What We Do

Biblical soul care incorporates elements from both spiritual direction and biblical counseling, processed through a relational modality. It is aimed at whole person formation into the image of Christ.

We are not licensed professional counselors in the state of Florida and do not offer professional counseling. This means that we do not diagnose mental health disorders, offer professional treatment for them, or prescribe medications. However, we do refer to gospel-centered Christian counselors when necessary.

Licensed, professional Christian counseling is clinically based and biblically informed, but biblical soul care is biblically based and clinically informed. Biblical soul care is pastoral/biblical counseling as opposed to professional/clinical counseling.

What we offer is pastoral support and guidance to help you move towards whole person formation in Christ.

Biblical Soul Care can help with a number of issues such as anxiety, depression, pastoral burnout, stress management, family dynamics, getting unstuck, toxic guilt, toxic shame, boundaries, marriage coaching, premarital counseling, spiritual guidance etc.

Biblical soul care is more of an art than a science. We believe that the most important reality we bring to the table is our transformed and transforming presence in Christ. We seek to create a space for you in which you feel seen, soothed, safe and secure so that you can engage your reality with curiosity and compassion. At every step of the way, we may turn to a Psalm, Gospel or other passage that speaks with wisdom to what we are in.

However, we do have a general structure that we use as a template. After Adam and Eve fell into sin, the Lord essentially asked them four questions, which we will use as a template: Where are you? Who told you? Why did you eat from the tree? (Where have you taken your hunger?) What will you do now?

Where are you?

• Presenting Issues - We begin by listening to where you are and what issues you are looking for help with. We may help provide language and a structure to name and frame what you are experiencing.

Who told you?

• Story - Next, we begin with your story, recognizing that the key to the present is found in our stories. Our relational templates are formed by our early relational experiences. Here we want to get curious about how early experiences are influencing our relationships.

• Person - We then try to understand something about the unique way God has designed you. We offer using the Enneagram as a tool for self clarity and story clarity.

• Identify current state of relationships - We ask, what is currently happening in your life? What is making relational health hard? Here, we want to get curious about the ways in which your present situation is impacting you

Where have you gone with your hunger?

• Cultivate connection to the body and emotions - Here we help the client learn how to become aware of and at home in their body. We may learn how to regulate our bodies stress response, for example. Part of this process is learning, attending to, honoring, and appropriately expressing one's feelings/emotions. In order to know the desires of our hearts (needs), we need to understand the emotions we are experiencing in our bodies.

• Get curious about unhealthy relational patterns - We will get curious about our self-protective strategies, and the ways we are meeting our needs in unhealthy ways. We will learn to listen to our emotions and allow them to lead us to connection with God and others.

What will you do now?

• Imagine a way forward - Here we look to the Scriptures to help us turn towards the Lord and others, asking questions like: What must be let go (repentance)? What must be accepted (gratitude)? Who needs forgiven? What must be healed? What new thinking or behavior empowers a way forward?

• Rhythms of Life and Spiritual Disciplines - We think about bringing all of life under the life-giving Lordship of Jesus in the physical (rest, play etc.) and spiritual spaces (prayer, solitude, silence). We see the disciplines as gracious gifts from God in which we can experience his love.

• Focus on relational health - We help clients commit to living in community, giving priority to the community of the local church. We give guidance to clients for how to know and be known in a life giving way. We learn how to set healthy boundaries, accept limitations and live in love.

*Loosely based on Notes from Soul Care Institute from Crosspoint Ministry