We’re coming up on the finish line of our series that’s reviewed Cornerstone’s Mission, Vision, and Values, and this week we’re hitting our last, yet perhaps most foundational value: Biblical Foundation with Clinical Excellence.
As most of you know, last week a group of us headed to Nashville for the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) conference. If you’ve never been, allow me to paint a quick picture for you…
Imagine a room the size of a football field, filled with 7,000 other Christian therapists, psychologists, Biblical and pastoral counselors, coaches, and others in the helping profession who all love Jesus. Imagine gathering in this large room three times a day, worshiping and praying together, and listening to speakers from all disciplinary specialties, all of which have the goal of either encouraging you in the work you do or equipping you with knowledge and information to do the work that you do…only better. Then imagine breaking out into smaller groups and going to workshops on topics of your choice that also better inform and equip you to do your work of helping others heal, grow, and thrive. It is a pivotal couple of days for almost everyone who attends, and this year was no different.
And here’s the best part: this year, the topic of counselors providing care that is clinically excellent and distinctively Christian was mentioned both in the large group setting and in a breakout workshop. I thought I had died and gone to heaven, since this is what we at Cornerstone are all about, too. It’s what we’ve always been about, because we know that true healing can’t happen for any of us apart from Jesus. And what they had to say only reinforced the position we’ve been practicing from for years.
For us, a Biblical Foundation with Clinical Excellence means we value and employ the wisdom of God’s Word and His general revelation through research and evidence based practices.
This means that the field of psychology and our belief system are not mutually exclusive. Quite the opposite, actually. Instead, we see that God’s general revelation in the sciences point to truths in Scripture about life, relationships, and the human condition and vice versa. One informs and makes more robust the other; it’s a more complete perspective on life and wholeness and healing.
Interestingly enough (but perhaps not surprisingly), science backs up the importance and influence of faith in a person’s overall mental health. For example, did you know that in two-thirds of 93 observational studies, it was revealed that religious people had lower prevalence of depressive disorders and fewer depressive symptoms than their non-religious counterparts? Furthermore, more than one-third of actively religious U.S. adults (36%) describe themselves as very happy, compared with just a quarter of both inactive and unaffiliated Americans. Across 25 other countries for which data are available, religiously active adults report being happier than the unaffiliated by a statistically significant margin in almost half (12 countries), and happier than inactively religious adults in roughly one-third (nine) of the countries.
The takeaway? What we believe – and how we engage with it – matters in our day-to-day lives. So of course it should matter – and have influence in – the counseling room.
So how do we pursue a Biblical Foundation and Clinical Excellence? Here are a few takeaways:
In regards to each and every one of us being strong in our Biblical Foundation, we ourselves need to…
- Study the Bible! If the Bible is the primary way God speaks to us, then we should stay connected to – and know – what He is wanting to say to us
- Meditate on Scripture – We are to “hide God’s word in our heart” (Psalm 119:11) and be prepared at all times to engage the enemy with the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). This is something we can’t do in the moment; it is something we must be prepared for in advance. This means intentional time spent in Scripture on a frequent basis.
- And what about Clinical Excellence? How do we pursue that? Firstly, we must remember that our goal in counseling is to deliver the highest quality services to the client.
Practically speaking, we do this by:
- Practicing excellent communication and interpersonal skills with our clients – We are always considering ways to show our clients that we “see” them – even before the first session
- Maintaining professionalism in all our interactions with clients. Enough said.
- Possessing strong diagnostic skills/acumen. We use tools and scales that have been found to be valid and reliable to assess symptoms (and the severity of) in our clients
- Using evidence-based practices in our work with clients. These have been shown to effectively treat the diagnosis with which the client is struggling
- Taking a scholarly approach to clinical practice. We are lifelong learners and can always grow in our craft
- Exhibiting a passion for client care. We truly want to see our clients heal, grow, and thrive!
Lastly, we are only effective as Biblically sound and clinically excellent counselors when we are healthy on an individual level. We all know this, but sometimes we act like this applies to everyone but us…which works until we’re face to face with burnout. This means we should also…
- Be aware of our own personal needs and limits. This includes practicing good schedule management, being intentional with time off, and balancing your family priorities with job responsibilities.
- Be a part of a church, and seek out community in that church. Join a small group!
- Have a healthy prayer life
- Intercede for your client’s circumstances
- Pray over your caseload
- Cover yourself and your family in prayer
- Remember we are engaged in spiritual warfare on the daily.
- Get your own counselor, if needed.
Truly, a Biblical Foundation and Clinical Excellence is a tall order, friends. We’re held to a higher standard than others in our field who don’t believe God has a place in the counseling room, but as you know, we do not do this work alone. Instead, filled with the Holy Spirit and surrounded by like-minded individuals on our team, we move courageously forward with clients who are looking for the abundant life Jesus promised (John 10:10).
In closing, my prayer for you – and for Cornerstone as a whole – is that we would steward every opportunity and human interaction we are given with the utmost care and respect, as it is a high calling to enter into people’s lives and messes. May we, through a strong Biblical foundation and with great clinical excellence, represent Jesus well in this process.
Amen.
