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 ourselves as "clinically-informed," meaning that we do consider that secular sources do make helpful observations concerning the nature of some counseling issues.
We practice what is commonly referred to as biblical counseling. Rooted in the careful interpretation and application of God's word to life's dominating problems, biblical counseling can rightly be described as a 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.
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 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, 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.
If you have any further questions for us regarding these foundational commitments, please let us know by calling (727) 300-6576, or reach us by email at info@baylightcounseling.com.
We hope to speak to you soon!