Biblical Counselling

This is a question that many people aren’t sure how to frame. We know we shouldn’t wait until things are “that bad,” but we want things to be “bad enough” to merit the time and energy of counselling.

We will offer nine points of reflection to help you identify whether making the time and energy investment in counselling is wise for our life struggle. The more of these you identify with, the more likely counselling would be wise for you.

 

1. “I don’t have anyone I feel like I can talk to” (isolation).

Being alone with your struggle may be the strongest indicator that it’s going to get worse. Counselling provides an outlet for you to get comfortable talking about your struggle. The counselling ministry at KAC will encourage you to begin connecting with a life group so that this isolation relief can begin to occur in more natural, day-to-day relationships.

 

2. “I don’t know what to do next” or “What I’m doing isn’t working” (confusion).

Another major factor that causes a struggle to get worse is a sense of powerlessness that emerges from confusion or ineffectiveness.
Counselling can provide additional strategies and recommend new resources to offset the sense of powerlessness when we’ve done everything we’ve known to do, and it hasn’t provided relief.

 

3. “You are trying to hide your struggle” (shame).

Hiding is isolation on steroids. When we are tempted to hide our struggle, the confidentiality of counselling can provide a safe context to begin breaking that habit.

 

4. “My struggle is getting progressively worse” (depth).

Whether it is intensity of unpleasant emotions, level of dishonor in conflict, or sense of desperation about circumstances, when you can tell that you struggle is trending in a bad direction despite your efforts to change, then counselling is a wise step to prevent allowing the struggle from becoming more rooted in your life.

 

5. “My struggle is dominating my thoughts or emotions” (frequency)

Do you notice that the struggle is beginning to consume a larger percentage of your waking hours and/or disrupting your ability to sleep? Even if the intensity remains relatively constant, an increase in the frequency of your struggle can make counselling a wise step toward reclaiming this part of your life.

 

 

 

6. “I am withdrawing from or losing interest in things I enjoy” (anhedonia).

Anhedonia means the loss of pleasure. When we lose interest in things we normally enjoy, that is an indicator that we are experiencing a level of time or emotional pressure that is unsustainable. Counselling can provide a context to think about what can and needs to be done.

 

7. “My ability to function at home or work is being affected” (productivity).

When your life struggle impacts your ability to fulfill your basic life roles, then it is likely to begin deteriorating your sense of value as a person. That is a very emotionally dangerous way to think about life. Counselling can be helpful in assisting you to navigate the sense of failure you feel and the ways you can address the struggles that made it hard for you to fulfill these life roles.

 

8. I think everyone around me is wrong, lazy, or an idiot” (blame-shifting or cynicism).

When our attitude toward life means either everyone else is wrong or we’re wrong, we should assume that’s a big red flag. It also likely means we’ve burned many of our relational bridges. Counselling can be a context to see things more clearly while we take steps to mend the bridges we’ve burned.

 

9. “I am beginning to escape or numb myself through substances or mindless activities” (addiction).

When we are satisfied to escape or numb our struggles in a manner that does nothing to resolve them, we are surrendering. The likely result is that our numbing or escaping activity will become addictive because, as the struggle inevitably grows, so will the duration of time given to our numbing or escaping activity. When you see yourself entering this pattern, counselling is highly recommended.

Biblical counselling is one of the ministries of Kamloops Alliance Church. The Church arranges for counsellors to provide their services. As with all ministries, the church offsets its costs with donations received. While there is no charge for the service, our ability to provide the service is dependent on the amount of donations we receive.

Absolutely! The need is great and we seek supporters who appreciate the benefits this ministry brings to our community. Your support provides us with the financial flexibility to help more people and make a real difference in people’s lives.

Donations can be made to the Church’s Community Care fund by mail, in person at the Church office or Giving Booth or online using the Church’s Planning Centre Online website. You can contact our office at finance@kac.ca or 250-376-6268 if you need help with how to make your donation.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, see our GIVE page on the website, or click on the button below.

 

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