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Approved and verified accurate by the Assistant Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences on July 15, 2025.
There is a slight difference between a mental health counselor and a Christian counselor. Both professionals are counselors who provide mental health counseling services to clients. However, a counselor uses a secular approach, whereas a Christian counselor uses a faith-based approach. A Christian counselor might also use a secular approach when working with nonreligious clients or religious clients who prefer not to bring their faith into counseling sessions.
08/15/2025
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A Christian counselor is trained to use evidence-based counseling techniques that are infused with God’s Word. Christian counseling strives not only to help the individual overcome their mental health challenges but also to help them heal spiritually. Through Christian counseling, clients may feel empowered to strengthen their relationship and communication with God and to address their challenges through a biblical lens.
Christians turn to their faith for solace and hope during dark times. Their faith can be a source of strength, but that doesn’t mean that Christians can’t also suffer from mental health disorders. In fact, according to Anthem of Hope, about 23% of pastors surveyed acknowledge that they themselves have experienced a mental illness, such as depression or anxiety disorders.1
Christians who are suffering from mental illness have options for reaching out for help. Secular therapy is widely available and welcomes people of all faiths as well as those of no faith. Yet, for some Christians, it may sometimes be more helpful to find a counselor who shares their own biblical beliefs and principles.
Christian counselors tend to focus primarily on Christian clients, although they may sometimes serve clients of different faiths, as well as atheists. When working with non-Christian clients, it’s advisable for Christian counselors to reserve religious judgment and focus on secular therapeutic techniques.
Aside from the biblical lens of therapy, a Christian counselor can expect to perform the same tasks as a secular counselor, such as the following:
In everything that a Christian counselor does, they must keep in mind the best interests and needs of their clients. Therapeutic approaches and techniques must be adapted to meet the client’s needs.
Some clients, for example, respond well to reading Bible verses together with their Christian counselor and discussing how they might be applied to the client’s situation. Christian counselors might also pray together with their clients and lead their clients in spiritual meditation techniques.
The terms Christian counseling and Christian-based therapy may be used interchangeably, but there are some subtle differences between therapy and counseling. Christian counseling tends to be more goal-oriented, focusing on helping clients overcome specific challenges in life, such as marital problems, grief and substance use. In contrast, therapy tends to take place over a longer period of time, using an exploratory approach to treat mental illness.2
A Christian counselor and a Christian therapist will both use a biblical lens and a spiritual approach when working with clients. However, the goals of the sessions may be different, and the providers have different credentials.2
Typically, a counselor may be credentialed as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) or a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). In contrast, a therapist is a clinician who may be credentialed as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) or a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).2
Christian counseling is an approach to mental health counseling that combines religion and spirituality with counseling techniques. In Christian counseling, counselors may share aspects of their own faith with their clients and vice versa, and both may discuss how to apply faith to the challenges the client is experiencing.
If you’re adept at connecting to people on a genuine level and have a knack for asking insightful, open-ended questions, you might consider pursuing a career as a Christian counselor. What is Christian counseling, and could this path be right for you? Explore this approach to mental health here and reflect on whether you feel called to pursue this specialty.
Integrate Faith Into Your Counseling Practice
Bring faith and compassion into the world of counseling. Pursue a Christian counseling degree at GCU!
If the answer to the question, What is biblical counseling? appeals to you, you might consider pursuing a career as a Christian counselor. You can integrate your faith into your daily work while empowering God’s children to overcome life’s challenges from a biblical perspective.
Along your journey toward your intended career, take the time to reaffirm your faith and grow closer to God. Look for ways of becoming more active in your church and nurturing your knowledge of the Bible. Sign up for a Bible study class, for example.
Then, research the requirements to become a counselor in the state in which you plan to work. Work and licensure requirements vary by state.3
After high school, the first step in becoming a Christian counselor is to earn a bachelor’s degree in counseling. At this level of education, a degree specifically in Christian counseling may not be available, depending on the school you choose. However, you could earn a bachelor’s such as the Bachelor of Science in Counseling with an Emphasis in Addiction, Chemical Dependency, and Substance Abuse.
If you choose to attend a private Christian university, such as Grand Canyon University, you can expect spirituality and biblical principles to be integrated into the coursework, no matter the degree you choose.
Although licensure requirements vary, all states require substance use and behavioral disorder counselors to obtain a master’s degree and complete supervised clinical experience hours to qualify for licensure. At this stage, you may have the opportunity to choose a degree that is focused specifically on Christian counseling, such as the Master of Science in Christian Counseling of Substance Use and Addictive Disorders degree.
You may also consider pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
with an Emphasis in Christian Counseling
After completing your master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an Emphasis in Christian Counseling and the supervised clinical hours required by your state, you can expect to take a state-approved licensing exam.3 It’s best to take the exam fairly soon after graduating with your degree because you’ll want your knowledge to be fresh in your mind. However, you may also wish to delay taking the exam for a month or two, if possible, to give yourself time to prepare.
If you feel called to become a Christian counselor, you’ll find a home away from home at Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university. GCU is pleased to offer multiple counseling degrees for aspiring mental health professionals who wish to integrate a Christ-centered philosophy within their practice. One such degree is the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Christian Counseling.
