Christian Counselling In The United Kingdom

Many people around the world, including in the United Kingdom, are looking for ways to bolster their mental health. Sometimes people seek mental health support because they want to treat a mental illness. In other cases, people want to take preventative measures to promote good mental health, just as they may exercise and eat nutritious foods to promote good physical health.

Mental health counseling is one option for improving or maintaining mental health. People may specifically want to seek counseling for symptoms of a mental illness or during certain times of life that feel more difficult. For example, counseling may be helpful after a divorce, the death of a loved one, a frightening current event, unemployment, or financial worries. 

People who practice a certain religion, such as Christianity, may be interested in exploring a counseling option that aligns with their faith. Christian counseling and biblical counseling are forms of mental health support from a Christian perspective. These faith-based forms of support may help clients with their mental health as well as their spiritual growth.

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What is Christian-based therapy in the UK?

This might be any mental health counseling available in the United Kingdom that is provided through the perspective of the Christian faith. Often, people who seek this service view their Christian beliefs as such an integral part of their life that they want them incorporated in any mental health support they receive. Mental health professionals who offer this therapy in the United Kingdom and elsewhere generally have a Christian faith themselves and often identify specifically as Christian counsellors. 

Who provides this service?

Mental health care providers, such as professional counsellors, therapists, social workers, and psychologists, may offer this service. Relationship counsellors may offer Christian relationship counseling. When a professional counsellor offers Christian support, they typically blend both science-based counseling techniques from the field of psychology and a Christian perspective together. This type of counseling may help people with mental illnesses as well as those seeking help managing the struggles of everyday life.

In the United Kingdom, the Professional Standards Authority may accredit some organizations offering Christian services, which they then call an Accredited Register. Professional Christian counsellors may also become members of a professional organization, such as the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy. That said, not all United Kingdom Christian counsellors or their organizations have these affiliations. 

Pastors, priests, reverends, and other clergy may provide counseling to their congregations. When clergy or church staff provide counseling, it's often considered part of pastoral care. Pastoral care describes any support and services a church offers its congregation in order to promote their wellness, including mental wellness, and to help them through difficult times. When services are offered by a church, the counsellor may only draw from Christian training resources and might not include evidence-based techniques from the field of psychology.

The terms Christian counseling and biblical counseling don't necessarily indicate how much the counsellor will draw from the Bible and how much they will draw from science-based counseling techniques. However, some people distinguish between these phrases and assign different meanings to them. Before choosing a Christian or biblical counsellor, be sure to ask them to define how they are using those terms and to describe their approach to counseling.

Christian counseling

When a person uses the terms Christian counseling and biblical counsellng to refer to two separate forms of support, Christian counseling usually describes a type that draws both from the Bible and from evidence-based practices. People who offer counseling of this type have usually been professionally trained and hold an advanced college degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related subject. The counseling they provide is usually similar to other mainstream counseling offered, except they also add in biblical references and a Christian perspective.

Biblical counseling

Biblical counseling generally refers to counseling that solely draws its wisdom from the Bible. With this type of biblical counseling, the counsellor may not draw from evidence-based techniques or the field of psychology and they likely do not hold a related advanced degree. Instead, they may have attended seminary school or studied theology. Church leaders often provide this type of biblical counseling, and in some churches, lay people who have been trained by church leaders can also counsel members of the congregation. 

However, it's important to keep in mind that many people do not distinguish between Christian and biblical counseling. Instead, the words are often viewed as synonyms. When seeking counseling from a Christian perspective, ask for details about the approach a counsellor takes, regardless of what label they use for their support.

What can religious-based therapy help with?

Evidence-based support can help with a wide variety of challenges as well as with mental illnesses. For example, people may seek professional support to receive help with:

• Self-esteem
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Substance use disorder
• Grief
• Trauma recovery
• Smartphone addiction

In addition, note that while counseling can help with mental health, some people seek it out solely for assistance with spiritual matters. For example, a person may pursue religious-based counseling while experiencing a crisis of religious faith or when desiring to gain clarity on their religious and spiritual beliefs.

Counseling vs. therapy

In general, counseling and therapy are terms often used to mean the same thing. Counseling and therapy both refer to talking with a mental health professional in order to increase mental wellness. The counsellor or therapist may use a variety of techniques and have a person talk about their thoughts, feelings, and personal history in order to help them. 

Are counseling and therapy different?

On rare occasions, some people use the terms counseling and therapy to refer to slightly different types of mental health support. In these cases, counseling describes a short-term type of support focused on a specific problem or issue. For example, couples counseling might focus on a specific recurring argument or disagreement a couple is having, then the couple may stop attending counseling after they have resolved the disagreement. In contrast, couples therapy may take a more holistic approach and be an ongoing form of support that a couple attends even when they aren't facing major relationship problems.

How to choose a therapist 

Before seeing a Christian counsellor, it can be helpful to do your research. You may want to sit down with a notebook and brainstorm what you seek from counseling. Are you looking for help with a specific problem, or ongoing support? Do you think you might have a mental illness, or do you want help getting through a stressful period of life? Gaining clarity on what you need from a Christian counsellor can help you know when you've found the right counsellor for you.

What to look for in a Christian therapist

Only you can determine what you want to find in a Christian counsellor. Many people want a Christian counsellor who has an advanced degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related field. Some people might also find it important for their counsellor to be familiar with their specific Christian denomination. For example, someone who is Methodist may feel most comfortable if their Christian counsellor is familiar with Methodist beliefs.

If you are seeking help with a specific problem, you likely want a counsellor who has experience treating people with that challenge. For instance, if you're considering a divorce, you might prefer to speak with a Christian counsellor who has helped others through marital problems rather than one who focuses mainly on depression. Similarly, if you're wanting to address childhood trauma, you’ll likely want to find a counsellor experienced in trauma recovery.

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

In your first session with a counsellor, it’s perfectly fine to ask questions about their beliefs, perspective, and past professional experience. Counseling will generally benefit you most if you trust your counsellor and feel comfortable opening up to them. If you ask questions and realize they aren't a good fit for you, it's okay to move on and begin looking for another Christian counsellor who might be a better fit.

Potential benefits of online counselling

Online counseling is counseling that happens virtually rather than in person. It allows a counsellor and a client to have conversations in real time from different locations via phone call, video chat, or messaging. People often find online counseling appealing because of the flexibility it provides. Session times are usually flexible, and people can attend their appointments from anywhere they have an internet connection. 

With BetterHelp, an online counseling platform that serves the United Kingdom, a wide variety of counsellors are available, including those who practice Christian counseling. You can get matched with a counsellor according to your needs and preferences as outlined in a questionnaire, but you can also switch providers at any time for no extra cost until you find the right fit. 

Is online counseling free?

Online counseling isn't free, but many people find it affordable. With BetterHelp, people seeing online counseling in the United Kingdom can get subscriptions as low as £65, billed every four weeks.

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Effectiveness of online counselling

Although there’s limited research on online religious-based therapy specifically, there are many studies on the effectiveness of online mental health support more generally. In 2021, for example, findings published by the European Journal of Public Health suggest that nearly all systematic reviews and meta-analyses they reviewed indicate that online mental health treatments can "reduce symptoms and are efficacious" for a variety of challenges, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance use disorder, and others.