How is Christian or Pastoral Counseling different from secular counseling?
When Mary Bailey of Takoma Park sought help for stress and anxiety, one thing was clear to her: She didn’t want to see a psychologist or psychiatrist. A health care worker, mother and evangelical Christian, Bailey says that “being a Christian guides the choices I make and how I make sense of the world. I didn’t think a psychologist or psychiatrist would be sensitive to that.” So Bailey, like increasing numbers of people seeking help with personal problems, called a pastoral counseling center. She was matched with a therapist with an MA in psychology and “enough religious background to know what I was talking about and guide me,” Bailey said. While their discussions were not overtly religious, “we both knew that there’s a purpose for the different challenges I was dealing with,” Bailey said. “We could say things like, ‘Let’s leave it to God.’ ” The number of counselors who integrate a faith-based world view with academic training and licensure is increasing, said Douglas Ronsheim, execu
