Christians live in a secular world. Every day, believers struggle with outside temptations to commit sins, bringing these Christians a set of worries that secular people do not struggle with. With their set of beliefs, Christians experience problems unique to people of the same religion. While secular individuals may struggle with problems dealing with social, mental health, and family issues, Christians struggle with all of the same problems, and spiritual problems as well. It is because of this fact that Christian Counselors exist.

Christian counselors, similar to normal counselors, have a goal of helping their patients overcome their problems, find meaning in life, and grow to become healthy productive individuals. Similarly, Christian counselors are also required to obtain a graduate degree and gain experience with counseling. A Christian counselor, like other counselors, aim to resolve conflicts between people and their society. If a counselor is Christian, he or she is not necessarily a Christian counselor. The distinction is made through the job description of the counselor.

Christian counselors are different for a number of reasons. This difference is mostly due to their clientele, consisting of Christians. As mentioned earlier, Christians struggle with a unique set of problems and, as such, Christian counselors use different methods and values to help their patients deal with those problems. Some other differences include:

• Christian counselors aims to recognize the areas where a Christian may be living against God’s will, and help the individual properly submit to God’s will. This allows the Christian to live life as God intended them to, instead of living “in the world”.

• Christian counselors work with a standard set by the Bible. To them, the Bible is the ultimate truth, and all work done by the Christian counselor and all advice given to Christians must meet this standard.

• A Christian counselor may function as part of a church or a certain denomination. They may also serve the wider community as a public service

• A Christian counselor may also utilize motivational speaking. These counselors may write a book or preach to a larger amount of people, reaching more lives.

• A Christian counselor must apply the basic teachings of Christianity to psychotherapy to create an experience that is mentally, physically, and spiritually beneficial for the patient

Whether a Christian counselor holds sessions one-on-one with patients in private practice or works in a church, Christian counseling can offer support and healing for Christians requiring help with certain issues. Living in a world designed for them to fail, Christians often have a need for a specific type of counseling. Through biblical standards, basic teachings of Christianity, and the love of Christ, a Christian counselor can offer the spiritual counseling that a Christian needs in a sinful world. Seeking the help of a professional may at first seem unnecessary, but counseling can be beneficial to all individuals, Christian or not. Christian counselors, however, provide a shoulder to rely on, especially when belief and faith are in question.