Purpose:  Christian counseling and the generic Christian-based Counseling have become secularized and abused terms.  The Christian community, particularly those who are unfamiliar are subject to humanistic therapies with no foundation in the power and authority of God’s Word.  Christ-based Counseling is the term, which extols counseling appropriate for believers, and the method is substantively based on Jesus Christ as disclosed throughout the Holy Scripture.  Christ-based Counseling is a specific modality for counseling.  However, there are other persons or ministries who uphold the virtues of Christ-based Counseling without the specific model.  This assessment assists Christ-based Counseling evaluators and consumers to determine when other ministries are in compliance with the Christ-based Counseling model.  A five-point framework and specific standards are as follows:

Principal Framework

1) God always has and continues to heal and provide for His people as they pursue His will/Commission.  2) Any acceptable method in the psycho-socio professions is already resident in God’s Word, and if not, the approach is not an acceptable method.  3) Because of sin’s impact on humanity, there are occasions when medicinal therapies may be necessary (e.g., psychotics, schizophrenic, etc.).  A principle of God’s progressive provision is that once an "acceptable" self-help mean is available, He discontinues direct provisions. 4) Clearly, Christ-based Counselors do not specifically or by implication hold any other means or methodology as more effective or equal with the issues of humanity than the principles in God’s Word. This is clearly seen in the ministry’s/counselor’s procedural documentation. 5)  Whatever the counselor’s education, certification, or licensing, when working with Believers the counselor’s principal credentials must be that of a Christ-based Counselor or equivalent.

Standards:

1.0  Sound Biblical System/Analysis:  There must be an extensive Biblical theology supporting counseling delivery.  This means the Biblical principles supporting the counseling method must be well researched (e.g., Old Testament precedent, New Testament theme).  Any profound findings or revelations must be illustrated a minimum of two to three times in Scripture.  It is always “best” to develop a method on passages of Scripture and not individual scripture text.  Individual scripture text may be used, but findings must be well supported throughout Scripture. Methods must not be based on a finding or “revelation” that is not supported anywhere else in the Bible. Religious clichés, and colloquial terms do not rise to a level of sound Biblical support.

2.0 Methodology and Structure:  The method must include specific steps or procedures for sessions.  Understandably, no case is specifically the same, so flexibility is acceptable.  However, there are no issues, which are uncommon to the human experience.  Therefore, Christ-based Counselors operate decently and in order.  There is a specific objective, topics, practices, assessments, and similar actions to employ throughout the counseling process, and these activities are substantially related to passages in the life of Jesus and/or the Bible. Example:  If a counselee by his or her admission is “depressed” notwithstanding the clinician’s diagnostic, the Christ-based counselor must have a well documented Christ-based approach.  A documented approach is one that is written with substantive evidence that the basis and actions are rooted in the life of Jesus and/or the Bible.

3.0 Terminology:  Any terms or phraseology should have substantial Biblical basis. The basis should be documented and specifically related to the counseling issue(s).

4.0 Ethical Premise:  Christ-based Counselors have a specific code of ethics, or standards of conduct.  Although the Bible is the basis for appropriate behavior and conduct, the code of ethics outlines specific administrative and lawful requirements.