therapist in the united states. If you have been looking for a while, I feel your pain. It is easier nowadays to find a private pay professional than one who accepts insurance. I could write a blog post about how you can find one if you are currently searching.  A regular therapist is not so different from a Christian therapist, but the experience with a secular therapist is very different from how you experience a Christian therapist.

A Christian therapist usually has a similar training as a secular therapist regarding theory. One of the main differences is that Christian therapist can integrate their biblical knowledge into their work with you. Christianity is filled with hope, and most people who come into the therapy office lack hope in whatever challenges they face. A good Christian therapist can integrate psychological principles with biblical principles. I know you may think that any therapist will do but let me show you five reasons why a Christian therapist is the way to go.

1. A Christian therapist should be led by the Holy Spirit

Therapy is an art that allows you to heal through processing. As a Christian therapist, I lean heavily on the holy spirit to guide me in the direction I take. Finding exactly what my clients may need the most when I reach an intersection can be challenging. With the holy Spirit’s guidance, I can discover what I need to explore at the right time2

2.You can include prayer in your sessions.

One of the things Christian therapists offer to their christian clients is prayer. Praying before each session begins allows us to invite God to lead and guide the session. Prayer can also be introduced in the middle of the session as you need it. This doesn't mean you spend most of the time in prayer. A couple of minutes are devoted to praying in the beginning, and the session continues following that. Sometimes when a client is flooded by intense emotions or an intense experience, I have offered to pray as part of our attempt to regulate the client’s nervous system, which has always made an enormous difference.

3. Your therapist prays for you.

What better thing to have than someone submitted to God as you trust them with the most intimate and painful parts of your life? Prayer has a way of opening our eyes so we can see more clearly. Your Christian therapist spends time in prayer for you. I do it because I recognize that you are God’s child. Even if I have known you for a few years and have been invited into many parts of your life, I never assume to know you too well. Until the end of our time together, I remain inquisitive. I take that stance because I know that people change and what better way to get to know you than to ask the one who made you? 

Your therapist understands that getting to work with you is a great opportunity, and we do not take this work lightly, so we pray for you. We are simply a vessel of healing that is being used by God to make you healthy and whole and we can't do this work on our own.

Prayer also helps your Christian therapist to remain humble. In our work, we see people make progress. When we pray, God moves, and when he moves, change happens in us. Seeing things we have prayed about become a reality reminds us that it’s God partnering with us to do this work.

4. You get a different kind of understanding.

Christianity is an experience based on a relationship with God. People can know the bible, but their understanding is limited unless they experience its power in their lives. A Christian therapist can connect with you on a deeper level. Over the years, God has sent people who are going through what he has already walked me through. This allowed me to be able to empathize well with those I serve because when I say I understand, I really do understand. This is not me trying to put myself in your shoes, I have gone through what you are going through, and because I was able to get through it, I can help you find what He’s already given to me. Experience is the best teacher, and you want to work through your challenges with someone who has experienced God and not just someone who heard of him from books and school.

5. What God says to you is prioritized.

A therapist generally shouldn't advise Whether they are Christian or of other faiths. Your Christian therapist generally prioritizes God’s words and guidance to you and works with that. Suggestions are often given on how to deal with things based on the methods we know work but when it comes to decisions, what God says is what matters the most. In my sessions, I have had moments when the holy Spirit would put something heavily upon my heart to say to someone (a word of knowledge). When that happens, I have no choice but to say it, but I always ask permission, and those words are usually correct. Other than that, your decisions are between you and God.

As I end this, let me say that all Christian therapists are not the same. They use different theories and different modalities. Some focus more on behaviors, while others work with emotions or solutions. If this article convinces you to look for a Christian therapist, Next week’s post will show you how to find and select the right one based on your needs.