Biblical counseling is committed to counseling practice as a church based
ministry, done by ministers and members, overseen by pastors and elders. The
appearance of independent counselors is a recent development in the history of the
Christian church. As such, there are no guidelines for their regulation based on
standards of Christian truth, life, and ministry. A constructive approach to this
situation is to view all independent counselors as if they acted as part-time church
staff. This opens the door for appropriate due diligence in examining the counseling
model and character of those who counsel independently