Wanting a Christian Perspective in Counseling?

  • Are you struggling to make sense of a senseless or ungodly situation?
  • Has your relationship with a spouse, friend or family member drifted away from being God-centered?
  • Do you sense that shame, guilt, anger, or fear is overwhelming you?
  • Do you find friends or family too close to your situation to be objective?
  • Are you experiencing sadness, depression, anxiety or worry yet want to regain hope, peace, and joy?

Perhaps you feel God is far away, not listening or disappointed in you. You may possibly wonder if you are good enough and don’t want to let God or others down. On the other hand, you may feel angry with God for loss, unexpected changes, confusion or even betrayal. Further, you struggle with forgiving others including yourself.

There is hope

As you are working through these difficult times, hope is present in God-honoring, Christian counseling.  Many believers have struggles, doubt, fears, periods of disbelief, difficulties in their relationships. Meaning, you are not alone nor do you have to go through these trying times alone. Having a trained caring, compassionate listener as a counselor introduces you to the opportunity that positive, godly change is possible.

With compassion

In many times of struggle or crisis, we may doubt God’s active part in our lives. We may find ourselves frustrated, angry, and Christian counseling man with Biblehelpless in difficult times, wondering why things are going the way they are. In these uncertain times, you have one who shares a common bond in faith. Moreover, you have a counselor trained to be helpful in clarifying your relationship with God as well as with others. Circumstances change on a regular basis but that doesn’t mean our Foundation or our faith in that Foundation has to change too.

Some Questions You May Have

Will my counseling be biblically based?

This is a very common question and the answer is an absolute “yes”. First and foremost we look to the Lord and His Word for our direction and point of view. In the course of our education, we have realized that many secular theorists have written extensively about psychology from their worldly viewpoint. However, they have discovered God’s truths though they don’t credit God for their findings. With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we discover His truth from what we have learned applying it in our counseling practices. We take the Word of God, the moving of the Spirit, our counseling education and experiences into account in our counseling of our clients.

Will counseling be sensitive to my particular Christian beliefs?

Christian counseling woman reflectingGod is the same yesterday, today and forever. Though each Christian counselor has differing backgrounds, experiences, understanding, and spiritual training, we acknowledge that our clients also have these varying differences and we seek to align with our clients in an objective, professional, empathetic, non-judgmental, and biblical manner. We know there are various denominations but one Lord many parts of the body but one body of Christ.

Isn’t counseling the same no matter what you may be going through?

As many as there are counselors, there are just as many approaches to counseling. Though many use the same skills, it is in the how, purpose, godly wisdom, and attitude that is different with Christian counseling. Those of us as believers here with Pathways draw our knowledge, wisdom, care, compassion, and love from His salvation, His Word, our own spiritual journey with the Lord, other godly mentors, and the Holy Spirit.  We seek Him first for His wisdom in how to best approach each of our clients and walk alongside them. Thus, we look to help you in mind, heart, and spirit.

Does Christian counseling take the place of guidance from my pastor or elder?

Not at all. In fact, many times it augments it.  We are specially educated and trained in the areas of mental and emotional distress and are familiar with mental health problems that many of our clients experience. We recognize depression, anxiety, grief, loss, PTSD, ADHD, addictions of many kinds, relationship problems (with a spouse, child, siblings, friends). Also many other mental/emotional problems we recognize and are able to help you address.

We understand human relationships and the interactions of others and how these interactions affect you. Thus, we are part of the Lord’s work in the health and healing of our clients’ thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Further, we help them to address the hurt, fear, shame, guilt, anger, and overall distress. We take to heart that Christ is our Wonderful Counselor.  Further, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we walk alongside our clients toward mental and relational health and healing.

Grow in grace, walk by faith

Christian counseling coupleThough there is no guarantee in counseling, we have found that believers who seek Christian counseling with us gain a much better understanding and growth in their faith. They become stronger in their walk with God as they overcome their fears, shame, pain, struggles, sadness, resentments, and difficult relationships and rediscover His presence, love, hope, grace, forgiveness, and joy in their lives.

In our experiences of walking through our clients’ pain, we have witnessed marriages restored, better communication among family members, improved relations between parents and children, resentments let go, forgiveness of those who have caused grief and suffering, as well as relief from troubling depression and/or anxieties.

Our role

Here with Pathways is that we have many Christian counselors with various experiences, skills, and training to help you address your counseling needs. Whether you are having marital conflict, difficulties communicating in your relationship, parenting issues, issues specific to being a woman or man, depression, anxiety, grieving loss or having difficulty in your spiritual walk, we are here for you.

Give us a call at 520-292-9750 or complete the contact form below with any questions, comments or to set an appointment.

Contact Form

Also, feel free to learn more about our Christian counselors listed here and see how we may be of service for you. Anne Marie Sheffer, Kim Arnold, Susan Moss, Michelle Rucker, Justin Lloyd, Jennifer Foster, Ciara Fleming, and Joel Ackley provide faith-based Christian counseling.

Grace and peace be with you.