Christian Marriage Counselling
Five Reasons to Consider Christian Marriage Counselling
Sixty-one percent of Australians identify as Christian, making it the country’s dominant religion. Though not all Christians attend church regularly or even embrace everything their religion teaches, most Christians find their faith to be a source of immense comfort, particularly in the midst of life’s challenges. Three Seas does not discriminate on the grounds of religious beliefs, and we cater to people from all walks of life and all faiths, including atheists and agnostics. But we’ve found that Christians often benefit from a Christian perspective in counselling, so if you’re hoping for therapy that draws upon your faith, we’re happy to ensure you get what you need.
It Supports Your Values
Good therapy always supports your values, but if faith is an important part of your life, it helps to have a therapist or psychologist who “gets” it. Christian counselling relies on proven science but also draws upon the principles in both the Bible and Christian tradition. For instance, if you keep losing your temper with your spouse, a Christian counsellor might discuss with you how Jesus told believers to turn the other cheek—not lash out in anger. If you struggle to find purpose in your life or are overwhelmed by greed, your counselor might provide wisdom from scripture.
When you seek Christian counselling, your counsellor will challenge you to live up to the best of your faith. You’ll also get to rest easy knowing that your therapist will never advise you to do something that disregards your values.
It Offers Another Perspective
The role of a good therapist is not to give you advice or tell you what to do. Indeed, in traditional therapy, this approach can actually cause harm. For example, if your counsellor tells you to try a specific strategy with your spouse, and that strategy fails, you could end up blaming your spouse.
With Christian counselling, though, your counsellor will make recommendations based on your religious faith. This can deepen the perspective that therapy provides, offering you real, actionable solutions for everyday problems. And it means that, if a solution fails, you’ll be more likely to consider why it failed, rather than blaming your counsellor or your partner.
It Can Deepen Your Relationship
If a marriage is nothing but living together and sharing bills, it holds little meaning, especially when the going gets tough—or the bills don’t get paid. But for Christians, marriage is a sacred commitment made to your spouse, and to God. Christian couples counselling helps you renew this commitment, and reminds you that marriage is about more than just the challenges of today; it’s about carving out a future together, both for this life and the next. This approach can deepen your relationship, solidify your will to fight for your marriage, and give you and your spouse hope that things really can get better.
It Can Deepen Your Faith
Christianity is more than just a cultural label; it’s a deep and lasting affiliation. Committing to Christianity gives you every reason to want to deepen your faith, and that’s precisely what Christian counseling can help you achieve. Through counselling, you may learn things about your faith you never know. You’ll be encouraged to think more deeply and substantively about your faith, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to discuss your beliefs with your spouse. This can help clarify your values, encourage you to embrace faith, and infuse your life with a deep and abiding sense of purpose. Research consistently shows that people of faith are happier and healthier, so deepening your faith is anything but trivial.
It Gives You a Shared Pursuit
Clients often come into our offices complaining that they have nothing in common, nothing to talk about, nothing to do together, and no fun. This is clearly a poor recipe for a happy relationship! When you embrace Christian counselling, though, that can all change. Your therapy sessions give you plenty to explore—both from the world of psychology and within the confines of your faith. You may find that counselling encourages you to become more active in your church, participate in more activities together, and sit down and really talk about your shared values and religious faith.
Three Seas Counselling embraces the value of all forms of religious faith, and we’ll never proselytize to you. We will, however, support you on your Christian journey, because we know this journey can lead down a road toward longer-lasting, deeper love.
