Editor’s Note: This article is written by Christine Chappell as a guest post for our series on finding hope in the midst of depression. In this series, our counselors are helping people understand the reality of depression and how God sustains and helps those who are depressed. View the Series Page here. When my nine-year-old daughter learned I was working on a mini-book … Read More
Hating Hate Without Hating Haters: What Did Jesus Teach Us About Hate?
This was a tough week in our country. In western Pennsylvania and multiple other communities across the country, hatred was on full display as bullets flew and lives were lost. The carnage and discourse over the last week has been unsettling as we all grapple with why our country continues to settle our divisions by shooting up political rallies, retail stores, nightclubs, … Read More
Why Churches Feel Overwhelmed by Counseling
I recently spent a week at one of the largest pastor’s conferences in the United States to share how BCC seeks to help churches. As I talked with many pastors, a few themes stood out to me about care and counseling in the local church. Most churches and pastors are overwhelmed and don’t know what steps to take to improve … Read More
Two Essentials of Christlike Care
Jesus cares for addicts… and corrupt politicians. Jesus cares for the sick… and adulterers. Jesus cares for the homeless… and rich people. The left side of those three sentences would gain approval from most inside and outside the church. The right side might be harder for us to agree to. Jesus cared for all people in a complicated world, one … Read More
Helping Teenagers Navigate Life Transitions and Unwanted Change
Written by BCC Counselor Sheri Ho The last two posts from Dr. Tim Allchin have discussed “How the Bible Addresses Trials, Transitions, and Dealing with Unwanted Change”. In this post, we’ll delve deeper into this experience for teenagers so we can better understand and support them biblically. I’ve encountered various first-generation immigrant families. The parents, having recently arrived in the … Read More
Why the Gospel Matters in Counseling (Part 2)
Isn’t it odd that some Christians in the mental health field act like the Gospel and the Bible aren’t needed in the counseling office? The Gospel is good news for every person who chooses to trust Christ and accept the gift He offers: new life in Him. Life change happens when the broken begin living for God rather than self. The … Read More
Why the Gospel Matters in Counseling (Part 1)
Isn’t it odd that some Christians in the mental health field act like the Gospel and the Bible aren’t needed in the counseling office? The Gospel is good news for every person who chooses to trust Christ and accept the gift He offers: new life in Him. Life change happens when the broken begin living for God rather than self. The … Read More
Equipping Spanish Speakers with Biblical Counseling
Written by BCC Counselor & Spanish Training Coordinator Esther St. John I remember the excitement of attending my first seminary course in biblical counseling. Originally from Honduras, I had already completed an undergraduate psychology degree from a college back home. I figured this biblical counseling class would build on the foundation of the secular psychology I had learned. What I … Read More
Understanding the Need for Culturally Aware Biblical Counseling
The southern preacher powerfully concluded his sermon on marriage, “Nearly every marriage problem I see in my office is a failure of married couples to ‘leave and cleave’ – and ignoring this biblical principle simply ends in disaster.” It shook up my counselee because he listened carefully and took complete notes. The preacher even created a “warning checklist” – “living … Read More
