Owen Clinic strives to excel in clinical psychotherapy. Clinical modality and empirically proven approaches to treat a wide range of issues we may encounter. We place a high value in the statement that we are skilled clinicians. We are trained in using traditional counseling approaches and look to consider clinical considerations. If a clinician viewed everything as a personality issue they would be doing a gross disservice to their clients. Clinical symptoms need to be seen, recognized, and treated clinically. This is an oversight we have seen in Christian counseling practice historically.
If a counselor saw everything as clinical issues and missed the life stuff they would be doing the client a gross disservice.
The Owen Clinic is a Christian Counseling practice. Christian counseling is in life stuff and in faith stuff. There is no modality called “Christian Counseling.” There is, however, an understanding that counseling does encounter a lot of life stuff. We view life stuff from a mindset of a Biblical worldview. We aren’t preachers, we are people who are growing in our relationship with Christ, and when trying to be God honoring and wise, we view the world from a Biblical Worldview.
Is your cellphone a Christian cell phone? Well it depends on whose hands it’s in and what they do with it. Is your counseling Christian? Depends on who’s hands it’s in.
A counselor is there to practice unconditional positive regard and to help guide you as you go through life. Some may say counselors should treat others the way they would like to be treated. Like a caddy cannot hit the ball for you they can use their experience and training to help you view and consider what your goals are. If you do not want to talk about faith at all, then don’t. If you do, we are comfortable in having those discussions with you. Clients sometimes ask “I’m not a Christian are you going to have a problem with that?” To which our answer is “We won’t hold not being a Christian against you if you don’t hold being a christian against us.” You came to counseling for a purpose. Let’s talk about what brought you in. Christian counseling is information about who we are, not about who you have to be. (Obviously as that is not for us to decide.) It doesn’t have to be your identity for us to work together.
“Do you make us pray in session?” Short answer is no. We do pray for our clients, but do not make you pray. There is a phrase that is important for everyone, “Read the room.” If you want us to pray with you or for you, absolutely. If it’s unclear as to whether or not that’s something you’re interested in you’re allowed to say “no.” If it’s clear you’re not interested, we will not even offer. We are more than happy to pray, but you don’t have to.
Did you know that people quote scripture regularly without citing that it is scripture and where it’s specifically found. Truth is truth please by all means speak the truth and wisdom of the Bible whether or not you’re following APA guidelines on citations.
What brought you in? Who do you want to be? Have you considered how it all balances. For some faith is not a consideration. For some it is the most important consideration. Now let’s carry that into counseling. If you are one who views it as a huge factor you will want to process how your application meets your faith and where the understanding of that faith comes from. If it’s Hallmark it will look one way, if it’s the Bible it will look another. Sometimes christians experience emotional problems because they are living in direct defiance to their core beliefs and faith. Is that a counseling issue? Obviously.
Christians and non Christians alike will have to work to validate the balance between what they believe, say they believe, and don’t believe. They will have to work to accept or not to accept the realities of their situations.
A Biblical worldview for us is a statement that we are actively learning what the Bible says and when it comes to the counseling we give you will know that we aren’t going to tell you that you have to go in a direction that contradicts the teachings that are in the Bible.
We have seen Christian Counseling and Biblical teachings grossly misused where individuals have assumed poorly processed or out of context settings to control others. We do a lot of counseling trying to help individuals get a correct understanding of what and how to apply scripture in their life.
For our more traditionally grounded Christian friends, we have to know that a lot of harm has been done from individuals misusing scripture and manipulating it to fit agendas and create control. Christian counseling can help take the voice of (even maybe well intended) individuals and put it back into a recognizing of Who’s word it is.
For our friends who aren’t interested in Christian anything: We are influenced by the things we are interested in and more influenced by the things we believe. It’s hard to talk to people who have loved an experience, or movie, concert or book that didn’t come to their mind from time to time. We can find lots of different ways to connect and relate. The counseling time is for you, and while you may suspect that you’re talking to a person who has read the Bible, we understand that there’s no reason to assume that you have made it the authority for the faith you have in your life. That’s ok.
There are things that we will never validate or encourage a person to do because of a Biblical worldview. However, that same Biblical worldview admonishes us to not think too highly of ourselves, to not be so blinded by the spec in your eye that we miss the plank in our eyes. We are forgiven because of Jesus and what He did. Your life, your journey we cannot make you do anything even if we wanted to. We can esteem you highly, accept, and recognize our role isn’t judge, isn’t boss, but is here to be for you as you go through life. We offer counsel for life stuff if you want. We offer therapy for therapy issues. Are we going to give affirming counseling to something that defies a Biblical worldview? No. Are we going to guilt or shame you for not subscribing to a biblical worldview? No. Your life, your choices, your outcome. If you go out and cure cancer, that’s yours. If you go out and do something inadvisable that’s yours as well.
So if you’re a Christian, or not a Christian; going through clinical stuff or life stuff; are happy about seeing a counselor or unhappy about the circumstances that you are working with we are here and equipped. It is our hope to get to be a resource that helps you.