Christian premarital counseling online [Review]. Therapist, Pastoral & Biblical.
If you’re a Christian who has just been recently engaged, you may not have even considered faith-based premarital counseling.
Christian pre-marriage counseling is a form of couples counseling that helps people of the Christian faith prepare for different feelings and situations that may arise during marriage.
Biblical premarital counseling will help couples have relationships that will honor God and the Bible.
For Christians, having a biblical foundation in marriage is important, and while you don’t have to feel embarrassed for seeking out therapy, some people may be and that’s okay.
Luckily, finding Christian premarital counseling online is easier than ever. Faithful Counseling is a professional mental health service that helps users connect with licensed, Christian therapists.
Counselors on the platform combine both psychological expertise and biblical expertise. According to their website, the service’s goal is to “…holistically improve clients’ well-being, so that they may feel mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy.”
In this article we’re going to be taking a look at what Faithful Counseling can do for engaged couples wanting to better prepare themselves for a God-honoring marriage.
Why Faithful Counseling is the Best Provider for Christian Premarital Counseling Online
Compared to other traditional methods of therapy such as in-person therapy, or other online therapy platforms, Faithful Counseling is one of the best options for Christian premarital counseling online out there.
Faithful Counseling has a huge amount of resources available; due in large part to Faithful Counseling’s parent company being Better Help, which is the world’s largest therapy platform.
Faithful Counseling not only provides you and your partner with clinical help, but also carefully considers the spiritual aspects of the issue.
The platform has so many unique options that set it apart from the competition.
Convenient Communication: Not only can you choose to talk to your therapists whenever needed, with no appointment necessary, but they also offer a multitude of different means for communication.
Depending on your comfort level and preference, you can call, text, online live chat, or video call your therapist.
Affordable: Faithful Counseling is drastically more affordable than both in-person therapy options, as well as other online therapy options.
Versatile: You will never have to worry about being stuck with a therapist or counselor that you feel isn’t a good match for you.
The company allows you to switch counselors wherever you want for whatever reason you want. You can also cancel your membership whenever you need.
Believers of God: The company has a promising “statement of faith” policy that both the organization itself and the hired counselors abide by.
Faithful Counseling’s statement of faith acknowledges that while there may be different thoughts existing in the church, what’s most important is that “…therapists and members alike–make an effort to strive toward being united in Christ under what matters most.”
Types of Biblical Premarital Counseling
There are many different types of premarital counseling offered for those who seek it, and the type or types they will receive will be in accordance with the couple’s individual needs.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): EFT aims to improve attachment and bonding between couples, which in turn leads to better communication and respect for each other.
Psychodynamic Couples Therapy: Psychodynamic therapy helps identify hidden issues and deep fears and needs that one may have. Discovering and talking these things out will help each partner better understand the other.
Faith-based Counseling: Faith-based counseling combines standard Christian ideology with clinically proven mental health methods. It’s important for believers to have a safe space to talk about their problems, as well as incorporate God into the conversation.
Real Christian Counselors on Faithful Counseling
Christina Chismar: Christina Chismar is a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner, as well as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
She has over 20 years of experience working with patients. She specializes in subjects such as relationship issues, intimacy issues, and parenting issues.
She recognizes that through self-care, boundaries, and God-honoring values, people can live their best lives.
Katy Kong: Katy Kong is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master’s in Psychology and Counseling, with over 10 years of experience.
She specializes in subjects such as: family conflicts, relationship issues, and parenting issues.
Additionally, she is experienced in many different clinical methods such as ABT, CBT, the Gottman Method, and Psychodynamic therapy.
Faithful Counseling makes it easy for practicing Christians to access premarital counseling that also includes some of the most important aspects of their lives, God and the Bible.
Counselors on Faithful Counseling will enable you and your partner to have a God-honoring marriage, and improve your and your partner’s individual relationships with each other.
Before you get married, try out Faithful Counseling for premarital therapy, and help give the relationship even more faith.
What Sort of Counseling is Offered on Faithful Counseling?
A therapist from Faithful Counseling will take a biblical approach when providing a couple’s Christian pre-marriage counseling.
Applying scripture to the counseling session is one of the main benefits of having a therapist who is also a practicing Christian.
The therapy will cover many different topics so that partners can begin to have a healthy and constructive dialogue on tough topics even before marriage.
The therapist will also ask some tough questions that may help bring out some areas of concern that would best be discovered and talked about before the big jump of getting married.
Spiritual Beliefs and Values: One of the most important things for couples to have together is a shared belief in values and morality.
If you’re seeking faith-based premarital counseling together, then you already have something in common, Christianity.
However, what happens if one partner wants to leave the religion, or is having trouble practicing their spirituality?
A Christian premarital counselor can help walk both of you through challenges like this and give you advice and guidance on how to handle it.
Management of Finances: Finances can be a major strain on all relationships.
It’s important for engaged couples to decide on methods and ideas for managing their finances beforehand, in order to prevent conflict.
A Christian therapist can provide tips and tricks on how you both can navigate these challenges whenever they do surface.
Navigating Sex: Different individuals have different views and standards for engaging in intimacy.
Things such as how often, or what type of activities you’ll be participating in are important to talk about thoroughly beforehand.
A Christian therapist can also help couples from giving into the temptation of premarital sex and stay on a God-honoring path together.
Individual Roles and Responsibilities: A Christian therapist can help both partners talk about their roles and expectations for both themselves and their partner.
Talking about designated roles beforehand will help couples learn what their partner needs from them, as well as help them process with respect when their partner is unable to do those things for one reason or another.
The Topic of Children: One of the biggest topics that come up in biblical premarital counseling is children.
The decision on whether to have children or not doesn’t leave much room for compromise, as people tend to have strong beliefs on either side of it.
It’s important to communicate whether or not you want children before marriage, as well as if both partners do, how to raise those children.
How Does Faithful Counseling Work?
Faithful Counseling makes accessing Christian premarital counseling online simpler than ever for a variety of reasons.
Straightforward Platform:
Faithful Counseling has an easily usable platform. You can access the service both online on their website, as well as on your mobile device on the Faithful Counseling app.
Once you have signed up and the company has matched with a therapist you can message your therapist anytime and you can choose your preferred means of communication.
Numerous Communication Methods:
Faithful Counseling allows you to contact your therapist through a great deal of different ways.
Both online or on the platform’s app, there are four ways to get therapy: messaging, live chatting, phone calls, and video conference calls.
Based on a couple’s preferences and needs, you can choose whichever one is best for you and your partner, as well as change the preference at any time.
Additionally, you’ll be able to log on and read your therapist’s old messages to you at any time, which will help both partners reflect on the advice and guidance they’ve received.
Use the Service as Long as Needed:
You are able to use Faithful Counseling as long as you need or as long as you want.
While it is recommended for engaged couples to go to 6 Christian pre-marriage counseling sessions at the very least, more therapy will be of benefit if desired.
You can cancel the service whenever you need once you are married, or continue using the service for standard faith-based counseling.
How Much Does Faithful Counseling Cost?
The cost of therapy on Faithful Counseling is $60-$90 per week and it is billed every 4 weeks.
Prices may vary due to a user’s location, therapist preferences, and the chosen therapist’s availability. The website does not make users pick off a payment plan, rather charges a flat rate.
While the rates are more affordable than many other online and in-person therapy alternatives, the company also offers financial aid for those who may qualify.