Churches and Christian ministries or non-profits sometimes offer Christian counseling. The term “Christian counseling” is a large one without a specific definition. It may signify a particular training or school of thought, an approach to counseling that is Christian or biblically based, or that the therapists are Christian. The name alone does not provide enough information to know.
In my opinion, there are three categories of providers:
Licensed therapists – who have a master’s or a doctoral degree and a state license, they have formal classroom training and have completed supervised client hours
Pastoral Counselors – who have a master’s or doctoral degree and are endorsed by a Pastoral Counseling body (such as a church denomination), they also have formal classroom training and have completed supervised client hours
Lay counselors or Pastors – may have a master’s or doctoral degree, may be ordained by a church denomination, may have formal counseling classroom training, and may have completed supervised client hours.
If the counselor is not licensed by a state, I recommend answering the following questions to make an informed decision about Christian counseling:
What are the bounds: Who will they share your details with? Anyone? What about my pastoral staff? Is the client’s consent required to share?
Gossip: Will the counselor talk to anyone else about our case that would not otherwise need to know?
Supervision: Is there someone who supports the counselor as they care for the client? Do they have a supervisor or a peer supervision group that they discuss cases with? If so, is the information shared here confidential?
Case file: Is one kept? Does the client have access to it? Can the client request that no one else see it? Can the client give written consent that it be shared with someone else?
Training and qualifications: How is this person qualified to support you? Do they have a certificate, training program, or degree?
Oversight: Is anyone ensuring that they are held to a standard of care, free from harm or abuse? Is there a governing board, such as a larger church denomination or counseling organization whose ethical guidelines or standards they must adhere to?
For Licensed Therapists, here are the answers to these questions:
What are the bounds? All client sessions and client information are confidential and required to comply with HIPAA laws. If there is harm occurring (self-harm, harm from another, or harm to another), then confidentiality may be broken for the protection and safety of all parties involved. A client is able to request that the therapist share private information with a psychiatrist or physician with a signed Release of Information form.
Gossip: Given confidentiality laws, the therapist is not allowed to share any client information, especially any identifying details, with any other person, save for the purpose of supervision with other licensed therapists.
Supervision: Therapists are required to have supervision from another licensed therapist as they obtain their full licensure. Once they have completed these hours (usually 100-200 supervision hours, determined by their state licensing board), some therapists choose to meet with other licensed therapists for peer supervision. Any supervision from other therapists are also required to be confidential.
Case file: Yes, there is a case file kept. The client can request a summary of treatment. The file is generally for record keeping and to help the therapist keep important treatment information organized in order to support the therapy work. The client can give written consent for a summary to be shared. This is usually only with another professional, such as a psychiatrist or physician. This is never shared with a pastor.
Training and qualifications: Therapists are required to have a master’s or a doctoral degree and a state license, they have formal classroom training and have completed supervised client hours. To maintain licensure, the therapist must complete Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) for every renewal period (usually in 2 year increments), so a therapist is regularly receiving training.
degree?
Oversight: Licensed therapists are required to adhere to all local, state, and federal laws, as well to the Code of Ethics by their association’s board (such as the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT)). Failure to adhere to the laws or standards can result in revocation of licensure or legal action.
Since I am not a Pastoral Counselor, I can’t speak to their specific answers.