Find Peace of Mind Today

Life’s Too Short To Be Miserable

Christian Counseling

Peace, Hope, Faith

If you are looking for Christian Counseling you are probably looking for answers. Relationships – marriage, family, friends – are important to you.

You want to experience success in life without losing sight of what’s truly important. But life keeps getting in the way. The noise of the world keeps crowding out the peace and contentment you crave.

You know there is a better you somewhere deep inside; you just can’t quite get there. More than that you find yourself wondering, “Where is God in all this mess?”.

Have you ever said (or thought)…

“God’s promises apply to everyone else, just not to me…”
“I love my spouse; but I’m not in love…”
“I know I shouldn’t get that mad over little things…”
“God hates me…”
“If only I were a better parent my child would cooperate…”
“I don’t want to be anxious (or scared, or depressed); I just can’t help myself…”

Maybe you’ve thought, as one writer put it, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate..” (Romans 7:15) If so, you’re in good company. We have all felt this way.

I know what it feels like to be stressed – to try and manage an ever growing To Do List, while still trying to put your attention and effort into the things that matter most: faith, family, and friends.

There will always be more things to do than there is time to get it all done. The problem isn’t that we don’t have enough time or that we need to be more productive. The answer is to be intentional about getting the right things done. There is truth in the old adage that nobody on their deathbed wished they had spent more time at the office. We are relational beings and life just works better when we pay attention to the primary relationships in our lives.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who offers Individual counseling, Marriage counseling, and Family therapy to people just like you who aren’t quite where they want to be in life. I help people get unstuck.

What Is A Christian Counseling?

Bible

There is a big difference between a Christian who is a counselor and a Christian counselor. Some counselors will even use the term “Christian” simply because they have learned this may expand their practice and increase their revenue.

That’s not me.

I have been providing professional Christian counseling and therapy services to individuals and families since 1983. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor as well as an ordained minister. My wife and I are active in our church in Tulsa where I teach a Sunday morning bible study and we co-lead a weekly bible study on Sunday evenings. Being a Christian counselor isn’t just something I do; it is a core part of who I am. If you want to get to know me a little better, you can start here.

Psalm 1 declares that, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.”

My approach is to take the best of what the science of human behavior has to offer and use that which conforms to my underlying Christian world view. All mental health professionals have in their code of ethics a commitment to respect the client’s world view, to be tolerant of their religious beliefs. As a Christian counselor I am not merely tolerant, I try to live what I teach on a daily basis.

Christian Counseling

Counseling

Professional Christian Counseling is not “read two bible verses and call me in the morning“. It is not “do whatever kind of counseling you want” as long as you end the session with prayer.

Professional Christian counseling focuses on the place where faith and behavioral science meet. The goal is to provide an approach to mental and emotional wellness that has its foundation in biblical teachings. I start with the foundation of the bible and layer on top of that techniques and strategies that are known to work. By integrating theology and psychology you will be better able to work through challenging life issues.

In short, Christian Counseling at Bowden McElroy and Associates means:

More than merely being a therapist who happen to be a Christian, I seek to integrate evangelical Christianity into my approach to counseling.
I see myself as family systems thinker: patterns of behavior formed in our family early in life influences who we are today.
And, I am committed to training the next generation of Christian counselors to do the above.

If counseling hasn’t been helpful in the past, a whole-person approach that strengthens your faith may be the missing piece in finding counseling that works.