Why should the church be interested in counseling? The word “counseling” does not appear in the Bible. Combine that with the fact that churches often outsource counseling, and it becomes easy to draw the conclusion that the Bible is not really that interested in counseling. I have often heard the argument, “The Bible is not a textbook on counseling.“ So how can the body of Christ be persuaded that we have a mandate to do counseling?

“The Constructive Displeasure of Mercy.” What a curious title! I find it so mysterious—and intriguing. How is mercy a “displeasure”? Usually we think of mercy as extending our hand to someone who is powerless, and that is a good thing. But David Powlison tackles it from a different angle: extending mercy when you have been unjustly and wrongly attacked. In that situation, mercy can be a sting and a great “displeasure.” Yet mercy, instead of anger or retaliation, is the constructive way forward. 

Can local churches become a natural home for counseling ministry? Often the limitations or failures of the church get cited first, making it seem that church is at best an adjunct to “the real work of counseling.” But, in principle, the local church is the natural home for face-to-face ministry. Counseling can and should thrive in local churches. Here are five of the numerous advantages to counseling being localized in the church. 

"Every now and then there's a conference that makes you stop in your tracks. A conference that seems so timely that it excites your heart, inspires your mind and sends you to your knees in prayer. A conference that leaves you with that feeling that what has been said is so desperately needed, it cannot be ignored. A conference that says absolutely nothing new because every word that's uttered is thoroughly soaked in Scripture but still manages to leave your jaw hanging open with the freshness of approach.

Not all counseling sessions end on a positive note. I was recently reminded of this as I struggled to conclude a challenging appointment with a married couple. By the end of it, they were more discouraged than when they came in. But we had to go, and there was no way to wrap up in such a way that we could all leave with smiling faces and joyful hearts. We were ending at a hard place.

One struggle counselors, parents, teachers and youth workers often face is how to think about and approach children who have a psychiatric diagnosis. Even within the mental health profession there are differences of opinion. Some professionals under medicate and under diagnose, and others do the exact opposite. Regardless of which camp we fall into, we can quickly fall short of knowing and understanding the child in front of us if we allow psychiatric labels to define children and determine their paths. 

Dr. Mike Emlet, Faculty Member at CCEF and author of Crosstalk, brings his wisdom and skill to address topics such as OCD, dealing with chronic pain and the use of psychoactive medication. He will be speaking at Faith Church in Lafayette, IN on Thursday February 14th in the afternoon and evening and Friday February 15th in the morning.