Pastoral Counseling or Secular Therapist
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Help save marriage> from the secular therapists who call themselves “Marriage> and Family Counselors.” These professionals, who generally have a master’s degree in psychology have a misleading license. You would think from their titles that they are specialists to help save marriage>, but when you find out what they are really trained in, you see that it is in individual therapy.>
Look at the coursework required for a Marriage> and Family Counselor’s License. They take classes like “individual assessment,” “group dynamics” and “multicultural counseling.” These courses are aimed at mental health challenges focusing on the individual. Marriage> counseling courses, when offered, are an elective.>
When they take that individual-orientation training and apply it to a married couple who says “help, save marriage>,” the model fails. Often the first thing the therapist will do is send the parties to individual counseling to deal with their personal mental health issues.>
This can often drive a feuding couple further apart. As separate counselors reinforce individual needs and desires over the joint needs of the relationship, the marriage> disintegrates further.>
So, what can you do if you want to save your marriage>? You know you need professional intervention to help you communicate better and work through existing relationship problems.>
Perhaps the best person to help you is your pastor. Clergy have a vested interest in preserving marriage> as a sacrament. While many ministers will advise someone in an abusive situation to get out, their initial reaction is to help save marriage> in general and yours in particular.>
Pastoral counseling integrates psychological theory and biblical principles. The emotional and spiritual journey is seen as intertwined.>
If you attend a church or place of worship regularly, you can contact the office and ask for an appointment for pastoral counseling to help save marriage>.>
If you don’t attend a church already, you can look for pastoral counseling at a local church. Churches tend to have an outreach to the community mission and most are open to providing services to all who ask.>
Large churches, especially the so-called “megachurches” will have a special pastoral counseling staff. However, if you choose a smaller church, you will probably get attention from a senior pastor.>
In either case, when you really want to help save marriage>, turn to pastoral counseling rather than secular marriage> counseling.>
Traditional individually oriented therapy, when turned to marriage> counseling, focuses on “communication skills” and “problem solving strategies.” Tackling marriage> problems this way can actually stress the partners out more.>
Biblically based counseling, on the other hand, can help you solve your problems in the way God intended.>
If you are saying, “help, save marriage>,” contact a pastor to get the real kind of marriage> counseling you need.>