Like all types of counselling, biblical counselling helps people with the problems of life. It begins with listening; because a person cannot be helped before they are understood. The counsellor listens and asks pertinent questions to learn more and to give the counsellee the opportunity to confront key aspects of themselves and their situation.

Where it differs from other types of counselling is its express commitment to the relevance of God and the Bible as the focal point for working through these problems. The late David Powlison has called it “counseling through the lens of Scripture.” It is seeing the world, ourselves, and God according to the Bible. It is seeing that God is not limited to Sunday mornings, polite company, dusty books (or apps), past sins, and future glories. Christ has a say in every aspect of a person’s life and the power to do something about it. Through this vantage point, people can see how Christ can make all the difference in our challenges today.

Biblical counselling is counselling with God “in the room.” The usual dialogue between counsellor and counsellee gains the added dynamic of God’s presence and acknowledging Him in everything. There is no mysticism here, only the ordinary means of prayer, Scripture, and conversation. God works through ordinary means to achieve surprising results.

With God “in the room,” biblical counselling brings growth and change through a relationship, a commitment to biblical truth, and an orientation towards help that comes from outside of ourselves.