Faith-Based Counseling
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If you are interested in Faith-Based Counseling, call OakHeart at 630-570-0050 or 779-201-6440 or email us at [email protected]. We have counselors, psychologists, and social workers available to help you at one of our locations in North Aurora, IL, Sycamore, IL, and/or via Telehealth Online Therapy Services serving Kane County, DeKalb County, Dupage County, and beyond.
What is Faith-Based Counseling?Faith-Based Counseling has taken on a variety of forms and shapes over the years and, similar to many things, tends to be viewed through a more subjective lens than an objective lens, oftentimes lacking a concrete definition of what the modality encompasses. Think of it this way though: in the most simplistic of terms, a Faith-Based Counseling approach is an integration of the very real matters that are occurring in someone’s daily life paired with the individual’s faith and/or spiritual background and interests. It is a supplement to the therapy process, if a client wishes to integrate this part of their identity.
This may look like an individual in the grips of financial troubles with a recent job loss seeking to explore the circumstance, not solely from a literal perspective of what the loss means for their near financial future and cost of daily living, but also how they could frame the job loss within the context of faith and spirituality. The job loss may signify more to the individual than financial limitations, but may also yield questions of self-worth and greater day to day significance that can be examined through their belief system when it comes to their faith and spirituality. In this case, a Faith-Based approach might examine how the loss could be contextualized within one’s faith or spiritual beliefs, using that as the filter for how an individual's reality is perceived and lived. Why Faith-Based Counseling?Those who have spirituality as a high value in their life might believe a spiritual component is woven into their mental/emotional struggles and may benefit from exploring that component in the therapeutic space. If spirituality is of significant value to a client, it may be helpful for their healing to have a counselor who appreciates their faith and morals and finds ways to incorporate that domain within their therapeutic work. Ignoring or misunderstanding this value may significantly hinder the therapeutic alliance between client and counselor.
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Who Would Benefit from Faith-Based Counseling?
The most obvious candidates who’d potentially thrive within a Faith-Based Counseling approach would be individuals, couples, and families whose faith and spiritual beliefs are used as a compass that directs their decision making, values, worldviews, understanding of suffering/hardship, and priorities.
Faith-Based Counseling may also be a helpful framework for those who are seeking and curious; those who may have an inclination or a belief that there’s more to their experiences than what they may see and feel and wish to explore that through the lens of something that is greater than themselves.
Faith-Based Counseling could be of great benefit concerning:
Spiritual and religious concerns, including religious abuse
Relationship challenges (marriage/family/friendship/dating issues)
Finding meaning and purpose
Making important life decisions
Improving and maintaining physical, emotional, and spiritual health
Reducing distress and symptoms caused by mental illness
Providing a sense of belonging and connection
Offering hope
Faith-Based Counseling may also be a helpful framework for those who are seeking and curious; those who may have an inclination or a belief that there’s more to their experiences than what they may see and feel and wish to explore that through the lens of something that is greater than themselves.
Faith-Based Counseling could be of great benefit concerning:
Spiritual and religious concerns, including religious abuse
Relationship challenges (marriage/family/friendship/dating issues)
Finding meaning and purpose
Making important life decisions
Improving and maintaining physical, emotional, and spiritual health
Reducing distress and symptoms caused by mental illness
Providing a sense of belonging and connection
Offering hope
Client's Are Our Guide
Inclusivity and acceptance are important values of ours at OakHeart. We desire to explore, better understand, and honor our client’s values and help them explore them within the therapeutic process.
We wish to be respectful and understanding of our client’s spiritual identity if that spiritual identity is important to them and the client feels that it is integral to their healing. Clinicians at OakHeart follow our client's lead. If a client wishes to integrate their spiritual or religious identity into sessions then we will work to honor that request. If a client feels that spirituality or Faith-Based integration is of significant importance, they may be directed to working with our clinicians who specialize in Faith-Based Counseling. Here at OakHeart, we strive to use effective, evidence-based treatment techniques that can be an enhancement to one’s faith. We want our client’s who have a high value of spirituality to know they are welcome here.
We wish to be respectful and understanding of our client’s spiritual identity if that spiritual identity is important to them and the client feels that it is integral to their healing. Clinicians at OakHeart follow our client's lead. If a client wishes to integrate their spiritual or religious identity into sessions then we will work to honor that request. If a client feels that spirituality or Faith-Based integration is of significant importance, they may be directed to working with our clinicians who specialize in Faith-Based Counseling. Here at OakHeart, we strive to use effective, evidence-based treatment techniques that can be an enhancement to one’s faith. We want our client’s who have a high value of spirituality to know they are welcome here.
How Do You Integrate Faith-Based Counseling Into Treatment?
The integration of Faith-Based Counseling into treatment begins with the understanding that, while the catalyst for bringing an individual into the counseling space has been the events that have occurred within their life, the focus is pairing the event(s) with the individual's faith and spiritual beliefs. In the previously mentioned example of a job loss, the discussion may include an invitation to the client of, “How could this be looked at from the context of your faith and spirituality?” From there, different texts could be incorporated into the equation to further support and explore perspectives brought to the table. Some additional means of integration may include:
Prayer or Meditation
Prayer refers to a communication in which an individual/group directly addresses a spiritual entity for the purposes of seeking guidance, strength, or direct intercession with issues, and/or to express gratitude/praise/adoration. Prayer is effectively an earthly invitation to heavenly intervention, surrendering one’s hardships to the leading of their faith and spiritual belief center.
Meditation might also be incorporated as a type of prayer, depending on the focus of the meditation. Meditation involves intentionally directing one’s attention to focus and/or reflect on something specific (e.g., a word, a concept/phrase, nothingness, the experience of the present moment) for the purposes of enlightenment, understanding, spiritual connection, or insight.
Reading and Interpreting Religious Texts
Religious texts may be examined to find guidance and direction regarding a framework for how to live one’s life and additional perspectives on meaning and purpose from a foundational nature.
Forgiveness
Each religion has its own teachings regarding forgiveness, and what is expected of followers. Asking for forgiveness from a spiritual entity and/or the person(s) one has wronged might be deemed helpful based on one’s religious and/or spiritual beliefs and values.
Prayer or Meditation
Prayer refers to a communication in which an individual/group directly addresses a spiritual entity for the purposes of seeking guidance, strength, or direct intercession with issues, and/or to express gratitude/praise/adoration. Prayer is effectively an earthly invitation to heavenly intervention, surrendering one’s hardships to the leading of their faith and spiritual belief center.
Meditation might also be incorporated as a type of prayer, depending on the focus of the meditation. Meditation involves intentionally directing one’s attention to focus and/or reflect on something specific (e.g., a word, a concept/phrase, nothingness, the experience of the present moment) for the purposes of enlightenment, understanding, spiritual connection, or insight.
Reading and Interpreting Religious Texts
Religious texts may be examined to find guidance and direction regarding a framework for how to live one’s life and additional perspectives on meaning and purpose from a foundational nature.
Forgiveness
Each religion has its own teachings regarding forgiveness, and what is expected of followers. Asking for forgiveness from a spiritual entity and/or the person(s) one has wronged might be deemed helpful based on one’s religious and/or spiritual beliefs and values.
