Each of our therapists endorses our practice Mission & Values, which indicates that they have a committed relationship with Jesus Christ, hold the Bible to be the infallible Word of God, and believe that the Holy Spirit is the primary instrument of healing in our lives, through both Scripture and the more “ordinary” means of psychological principles.

Each therapist is also state-licensed, so you can be sure they have reached a level of training and credentialing to provide reliable and effective mental health care. We uphold our state and professional ethics requirements in supporting our clients within their own worldview, and refrain from imposing our own beliefs in any way.

Because of our faith, we believe that every client is a valuable image-bearer of God and deserves to be treated with dignity and compassion. We believe Christian and non-Christian clients alike benefit from our commitment to serving them with excellence, even when we do not bring faith into the therapy room. The integration of faith and spirituality is entirely up to each client, assessed at intake, and never pressured or expected. We serve clients of all backgrounds and identities.

We sift psychological theory through the filter of Scripture, rejecting approaches that are overtly humanistic or anti-faith. But we wholeheartedly believe that all truth is God’s Truth, such that true psychological principles will not conflict with His Word in Scripture. In fact, we would expect that studying human emotions, behavior, and relationships (through the fields of psychology and counseling) would reveal true principles about how God designed them to best operate. We believe that both Christian and non-Christian clients therefore benefit from the general wisdom of psychological principles, with or without direct discussion of God or faith.

We affirm that psychological science can tell us “what” and even “how”, but along with our Christian clients, we look to God’s Word for our understanding of “why” and “ought”.

We provide mental health diagnosis and treatment through a Biblical lens for clients who desire this. We ask every client whether they would like spiritual beliefs incorporated in their treatment.

Our services are not meant to replicate pastoral counseling, but often overlap as we incorporate Scripture and explore spiritual beliefs that may be related to mental health and relationship problems.

We frequently recommend that our clients consult with their own pastor and faith community on questions of specific theology and hermeneutics.

Our services are not the same as Biblical counseling.

Christian therapy is mental health treatment that is consistent with a Christian worldview. Therapy interventions are filtered through the standard of God’s Word, meaning we will not use any approaches that are un-Biblical or anti-Christian.

Therapies that are very humanistic or based in New Age or mystical beliefs would therefore be excluded from our practice. Treatments that can be tailored to include Scripture and Christian-focused elements are embraced.

For example, mindfulness is a common practice in mental health treatment. Eastern and New Age practices of mindfulness may promote emptying the mind and focusing on oneness with nature or the universe. Christian mindfulness, in contrast, promotes focusing on the truth of Scripture, and may use guided visualization consistent with the Bible - for instance, decreasing anxiety by visualizing God as a shield, a strong tower, or a fortress.

Our therapists may teach deep breathing by emphasizing God’s design of our nervous system and how focused breathing changes our body chemistry and brain state. These are just a few examples of how Christian therapy uses the best of evidence-based practice (God’s general revelation through science) joined with Scripture (God’s special revelation of Himself).

We integrate faith and therapy by viewing our clients as fellow image-bearers of God, worthy of care and compassion, and recognizing that their struggles are the result of living in a fallen world.

We may discuss Scripture, pray when asked by our clients, and always welcome spiritual topics into treatment.

We do not direct our clients on what to believe or how to understand Scripture, but we do encourage them to consider Scripture and may bring specific passages for discussion. We encourage clients to reflect on their beliefs and how these affect their mental health and relationships. We also encourage clients to dig deeper into the ways their emotional and spiritual health intersect.

For example, there may be a disconnect between what people believe intellectually and how they react and operate emotionally, even in their relationship with God. This is often based on past relationships and/or family of origin patterns. We are here to encourage clients to explore all aspects of their emotional and spiritual functioning in a safe space.

Christian mental health treatment is different from what is called Christian counseling or Biblical counseling. Those terms can mean a variety of different things.

A Biblical counselor may have taken courses at a seminary and earned a certificate in Biblical counseling. They often approach counseling issues from the standpoint of identifying sin and encouraging repentance and correct belief. “Nouthetic counseling” is done by repeatedly identifying and attempting to convict the counselee of sin that is causing their problems. While this is can be helpful, it is not the same as mental health treatment.

Our therapists hold state licenses and are qualified to diagnose and treat mental health conditions. We do so through a Biblical lens when desired, and incorporate Scripture, prayer, and faith-focused themes and homework for clients who request it.

Our professional ethics dictate that we uphold client autonomy and self-determination. That means that we do not tell our clients what decisions to make, even if we believe there is a clear Biblical choice. We strive to act in the best interest of the client, and may recommend that Christian clients consult with their pastor or faith community before making life decisions. This does not always happen, however, and some clients ultimately make decisions that their pastors may find troubling.

One example of this is a Christian client deciding to divorce their spouse. While our therapists would never tell our clients to divorce, we also cannot compel our clients not to divorce if they believe this is the right decision for them.

We may review Biblical grounds for divorce, including infidelity and desertion (abuse). We may encourage them to reflect on how their beliefs and understanding of Scripture influence their decision, and how their relationship with God and their faith community might be impacted.

Ultimately, our clients’ decisions belong to them alone, and we uphold their autonomy and accountability to God, not man.

We routinely work with pastors referring their church members for therapy. While pastors often call ahead to inquire about therapy and give us some background, the client must be the one to call and initiate services for themselves.

We will let you know how HIPAA laws affect what we can share with you about people you refer to us. A signed consent is needed for us to disclose whether someone decided to come for therapy or about their progress.

Churches often have a vested interest in their congregants receiving quality mental health care. Your church may elect to pay for a client’s therapy, perhaps through a deacon’s or benevolence fund. This is called a “Third Party Payer Agreement.” We are eager to work with you to help your church members access services and will walk you through the process.

There will be limits to what we share with you about your congregant’s therapy due to HIPAA laws.

Learn more on our Fees/FAQ page.