Occasionally church folks will ask if I can set aside time to counsel their friends, co-workers, or relatives who are going through some sort of family difficulty.  The answer is sometimes "Yes," if I have time available.  I do still maintain a very limited private practice on my own time (no more than a couple of hours a week), and thus am always glad to help out when I can work it into my schedule.

When those friends, co-workers, and relatives call to ask for an appointment, they generally also want to know if such counseling is free; the answer is "No."  I cannot furnish free counseling in such situations for the same reason I used to urge my young sons to shut the door during the summer:  I cannot afford to air condition the whole outdoors, and I simply cannot afford to tackle the family problems of everyone in Union County.

There are several reasons for this.  First, my personal time is very limited:  I am a full-time preacher, not therapist.  Second, in order to maintain my accreditation I have to pay, out of my own pocket, for several different license fees, insurance, and continuing education each year.  And third, after more than a decade of counseling I have concluded that folks who pay for something tend to value it more:  there is nothing more worthless or easier to ignore than free advice.

That said, you should also know three things.  First, I never charge church folks for anything, whether it is counseling, funerals, weddings, etc.  My ministry is supported by your generosity, and I consider it a privilege to serve this good church in any way I can.  Second, I do not charge for any church-related activity, so someone who is participating in our programs here would also fall under the category of my ministry responsibilities.  And third, like most counselors, I have a sliding scale to accommodate non-members who cannot pay a full fee, or even those who cannot afford to pay at all. 

So, if you want to refer a friend to me and realize their finances are limited, just tell me and I will gladly make such arrangements with the individual or family when they call me (I do not make appointments unless the individual or family call me directly.)  When seeing clients in my private practice I make it clear that such counseling is not church-sponsored and that all rules of confidentiality apply.

When our church members have spiritual concerns they are encouraged to contact our shepherds for prayer, personal support, and guidance. Our elders meet as a group for prayer in the Church Library on Sunday mornings from 8:15 a.m. to 8:50 a.m., and any member who wishes to meet with them is welcomed at that time. Our shepherds are also available at the back of the assembly after each worship service and may be contacted individually then. In addition, our overseers are willing to make appointments to meet with any concerned member at other mutually convenient times. 

If our elders determine that one of our members would profit from more specialized professional counseling help, they refer those individuals to me.  As with any such church-sponsored counseling, I cannot guarantee anonymity (that is, I am free to acknowledge to our elders that I am assisting a church member), but I will use my professional judgment regarding confidentiality  (that is, I will not divulge what is said in those counseling sessions to our leaders unless I feel it is in the best interests of the counselees and with their prior knowledge and agreement.) 

I am, to the best of my knowledge, the only individual in our area who is both a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist; in addition, I am also licensed as a Supervisor in both professions.  My goal for developing my abilities in those areas has been, from the very beginning, to enhance my ministry.  I believe that my counseling experience provides me with unique tools to apply God's grace in certain situations, and I have found that my credentials provide me with credibility in some circles that I might not have otherwise.  Individuals regularly indicate that they are looking for a Christian counselor, often after having bad experiences with irreligious professionals.  I would like to think that my experience in this area also provides a unique dimension to my preaching and personal evangelism, as well.

That said, you should understand that counseling occupies a relatively minor part of my ministry.  There is no "magic" in counseling; despite all the useful things I have learned over the years in various universities, no one has ever improved on the principles found in God's Word.  And, it is still true that people cannot ultimately "feel" good if they're not willing to do good.   "Counseling," as an academic discipline and separate profession, has only been in existence for a little over a century, but folks have been straightening out their lives with the help of God's grace for thousands of years!