Christian Counseling
Biblical Counseling and Christian Soul Care
Christian counseling should begin with a biblical understanding of God, man, sin, suffering, redemption, and sanctification. The biblical counseling movement seeks to bring the truth of Scripture to bear on the struggles of everyday life, helping people understand their problems in light of God’s Word and find hope in Jesus Christ.
Biblical counselors emphasize the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, the transforming power of the Gospel, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the importance of the local church in caring for the souls of believers. The movement has roots in the ministry of Dr. Jay Adams and the development of organizations such as the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF) and the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).
The organizations below provide training, resources, counseling referrals, certification, and other materials related to biblical counseling and Christian soul care.
Biblical Counseling Organizations
Association of Biblical Counselors
The Association of Biblical Counselors equips Christians to live and counsel from the Word of God. ABC provides biblical counseling training, certification, conferences, continuing education, resources, and a network for biblical counselors.
Website: Association of Biblical Counselors
Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC)
Originally founded in 1976 as the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC), ACBC was established to provide certification for biblical counselors. Dr. Jay Adams was a foundational figure in its development. ACBC provides training, certification, conferences, resources, and a directory of certified biblical counselors.
Website: Association of Certified Biblical Counselors
Biblical Counseling Coalition
The Biblical Counseling Coalition seeks to promote unity and excellence within the biblical counseling movement. It provides resources, training connections, articles, podcasts, events, counselor networks, and connections among churches, ministries, and educational institutions involved in biblical counseling.
Website: Biblical Counseling Coalition
Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
CCEF is one of the foundational organizations of the modern biblical counseling movement. Founded in 1968, CCEF has played a major role in developing biblical counseling training and resources. Its ministry seeks to restore Christ to counseling and counseling to the church through Scripture-centered training, resources, education, and counseling.
David Powlison and Ed Welch were influential leaders in the development of contemporary biblical counseling through CCEF.
Website: Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation
Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship (IBCD)
IBCD exists to strengthen churches in one-another care through biblical counseling training, resources, events, and educational materials. Originally founded as CCEF West, IBCD now operates independently and provides training that can help prepare students for ACBC certification.
Website: Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship
International Association of Biblical Counselors (IABC)
IABC trains and equips pastors, counselors, and lay Christians to minister God’s Word to people facing the struggles of life. The organization emphasizes the authority, inerrancy, and sufficiency of Scripture and provides membership, training, certification, conferences, and counselor resources.
Website: International Association of Biblical Counselors
Biblical Counseling Institute
The Biblical Counseling Institute is an educational ministry that trains pastors, ministry leaders, lay leaders, and counselors in biblical care and discipleship. Its resources emphasize the sufficiency of God’s Word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Website: Biblical Counseling Institute
Biblical Counseling Network
Find a Biblical Counselor
The Association of Biblical Counselors maintains the Biblical Counseling Network, a searchable directory of churches and individuals involved in biblical counseling. The directory includes filters for ABC certification and virtual counseling.
Find a Counselor: Biblical Counseling Network
ACBC Counselor Directory
The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors maintains its own searchable directory of certified biblical counselors.
Find a Counselor: ACBC Counselor Directory
CCEF Counselor Directory
CCEF also provides a directory of biblical counselors that includes graduates of its program and organizations that express alignment with its vision of care.
Find a Counselor: CCEF Counselor Directory
Specialized Biblical Counseling
Pure Life Ministries
Pure Life Ministries specializes in helping Christians struggling with sexual sin, pornography, and sexual addiction. Founded by Steve Gallagher in 1986, the ministry provides biblical counseling, residential and at-home programs, teaching resources, and materials for individuals, couples, and churches.
Website: Pure Life Ministries
Biblical Counseling and the Christian Worldview
Biblical counseling rests on a fundamentally different understanding of human nature and human problems than secular psychology. A biblical worldview begins with God as Creator and recognizes that human beings are made in His image, fallen into sin, accountable to God, and in need of redemption through Jesus Christ.
This does not mean that every struggle is reduced to a simple explanation or that physical suffering should be ignored. Rather, biblical counseling seeks to understand people as whole persons and to bring the truth of Scripture, the hope of the Gospel, and the ministry of the local church to bear on the realities of suffering and sin.
For Christians, the ultimate goal of counseling is not merely symptom relief or improved behavior. It is growth in Christlikeness and faithful obedience to God.
Key Biblical Counseling Scriptures
2 Timothy 3:16–17 — Scripture is God-breathed and equips the believer for every good work.
2 Peter 1:3 — God’s divine power has given believers everything necessary for life and godliness.
Romans 12:2 — Christians are called to be transformed through the renewing of their minds.
Galatians 6:1–2 — Believers are called to restore one another gently and bear one another’s burdens.
Ephesians 4:15–16 — The church grows as believers speak the truth in love and minister to one another.
Colossians 3:16 — Believers are to let the word of Christ dwell richly among them as they teach and admonish one another.
Related Christian Worldview Subjects