Christian Spiritual Counseling

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Ignatian Fasting and Christian Counseling.

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

How Christian Counseling Can Use Ignatian Ideals

Ignatian spirituality can also be applied to the Lenten season or the Great Fast. St. Ignatius in his “Spiritual Exercises” laid out important guiding principles in proper fasting.

St. Ignatius points out that there is interior fasting which deals with the formation of moral character and exterior fasting which deals with sacrifices and penances of a bodily fashion. This exterior fasting is a result of the interior fasting and yearning of the soul to show penance.
According to St. Ignatius, denial of superfluous things is not fasting. Fasting does not include giving up special treats, but is a sacrifice that revolves around ordinary things that we deal with everyday. This is not to devalue sacrifices, but it is important to delineate between exercises in temperance and true fasting.
St. Ignatius listed three primary ways one can fast. The first he listed was food intake. In this, Ignatius reflects the values of the Church and its mandates for denial of meat and other meals during a proper fast day. The second type of fasting deals with denial of sleep. Sleep deprivation or removing basic comforts for sleep are encouraged for those who wish to fast this way. However, St. Ignatius emphasizes that one should not eliminate sleep if it hurts one’s health and prevents them from functioning in one’s daily duty. Finally, St. Ignatius stated that temporal suffering can be applied as long as it does not permanently harm the body. Examples of sack clothe that are hidden underneath one’s clothes is a perfect example for this.
Ultimately St. Ignatius believed fasting was meant to show Christ how much we love him and how much we wish to carry our crosses with him. St. Ignatius felt that such fasting would benefit the soul by teaching it mastery and discipline over the passions. He also saw fasting as important for petition and reparation for sin.  Christian Counseling sessions should also utilize these concepts.
by Mark Moran, MA

Christian Counseling and Key Fasting Concepts

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counseling and Key Fasting Concepts

Christian Counseling sessions should pinpoint key elements of fasting.  The purposes of fasting involve a few key concepts. One of the first concepts is that fasting teaches the body self control and spiritually discipline. The second concept is that it is a form of prayer to God where one can offer reparation for sin. The self denial is the sacrifice to God.
When one fasts, it is a personal gift to God. It is not to be advertised or applauded but kept secret. Christ taught that one is to fast in private and keep clean and fresh appearances so that one’s neighbor cannot see the fasting. Christ promises great rewards in Heaven that are beyond the extoltation of man.
As stated in other papers, most fasting regards ordinary things that are beyond the extra. St. Ignatius gave reference to this and laid out the ground rules in his Spiritual Exercises where fasting can involve physical penance, eating or sleeping. On the other extreme, the simple daily offerings of St. Theresa the Little Flower give a host of examples of how one can offer the smallest sacrifice to God during one’s daily duty.
If you are interested Christian Counseling Certification, please review the program.
By Mark Moran, MA

Lenten Ideals: True Lenten Remorse and Christian Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counseling can use the story of Judas and Peter as excellent ways to show how a Christian shows true remorse

 Palm Sunday emphasized the joyous proclamation of Christ as king, but like many who initially accept him, many later deny him.  The Jews who adored him, one week later scorned him and the many apostles who proclaimed their fidelity to him, denied him only days later.  In our Lenten sacrifices, do we later fall from grace and deny or betray our lord after the end of Lent?  Can we truly say we take our palm branches to the foot of the cross as did Mary, John and the Holy women?
It is probably so that many of us are not like Mary, John or the Holy Women, but do fall to the lures of this world.  Our concupiscence and fallen nature, only so easily fall to the pleasures of sense.  Our wills so strong one moment, befall to the temptations of this world and the devil.  It would not be surprising if many of us did fail in some of our Lenten promises and at times did not fulfill one’s obligation.  It is human nature to fall, but we are not defined by our fall but how we pick ourselves up.  Christians will sin and fall but through the grace of Christ, one can exhibit true Lenten remorse.   Christian Counselors can help one find this.
True Lenten remorse is having hope and faith in Christ that he will forgive us when we fail him.  This involves removing one’s pride and placing one’s hope in Christ’s deepest love for us.  Falling while never good is important because it helps us understand our weaknesses but it also helps us realize how much we love Christ and wish not to fall again.  In this way, we should contrast two forms of remorse found during the Holy Week and Passion of Christ.  They are the way of Peter or the way of Judas.

The Way of Judas

The way of Judas after his betrayal of Christ did exhibit true remorse.  After his betraying kiss to our Lord, he felt deep guilt and intense sadness.  He threw the pieces of silver at the chief priests and cursed them for their action.  However, instead of seeking out our Lord or his mother, he fled the city and without hope and full of despair hung himself.  Do we ever feel that we are unworthy of Christ’s love to such an extent that we would flee his love?  This is obviously not true Christian remorse for it lacks two things.  First, faith in Christ’s love and second, a lack of hope that leads to despair and never allows for contrition.

The Way of Peter in Christian Counseling

The way of Peter was also true remorse but differ ultimately in its end.  Peter triumphantly proclaimed he would never deny our lord, but only after things became difficult, did fear and human weakness overcome him.  He fled our lord in his darkest hour and denied him three times.  This denial of our lord was realized as the cock crowed twice.  In this moment of intense guilt and pain, Peter wept bitterly.  However, unlike Judas, Peter would again rise.  He felt horrible about his denial of our Lord, but instead had faith in forgiveness and pushed forward to new spiritual heights as the first leader of the early church.  He would even later validate his intense love for Christ via his own crucifixion, which he suffered upside down out of respect for Christ.
Beyond Peter, we also see the remorse of the apostles.  Did not the apostles also proclaim their fidelity to Christ but to only fall later?  Their spirits were strong but their flesh was weak.  One can see their failure as many of them fell asleep as Christ sweat blood in the garden.  Their ultimate failure is later seen as they fled the garden in fear of the soldiers who came to apprehend Christ. There after they would remain hidden until Christ’s resurrection.  All would eventually suffer martyrdom and vindicate themselves before Christ with their ultimate gift, their lives.  Only St. John would escape martyrdom because only he stood at the foot of the cross and experienced his own spiritual martyrdom of witnessing his lord die.
Christian Counselors should emphasize the importance of true remorse of Peter and the apostles who later died for Christ.  Their failures and fall from grace are all examples to us.  We too can fall but also be given another chance to show Christ our love for him.  The way of Judas prevents one from showing true remorse and growing from one’s fault.  In contrast, through the way of Peter, we can share the pain of the apostles in that we too fail Christ, but we can also share in their joy when we show remorse and grow from it.  If you are interested in the Christian Spiritual Counseling program, please click here.

By Mark Moran, MA

Training in Christian Counseling: Christian Family: Marriage

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Training in Christian Counseling: Christian Counseling with Marriage

The Christian Family as the first cell of society finds its conception in marriage.   This is why Christian Counseling must emphasize the importance of proper marriage preparation counseling.
It is interesting to note that even at the purely social level, marriage formed a social constraint for the formation of society and the bringing of order at the micro level.  Yet this natural social evolution had deeper yearnings at the center of man’s soul.  The yearning for spiritual communion took this merely social institution to a level that also satisfied the spiritual and theological needs of man.  Within the spiritual structure of humanity, the Mystical Body of Christ found marriage also as its most intimate cellular level where a man and woman took a vow before God to love each other and remain faithful.  Through this intense love, two became one and an unbreakable bond was created that transcended the societal order.

This sacred institution received it distinctive Christian mark via Christ at the wedding feast of Cana where in Catholic theology, it became a sacrament.  Protestant theology while not proclaiming the institution as a sacrament, nevertheless, shares a common belief that marriage is sacred and carries a serious bond.  Christian counselors find themselves in difficult situations when attempting to preserve these bonds of matrimony.  Various marital issues erupt that threaten to tear the very fabric of the union.  With such a heavy burden, Christian counseling must establish first and foremost the sacred nature of matrimony.  With this ideal in place, issues of finance, career, children, infidelity, or other selfish motives can hopefully be overcome.
In addition to dealing with an already existing Christian family, Christian counselors also deal with soon to be Christian families.  A Christian counselor during premarital or pre-Cana sessions, must evaluate the maturity and spiritual lives of the man and woman who are to marry.  During these early sessions, one should become acquainted with the future spouses and review their spiritual, financial and career goals.  While love is important, it is imperative to illuminate possible differences prior to vows and to help the future couple understand the problems they may face.  Other issues of importance include faith, the raising of children and ideas on what marriage is.
Most importantly, the counselor must emphasize the theological importance of the sacrament and ascertain if both parties understand the bond that will exist.  Obviously after various sessions, the counselor becomes more aware of the couples maturity, understanding of marriage and if their goals correspond.  During this period of time, the couple may also become more aware of any differences they may have previously dismissed.
Ultimately in the end, it is the couple’s love that will define the marriage. If true love exists, all problems can be overcome, especially if the couple dedicates their union to God.  Men should emulate St. Joseph, while women emulate Mary.  The couple should to the best of their abilities imitate the ultimate paradigm of the Christian family; the Holy Family.
Christian Counseling whether it is in the previous phases of marriage, or during the union, need to address issues but within a light that emphasizes the truly unique Christian character of marriage.

If you would like training in Christian Counseling, then please review the program

 

 

Christian Counseling and Apolegetics

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counseling and the Use of Apologetics

A Christian Counselor plays many roles.  Sometimes his role in counsel is to advice and instruct.  In these cases, the spiritual child may be confused with modern ideologies or philosophies.  Many of these philosophies are contrary to Christian Orthodoxy.  A spiritual director is a sacred calling to defend and define the faith to the ignorant and instruct them in the truth.
With modern ideas of materialism, agnosticism, atheism, secularism, relativism, modernism and other deviant ideologies 

contrary to the faith, society has found itself lost.  With the faith constantly under attack from the outside, many Christians have lost their way without a shepherd.   This attacks from the outside come from many sources.  One can find them from the government, the schools and media.  The numbing of good consciences is the result as blatant sin becomes standard norm.  What was once unspeakable becomes now completely acceptable.  With these shifting morals, one sees morality sliding on a slippery curve of degeneration. 
The attacks do not only come from without but also within.  Scholars deny the faith via modernism.  This hideous assault on the faith hopes to demytholize the sacred nature of scripture and Christ and make it more credible with science.  Priests, ministers, teachers within church circles and other religious have also become infected with this and confuse the laity.
In these confusing times, a Christian counselor must be firm in his or her faith.  They must not only be counselors but also theologians.  They must understand the nature of the enemy of the faith and be well versed in scripture and the various theologies.  They must be aware of current events and how the church identifies them.
Christian Counseling may very well in the future become also a last stand of Christian orthodoxy as modern ideas attempt to destroy the Christian faith.  With such a divine calling, teachers and counselors of the faith should be proud in their profession.  In the next articles, we will review some of the modern ideologies and how teachers of the faith should respond to them when questioned.
If you are interested in Christian Counseling courses, please review the program.

Addressing Teen Issues Through Christian Guidance & Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counseling for Teens

 In order to help address the issue of bullying, many teens today are studying to become Christian guidance counselors. The issue of bullying has long been plaguing hundreds of schools and communities across the country. While some bullying can be harmless, there are other cases where bullying has led to serious injury and death. In order to provide bullying victims a place to turn to for emotional and spiritual support, a high percentage of teens today are studying to earn their christian counseling certification. Based on a recent survey, a lot of these bullying cases are the result of kids having no parental support and low self-esteem. In addition to addressing the issue of bullying, other issues these teens hope to address include teenage drug use, unsafe sexual activity, and also the high rate of teenage pregnancies. By having another teen to turn to in a crisis situation, will hopefully help to diffuse some of the current issues teens are facing, especially teenage pregnancy and bullying.

If you are interested in learning more about how to become certified in Christian Counseling, then please review the program.

Pregnancy and Christian Counseling

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counseling and Teen Pregnancy

 A young Christian girl who is pregnant needs good spiritual guidance. She needs social support and personal support from the Church and her family. Within that structure comes good Christian counseling from lay ministries or the church itself. This young girl does not need a lecture on the commandments, but needs the charity and love Christ would give her. She also needs the support and advice to avoid the murderous choice of abortion. This is an opportune time for Christian counselors to promote the correct and only option of life. Through good Christian counseling, the girl can be prepared for her future nine months and beyond. This will involve emotional, spiritual and physical care. For more information on Christian counseling, one should consider becoming a certified Christian counselor at AIHCP. Through the courses at AIHCP, one can become certified as a Christian counselor and better prepared to face such dilemmas and difficult situations that Christians face in the modern world.

If you would like to learn how to become a christian counselor, then please review.

Christian Counseling: Lenten themes and Palm Sunday

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

In Christian Counseling or Spiritual Direction, the week prior to Palm Sunday should emphasize a few Lenten themes.

Christian Counseling and Palm Sunday Themes

First, one can see the materialistic and worldly ideals of the Jews as Christ enters Jerusalem.   They are expecting a Messiah that will usher in a new golden age for Israel that will relinquish the Romans and raise Israel above all other nations.  The reality is Christ did not come to undo the chains of the Romans but to free the Jews and Gentiles from a greater tyrant whom was Satan.  The spiritual drama that was unfolding was far greater than what the mere eyes of the Jews thought they saw.  Yet the inferior worldly expectations of the Jews would transform Christ from a liberating hero to a despised criminal.  Shouts of adoration would be replaced with curses of rebuke and the cross would replace the crown.
In reflection, one should consider what expectations do we have from this world?  Do we expect a worldly kingdom of riches as the Jews did?  Has the Great Fast purged these worldly desires from our souls or do material goods still dominate the greater good which is spiritual?
If anything, the Great Fast should have in the very least opened our eyes to a deeper reality that is beyond the mere physical world.  The Great Fast or Lent should have deepened our spiritual eyes to see beyond the illusions of this world.  Our fasting and sacrifices should have strengthened our will over our physical urges thus reinforcing the superiority of the spiritual realm over the temporal.  In walking with Christ these Forty days, the palms in our hands should wave in adoration for what Christ has given us spiritually not physically.
Finally, where will we stand at the end of the week?  Will we wave our palms this Sunday and then after Easter return to our old ways?  Will we boast like Peter, and proclaim our love of Christ but then at the end of the week, deny him?  Will we stay awake for that one hour with Christ in the garden, or later fall asleep?  Instead, let us hope that our Lenten gains will not be superficial as the false praise of the Jews, but instead be true and strong long after Palm Sunday.  At the end of Lent, will our sacrifices be fruitless, or will we stand with Mary, John and the Holy Women at the foot of the cross to the very end?

For more information on the Christian Counseling Program, click here.

Christian Counseling Education Program: Christ’s agony in Gethsemane

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counseling Education Program can give those in grief deep insights by comparing one’s grief to Christ.  In
regards to Christ, the pinnacle of mental human anguish would be to foresee one’s death, especially if that death involved torture and pain at the highest levels. Jesus experienced this intense mental grief to the extent he sweat blood.It was in the Garden of Gethsemane that Christ heroically, in all his humanity, accepted the burden of sin and its cruel bite.The divine nature of Christ foresaw, while the human nature trembled and accepted the horrible tortures of the whippings, thorns, cross and nails that would be instruments in his painful death.Yet within the two wills of Christ blended a perfect harmonious person, one in person, two in nature, but undivided in his acceptance of this pain.This pain that Christ felt in the garden was a true mental torture.He was completely human, not a phantasm, or incomplete shell for the divine, but a human person, free from sin, but nonetheless submitted to the same psychological torture any man would face in such terrible tribulation.In this one must stand in awe of Christ’s heroic personality. In his deepest grief, even as his friends fall asleep for that one hour, Christ prays and accepts his cross, his suffering and his grief as God’s will. He does not flee the scene, use his divine powers, or wager with the Father, but instead heroically and triumphantly accepts the pains and grief he will endure for the love of the world. Within this drama unfolds two equally intriguing elements of Christ’s passion. One is theological and involves God’s plan for the salvation of the world and the other involves the praxis of acceptance and example.

Christian Counseling Implications

The first theological implication involves analogy and pre-figurement. Only scripture in its intricate beauty can parallel two events that were forever bound together. The first is Christ as the New Adam. The Old Adam in the Garden of Eden, followed his own will and befell the temptation of the serpent, or Lucifer. The New Adam in the Garden of Gethsemane, follows the will of the Father and crushes the head of the serpent; with the Old Adam, humanity fell, with the New Adam, humanity was raised.
The second implication is more personal. It does not involve the salvation of everyone but involves individual example Christ gives to one. Christ reveals in his most vulnerable state what it means to accept the crosses of this world and how we must all accept our crosses. No matter what grief or pain may become of it, Christ presents himself as the perfect paradigm and example on how a Christian should and must accept his daily crosses.  Christian Counseling sessions should emphasize this ideal.
This is a bitter sweet reality. Christ’s passion should make us all weep, but unlike a distant deity, Christ is a deity that not only teaches via example, but ultimately sheds his own blood for his people and rises triumphantly. This should give anyone in grief a light of hope that after suffering always comes resurrection.   This ideal should also be utilized by Christian Counselors in their sessions.

Christian Counseling Training Program: A uniqiue view on Suffering

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

 Christian Counseling Training Program

Stain Glass Jesus Holding a lamb

 Christian Counseling and how one deals with suffering has unique ideals. The idea of suffering and happiness differs from culture to culture and religion to religion. The Hindu tradition speaks of escape via deification, and the Buddhist tradition speaks of escape via annihilation. The old philosophy of Manichaeism claims a dualistic godhead—one of evil and one of good who battle throughout the ages. Other explanations dismiss the religious and approach suffering as a reality without any theological significance—it merely is. They claim that the materialistic world evolves without any spiritual meaning and the classic struggle for survival of the fittest is the key drama that unfolds with happiness for some and suffering for those defeated.

Christian Counseling and the Theistic Tradition

The theistic tradition stemming from Abraham, however, offers a solution to suffering—sin and reparation. It denies that suffering is something to escape but to be endured and accepted. God originally created a perfect world, but via the sin of Adam, death and suffering entered into the world. Christianity, Islam and Judaism all accept this universally and pray for the coming of an eschatological figure that will bring judgment to a fallen world.
Hence the theistic tradition accepts suffering as a reality but with this acceptance, many find criticism. How can the evil of suffering co-exist with a good God? The other traditions dismiss a personal God or treat suffering as illusion or something of a negation, but the Theistic tradition accepts death and suffering as concrete realities of a fallen state. Hence why would a good God allow this? In answering the agnostic and atheistic challenge, the theistic tradition has emphasized the sin of man as the reason for suffering and death, but it does not answer enough. Why would a good God who can foresee man’s fall, still permit such a tragedy and why would a good God punish humanity so intensely? Again, the theistic tradition answers the challenge. St. Augustine teaches that free will was the cause of sin and hence suffering. Evil was not the creation of a good God, but a deviation from the source, as darkness is to light. This deviation from the “light” was due to free will. Was free will worth it? God in making man in his image and likeness gave man choice- The power to utilize his intellect and make a decision with all the consequences. If that choice was not made available to man, then he could not be made in the image and likeness of God. In being made in the image and likeness of God, a spiritual being must have the ability to think and choose in a rational way unlike the rest of creation. In that man and the angels share a common trait and in that common trait both fell.

The theistic tradition, however, does not leave creation fallen and broken, but promises relief from suffering and pain, but only through death. Death is the irreversible scar of man’s sin that must be embraced. While the three primary creeds of theism all offer hope and redemption, only one of these creeds proceeds beyond a distant dictation from heaven that eventually help will come. While the other two traditions present a loving God who punishes, only one presents a father who is willing to leave his throne and enter into the cold, dark night and find his children at risk to his own health. This unique salvation and understanding of suffering is through Christianity.

The Christian Tradition

Christianity is the only theistic tradition that shows a God who does not merely arbitrarily proclaim death and suffering as a product of man’s bad decisions, but also portrays a God who teaches and via example shows humanity how to accept suffering. The perfect paradigm in this is Jesus Christ. Unlike the other theistic traditions, the Christian tradition has a God who is intimately involved in the salvation of mankind at the expense of falling victim to the same punishment of sin—suffering and death. How could this be? The answer is seen through the unique mystery of the Incarnation, where a loving God who could never suffer, took upon human flesh, and made himself vulnerable to the cold of the fallen world. In this mystery, the 2nd Person of the Blessed Trinity, while retaining his divine nature, clothed himself in human flesh and offered himself as a victim in complete sacrifice for his fallen children—to not only redeem, but also to be the perfect example in how to live life and to suffer properly.
St. Thomas Moore, in his writings, points out the errors of past Christians or non-believers who did not comprehend the truth of the Incarnation. To some, Jesus seemed only human in his sufferings and the divinity was dismissed due to this, while to others, his humanity was swept away and made incomplete through the various teachings of Arius and the Gnostics. The reality within the Christian tradition is quite clear concerning Christ’s suffering. The 2nd person of the Trinity was a divine being who did not deserve suffering and yet still took upon human flesh and suffered and grieved as any human being does today via Jesus.  Christian Counselors should make their sessions  emphasize this to the grieving.
The Lord did not clothe himself in flesh and proclaim himself a king avoiding all sufferings and mishaps of life but accepted the cruelty of the world. Although a king, he denounced the warmth of a palace or the many riches of the world, but embraced the stable, the poverty of a carpenter’s son and eventually the weight of the cross. He became our example on how to accept grief and death in this world.
It is prudent to reflect on the unjust suffering our redeemer endured due to our mistakes. Did he not suffer and grieve as we do? Did not the death of family and friends pierce his heart as it does to us? Did he not grieve the death of his father? –Or His cousin St. John the Baptist? Yet in these deaths and the many sufferings, did he not console those who grieved and suffered? Did he not even console the grieving women while he carried ultimately his own cross to his death? Did he not console the family of Lazarus and ultimately raise him from the dead? Merely reflect on the suffering of Christ throughout scripture, the passion stories, and the Stations of the Cross and how he heroically overcomes these trials as a perfect example. Yet did his perfect nature deserve such a fate?
Reflect also upon the suffering of his mother, who shared her son with the world. Did she deserve the pain of seeing her son cruelly and unjustly scourged, mocked and finally crucified? Merely look at her seven sorrows that are outlined in her life! Not only would she witness Christ’s ultimate suffering and death, but she would be reminded of the prophecy of his eventual death well before Christ’s death. The stinging whisper would haunt her heart throughout her life. Yet in all her suffering, and the suffering of her son, one can see two things. First, one can see a paradigm or model on how Christians are to accept the suffering the world gives to them and second, a gift of hope and love that our God does not distantly and arbitrarily decree suffering as a result of sin, but shares in it. This is the ultimate love and compassion of God. It is a love that accepts an unjust death for another.
Throughout history we see the burning love of the saints for God. We see them triumphantly accept martyrdom or the approach of death. They hope to transform death into victory as Christ utilized his death for our victory. The saints realized that suffering and death are a part of this world but only a temporary element of our overall existence. In that, they accepted the suffering that co-exists with this fallen state and hoped to transform it with love in the model of Christ. While some saints accepted the suffering as it came to them, many heroically with a burning love for Christ accepted many amazing supernatural pains. While some Christians may remain skeptical, there are accounts of stigmata where saints, whose love transcended the planet, embraced the pain of their savior in thanksgiving, reparation and adoration of their Lord. Some saints such as St. Francis of Assisi or in the modern day, Padre Pio, felt the full pain of the stigmata with the five wounds of Christ. Other saints throughout the history of the church suffered individual wounds, such as St. Rita and the mark of the thorn that pierced her forehead. Still despite the dramatic sensationalism of these events, other saints merely accepted the everyday crosses given to them by their savior, most notably, St. Theresa, the Little Flower, whose daily penances involved offering up the little things of daily life.
The saints clearly understood that Christ’s life was subject to unjust suffering—suffering he could have avoided but accepted because He loved mankind so much. In return, as a child hopes to repay his father even in the smallest gift, the saints transformed earthly suffering and elevated it to a supernatural level as Christ did. They used him as their paradigm and model in giving back to Him and their fellow man—serving as fellow examples in how a Christian with dignity accepts suffering and death and transforms it into something beautiful.
Does this remove the sting of suffering or grief? No. It did not for Christ or the saints; it merely gives us direction and guidance in the dark times when we will all suffer. We can suffer as the atheist—who denounces his affliction, or we can embrace our afflictions when they do come and accept them as the will of God. If our savior would be willing to die for us, would he not guide one in these dark times as well? In these dark times of pain and suffering, it will hurt, but at least in the Christian tradition, we know our father is holding us and sharing in every part of our grief. It helps us realize that the reality of this world is not merely a punishment but the only other way things could be—because if there was another way, I am sure our Lord would have looked for it—but in conclusion merely said in the garden, “Thy will be done”.  Christian Counseling sessions should emphasize these values.  To learn more about Christian Grief, you can also click here
The Christian Counseling Training Program is accessible to qualified professionals who after taking the required courses can become certified.