When seeking any type of counseling or soul care, it is entirely appropriate for the counselee to inquire about the nature of the counselor's practice. Foundational to the work of every counselor, whether Christian or secular, is a worldview that informs, among other things, who or what they believe about God, the nature of man, and man's primary problem.
At Baylight, our worldview and theory for counseling is uniquely Christian, and specifically Protestant. In fact, at Baylight's inception in May 2013, our commitment to the authority of Scripture persuaded us to decline the seeking of state licensure in order to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest with regard to secular counseling ethics, and what we hold as true concerning the ministry of God's word. Our biblical commitments lead us to describe our work as "clinically-informed," meaning that we consider that secular sources do make helpful observations concerning the nature of some counseling issues. That said, please know that "clinically-informed" does not translate to "clinically-consumed." For every one look we might take at clinical issues, we endeavor to take ten looks at Christ and his word. (1)
We practice what is commonly referred to as "biblical counseling." Rooted in the careful interpretation and application of God's word to life's most dominating circumstances, biblical counseling can rightly be described as a dedicated and focused form of Christian discipleship, designed to promote the counselee's own sanctification (i.e. growth in Christ-likeness). This means that Christ-centered heart-change, rather than man-centered behavior modification is our desired outcome.
Despite our primary reliance on Scripture for counseling, God's word is never applied in a legalistic manner. We understand that while God's law is good, it's purpose and design by God is to point us to the gospel of grace found in Jesus Christ alone, to reveal to us our great and abiding need of him, and to show us how we ought to live. This means that if we give in to the temptation to look to our behavior (eg. our good works/deeds) as the source and strength of our salvation, we will have fallen into serious error. Scripture is clear: we cannot and will not be saved by our keeping of God's moral law (cf. Romans 3:20; Gal. 2:16). None of this means that our behaviors are inconsequential, but we must understand in what way they matter, namely, as "fruit," and never as "root."
Along with these truths, we acknowledge that to be human is to possess both a body and a soul. While it is not our role as a counseling ministry to care for the physical body, we acknowledge the truth of sin's effects upon our bodies, and the need for proper medical care. We hold that our function is to help shepherd a person's mind/heart/soul/spirit (2), while medical doctors tend to the needs of the body. As such, we do not diagnose clinical illness according to DSM-V, or prescribe or manage medication. We do recommend that counselees follow their doctor's orders as to these important health issues. Our clients should consult with a physician when considering any changes to their medicinal regimen.
In summary, please understand that we intend our work at Baylight to be holistic and redemptive. By holistic, we mean to communicate that we always endeavor to distinguish between God's law and gospel, discern the differences between body and soul, sin and suffering, and scripture as God's special revelation versus common grace knowledge. By redemptive, we are saying that because Chrsitians are a redeemed people, we naturally seek and work toward biblically redemptive outcomes in every case (Eph. 1:7; Rom. 8:28).
If you have any further questions for us regarding these foundational commitments, please let us know by calling (727) 300-6576, or emailing us at info@baylightcounseling.com. Of course, we also encourage asking questions of your counselor in-session at any time.
We hope you found this information encouraging, and we hope to see you soon!
(1) Our phrasing here is inspired by a quote attributed to Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843), who said, "For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ." Our desire here is not intended to be a literal application of thought, per se, but to communicate where our counseling focus is to be found from a philosophical or theoretical perspective.
(2) Each of these words occur in scripture. In context, they refer to the same, single immaterial part of man which is the seat and source of all of our thoughts, motives, desires, intentions, emotions, etc. They are not intended to communicate four individual parts of our humanity.