Our values:
Words of eternal life.
As the apostle Peter acknowledged, where can we turn but to Jesus for the words of life (John 6:68)? Tools, observations, and theories from the world can be helpful, but nothing has reliability or power that can hold a candle to God’s Word. This Word is the most valuable thing we offer to those we counsel, for through it, we get to know the living God. It is our desire to always utilize the lens of Scripture to understand people and the world, and to consistently point to the hope that is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A person, not a problem.
We do not offer pre-determined solutions for a problem, regardless of what person is sitting in front of us. Our person-over-problem orientation means that we engage you as a whole person, taking into account all areas of your life. We want to pursue healing in the context of relationship, both between counselor and client, and between us and God. Ultimately, nothing heals the soul like relationship with God.
Simple humility.
Our counselors want to be corrected when we misunderstand. We want to hear your thoughts and really value them. We want to work on your timetable, not ours. We want to hear your ideas and brainstorm together. We do not pretend to be experts on everything, but want to come alongside you as a helping companion.
Listening…and listening some more.
We want to take the time to really hear you, to understand you as best we can, and to be a continuous student of the person in front of us.
Simple but never simplistic.
As it is often said, the Bible proclaims truths that are simple enough for a child to understand, yet complex enough to keep theologians busy for centuries. People are much like this as well. We want to recognize common threads and simple patterns without ever reducing a person to a concept, label, or category. We want to know what is unique to your experience, and aim to stay far away from assuming that any problem can be addressed with a “one size fits all” approach.
Truth in love.
Some counseling focuses so much on solutions that it forgets compassion. Other counseling focuses so much on demonstrating empathy that it forgets to offer help. Our desire is to both display the genuine love of Christ and offer practical help.
Our beliefs:
On the Sufficiency of Scripture:
Contained in Scripture is the knowledge of God, true knowledge of self, a lens through which to understand the world, all wisdom, and profound comfort. While all modern questions and struggles are not each described by name, the Scriptures promise to give us everything we need to walk with God through all of life (2 Pet 1:3). This is true for how to walk with God through anxiety, grief, a broken relationship, OCD, schizophrenia, and every other aspect of life. In doing so, we find abundant grace and companionship with Jesus. It is through His Word that we experience Jesus’s compassionate heart and hear His voice – wonderful balms for fatigued souls.
On Psychology:
The study of the soul has been the domain of the Church for centuries. the Bible has much to say about how to interpret humanity and human behavior.
In modern days, this has become the domain of secular psychology. There are some observations in the field of psychology that can be useful inasmuch as they reflect (or are compatible with) truths that the God reveals to us in Scripture. While much research in psychology is influenced by a secular worldview, we intend to learn what we can from the field and retain only what is helpful and compatible with Scripture. This, however, is a lower priority than mining the riches of Scripture for hope and help.
On Physiology:
Humans are not merely souls but are embodied creatures. Our bodies and souls are intricately and mysteriously intertwined. It is possible that the issue you seek counseling for has some biological origins, in which case, seeing a medical doctor in conjunction with counseling may be most helpful. We want to counsel you as a whole person, not as a soul only.
On Sin:
Our world is broken by sin, plagued with evils, sickness, death, and estranged relationships. This is the most fundamental problem in the world. This includes sin in me, in others, and just in the world generally. Confession and repentance of sin are integral and life-giving habits of the Christian life. We neither want to shy away from the topic of sin (as true freedom is found in receiving Jesus’s forgiveness), nor do we want to act as though every issue was merely a sin issue.