Finding a Counselor

Once you make the decision to seek counseling, you are then faced with the fact that there are a lot of counselors in Texas!  Deciding on a counselor is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your counseling journey.  The way your counselor views the world will impact the way they counsel.

The approach that I take to life is the Integrative, Evidence-Based Approach*.  This approach seeks to harmonize the evidence between three areas; Scripture, Science, and Experience.  Where these three areas overlap, you have harmonized truth.  Taking any of these areas alone can lead to an inaccurate view of reality.  For instance:

Scripture:  The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV that, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness” but if this area is taken on its own without looking at the areas of science and experience, it can lead to confusion.  This can be seen by the over 34,000 different Christian groups, all of which have different interpretations of what the Bible says (Christian Encyclopedia, 2001).

Science:  The Bible teaches that God has revealed His truth in is creation.  Romans 1:20 NIV says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Psalm 19:1 NLT says, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.  Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.”  If science is taken on its own though, without considering the Bible and experience, this can lead to godlessness.  Additionally, studies have shown that even of scientific findings reported in science journals, 67% of those findings were not reproducible when tested. 

Experience:  The Bible states “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalms 34:8 NIV) and Jesus told Thomas “Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27 NIV).  We can also see that if experience is taken alone without scripture and science, this leads to mysticism, fanaticism, and superstitions. 

We have been designed with the ability to reason, weigh the evidence, and develop beliefs based upon our findings.  When seeking a counselor, it is important to make sure that the counselor considers harmonized truth and does not rely solely on one or even two areas, but is looking at the evidence from all three categories. 

If you are looking for a counselor in Texas and would like to learn more about the counseling process, feel free to call me at 210-789-9166 for a free 15 minute phone consultation.  I’d be happy to hear about what is going on in your life and help you from an Integrative Evidence-Based Approach.

*You can learn more about the Integrative Evidenced-Based Approach developed by psychiatrist Dr. Tim Jennings with Come and Reason Ministries, at www.comeandreason.com