Gabriel Mizrahi

In case you don't know, Christian counseling is largely just like secular counseling, but the practitioner happens to be a Christian.

It's based on the same worldview, they go to the same schools with the same philosophy, and largely follow the same process, only diverging from standard secular practice where it directly contradicts God's word.

Gabe, is that true?

I don't know.

If she's describing licensed therapists in America anyway who happen to be Christian, then I would be extremely surprised if this were true.

If they ignored professional duties and best practices when something a patient says or a topic that comes up goes against their faith.

I mean, I'm sure it happens, but I'm just shocked to hear this.

Again, I would be very surprised if most licensed Christian therapists would do that, but I guess it's possible that they might frame things in terms of ethics or maybe they would invite certain concepts into session if the patient hopefully is open to that.

I really want to believe that they would still put the patient first and they wouldn't lead with their agenda though, but who knows?

I don't know.

Very good point.

And what's the difference between a contradiction and attention?

When does a patient go against scripture and when are they like appropriately challenging it?

Fair enough.

So she goes on.

Biblical counseling, the kind my sister sought out, is entirely different because its foundation is the Bible, and it leans on what it says to guide the process, particularly regarding the nature of mankind.

The fact that both Katie and her counselor started out in full agreement on several basic truths streamlined the process quite a bit.

But Katie said the most important thing was that she learned about the service from a mutual friend of the counselor, so there was some automatic trust there, coupled with significant distance from her own social network, which she wouldn't have had going anywhere else.

I think she meant if she had gone to any other biblical counselor, because it would have been too close.

Interesting question.