*Even though many of us at The Counseling Collective identify as Christians, Spiritually Integrated Care allows us to learn and integrate varying faiths and perspectives into our work with clients.*
When life gives us circumstances that we don’t want or don’t understand, it becomes increasingly harder to integrate our spiritual life with our mental health. Maybe it’s an unexpected diagnosis, a divorce, the loss of a job or the loss of a loved one. We often find ourselves asking questions like:
Why do bad things happen to good people?
How do I work through my trauma and still have hope that this has a purpose in my life?
If God is in control, why did He allow this to happen?
How do I make sense of the world view that I see all around me and align it with my personal belief system?
Navigating our faith and our mental health can feel overwhelming, and at times, you might feel that you have to choose between the two. What are the benefits of having a therapist that help navigate the two? The benefits can include the following:
God's Word is applied to all life situations.
Professional counseling that explores God-pleasing choices.
Acquired skills to make changes and to live a more contented life.
Improved relationships among family members.
Learn how to deal with depression, anxiety, abuse and other challenges of life
Spiritually informed counseling is the process in which a professional counselor uses the tools of the mental health profession, the truths of the Bible, and the wisdom of life experience to help those in need. Christian counseling is dedicated to providing professional counseling services that integrate mind, body, and spirit, and bring people to relational wholeness with God, self, and others. Having a therapist that has been trained in biblical counseling allows them to combine your faith with the principles of psychology to improve your mental health and relationships. It is important to have a therapist who has been trained in these biblical principles.
At The Counseling Collective, we have several therapists who are formally trained in Biblical Counseling.
Alexa earned a Bachelor’s degree from Lancaster Bible College, and will graduate in May 2024 with her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from there as well. Providing skills and training founded upon Biblical principles and counseling, her program focused on teaching the integration of both Christianity and Psychology throughout each course. Alexa is passionate in guiding her clients to find purpose and meaning in their Faith, while also navigating the struggles of mental health and life challenges. She is open to providing spiritually integrated care as her clients desire.
Shanna earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology at Duquesne University and a Master’s degree at Messiah University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Both of these institutions are affiliated religiously and she welcomes spiritual integration in therapy through any and all forms. Shanna believes a sense of spirituality can add a meaningful layer to her journey with clients. She sees clients at both of our locations, as well as online.
Michelle completed her undergraduate and graduate work at Cairn University (formerly Philadelphia Biblical University), earning a Master of Science degree in Counseling. She relies on her Christian faith to be her guiding foundation in all of her work while respecting the faith position of each of her clients and incorporating one’s faith when requested. She sees clients at both of our locations, as well as online.
Britt completed her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lancaster Bible College. Each class included spiritual integration within the education of research based counseling. Her education equipped her through studying both Christian based theories in addition to standards of practice. Through her training, she had the ability to counsel clients while incorporating spirituality. Britt is passionate about incorporating and exploring spirituality with her clients in therapy as the client desires. She works with clients at both of our locations, as well as online.
Michele graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky with her Master's Degree in Counseling. Her program integrated a Biblical view of counseling as well as a theoretical approach to counseling that allows for both a Biblical and world view into the mental health profession. The goal of this program was to understand wholeness, boundaries, ethics and diversity through theory and practice as a professional counselor. The degree focused on both a Biblical and theological understanding with historical and contemporary theories in order to meet the professional standards of accrediting agencies. She sees clients at our East Petersburg location, as well as online.
Dominic received his Masters at Geneva college in western PA. Dominic’s courses were focused on integrating spirituality into counseling alongside evidenced based counseling interventions. During his time there, Dominic enrolled in elective courses such as “Faith based counseling” and “Christian counseling in the mental health profession” Dominic’s training is not limited to Christian counseling, he also has training or integrates each person’s different spiritual beliefs into their specific individualized treatment. He works with clients at our East Petersburg location, as well as online.
Additionally, Becca, Lisa, Carl and Amanda identify as Christians, and can help you address your mental health while keeping your faith in mind.
If you’d like to explore therapy from a spiritually informed perspective, please contact us to schedule an appointment. You can do so by filling out our Request Appointment form on our website or call 717-723-8040 extension 100 to schedule with our Client Coordinators. Additionally, you can view the insurances we participate with, and you can read more on self paying for therapy.