- A counselor who has a clear statement of faith embracing a Biblical world-view
- A practice which is recognized by a number of local pastors who have made referrals
- At least 10 years of post-licensed professional practice experience
- Affiliation with professional groups such as the American Association of Christian Counselors
- Professional licensing in the state of Missouri in at least one of the following credentials:
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor
LP: Licensed Psychologist
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LMFT: Licensed Marriage Family Therapist
LP: Licensed Psychologist
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LMFT: Licensed Marriage Family Therapist
Therapists in each of these professions may provide a broad range of assessment and counseling services for individuals, married couples and groups. While there are some subtle differences in the training programs and specialties of these professionals, therapists with these credentials generally have had much training in counseling skills, mental health issues, family dynamics, research and professional ethics.
Please note there are increasing numbers of non-regionally accredited Christian schools offering quick graduate degrees in "Christian Counseling." Individuals with such degrees may have MA or PhD behind their names but they often do not have adequate training to obtain the recognized professional credentials cited above. We advise you to steer clear of non-licensed pretenders.
- Finally, we recommend that you are willing to consider professionals who may not be listed on your insurance panel. Many good and experienced counselors have opted to no longer have their practices tied to the secular managed care insurance system. Experienced Christian therapists believe their clients are more interested in a uniquely Christ-centered approach with high quality of service and real confidentiality. These factors can often be sacrificed when third party insurers are involved.
