Christian Counselors in Chicago: Top Questions to Ask to Find the Right Christian Therapist
Finding the right Christian counselors in Chicago can make a huge difference in your journey towards healing and personal growth. To ensure you find a counselor who aligns with your values and needs, here are some helpful questions you can ask during your consultation.
Why Choose a Christian Counselor in Chicago?
Understanding the benefits of faith-based counseling can help you see why a Christian counselor might be the perfect fit for your individual needs. When dealing with relationship issues, life stressors, or a significant loss, feeling disconnected from yourself and others can become the norm. Sometimes that emotional pain becomes an obstacle to a deeper connection with God. Meeting with a Christian counselor can help you understand and navigate what you are experiencing through the lens of your relationship with God.
What Are Your Qualifications and Experience as a Christian Counselor in Chicago?
Ensure that your counselor has the proper credentials and experience to provide effective and compassionate care. A Christian counselor or therapist in Chicago must be licensed in the State of Illinois and will most likely have one of the following:
- LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor)
- LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist)
- LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Any other training the counselor might have obtained can give you a good idea about their approach, style of therapy, and integration of their faith. Feel free to ask them what those are and if they have worked with someone with your specific needs before.
What Types of Therapy Do You Offer for Individuals Seeking a Christian Counselor in Chicago?
It can be helpful to learn about different therapeutic approaches and find out which might be best suited for your personal growth and healing. These can vary from short-term models, such as a solution-focused approach, to longer-term ones like the attachment model. Christian counselors may also be licensed or certified in other modalities, such as:
- Creative arts therapies
- Trauma therapy approaches
For example, as a Christian counselor with an LCPC, I’m also board certified as a dance movement therapist. This means that I focus on the mind-body connection and incorporate movement to help my clients connect to God and themselves more deeply.
How Do You Integrate Faith into Your Counseling Sessions?
Knowing how your counselor combines professional therapeutic techniques with spiritual guidance is important in finding a match that will feel good to you. Licensed counselors and therapists have been trained to assess and diagnose mental health conditions and can properly help you deal with the symptoms affecting your daily life.
To address the problem and promote change, scripture and prayer will most likely be used in conjunction with other techniques, such as body-mind relaxation or exercises to challenge your thoughts or mindset.
I help clients work through relationship issues and feelings of distrust, confusion, frustration, and loneliness through exercises involving body and mind awareness, prayer, worship, and movement. Some of my clients say that connecting with Jesus in sessions in that way is their favorite part of therapy!
Can You Share Success Stories or Testimonials from Clients in Chicago?
Counselors may already have online reviews that encouraged you to reach out, or perhaps you heard of them through one of their clients. Hearing about past client experiences with similar needs to yours can give insight into the counselor’s effectiveness, approach, and relatability.
How Do You Handle Confidentiality and Ethical Issues as a Christian Therapist?
A sign of good practice is to have policies and procedures in place explaining how confidentiality and safety are supported by the counselor. These would be included in the registration paperwork. However, asking the counselor about it during the consultation can help you get an idea of how ethical issues are managed, which is crucial for building trust.
What Is Your Approach to Relationship Counseling Within a Christian Context?
If you’re seeking help with relationship issues, whether individually or with a partner, find out how the counselor integrates faith into their relationship counseling.
For example, I believe that we are wired for connection, first to God and then to ourselves and others. Through this lens, I help couples understand what prevents them from feeling securely connected in their romantic relationship or marriage and discover how to create and nurture new bonding moments. I also focus on the mind-body connection and partner movement to increase intimacy and closeness.
What Should I Expect in Terms of Session Structure and Frequency?
This is a very common and important question you can ask during consultations. Knowing what to expect in terms of sessions, frequency, and length of treatment can help you feel more comfortable and prepared for your therapy journey. You can read about other helpful considerations regarding this here.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Christian Counselor in Chicago
I hope this helps you find a good Christian counselor in Chicago for your spiritual and emotional needs. Taking this step is a significant move towards healing and spiritual growth.
Ready to meet with the right Christian counselor for your individual counseling needs? Contact me today to schedule your FREE consultation for Christian counseling in Chicago and take the first step towards a more fulfilling and spiritually enriched life!
As a Christian Counselor in Chicago, Lisaura specializes in incorporating movement and the mind-body connection to help people heal, improve their relationships, and feel more whole. Lisaura offers individual relationship counseling, couples counseling, premarital counseling, and dance therapy to help adults connect with themselves and others deeply.
Spanish speaking services are available as well.
