Recommended Habits for a Biblical Counselor

In the time I have been a biblical counselor and a pastor, I have written, taught, and mused on the subject matter of “habits” many times. I even wrote a piece this past fall on Christian life habits (recommended read for New Year resolution biblical reading a prayer, I might add). But as we close 2024, and look ahead to 2025…I have been thinking a bit more about habits. Particularly the habits of a biblical counselor. 

Given that the audience of this blog is largely, though not exclusively, budding, growing, or experienced biblical counselors, this seems like a wise consideration for us to have. There are certainly habits we should have to keep us sharp. And, for those of you who are not biblical counselors but may desire to be or who are in biblical counseling as a counselee, you would benefit from knowing if your biblical counselor is doing these things. 

So…what are the habits a good biblical counselor walking into next year? 

Personal Priority for Jesus in One’s Life. 

As a biblical counselor, at any given moment, one should be able to have a quality conversation about what they are reading in the Bible, as well as the other qualities of a personal relationship with Jesus. How they teach its value should be reflective of their personal value of it. They should be thinking 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Psalm 19:7-9 for themselves as much as they are encouraging others to believe it.

This does not mean they need to be able to communicate some profound insight from it. But it does mean they are engaged in the very relationship with Christ they espouse as essential and valuable to their counseling relationships.  

A Growing Knowledge of the Bible

Think of this as something of an extension of the first point. It is not to be confused with one’s personal walk with Jesus, though there may be some overlap. For example, I am in the minor prophets right now in my own Bible reading. There is undoubtedly some counseling application in the minor prophets. But my personal relationship with Jesus is not the time I intentionally prioritize to grow in my knowledge of the Bible. Instead, I believe it is prudent that biblical counselors have a specific time set aside to study the Bible, study, theology, consider counseling, and make intentional connections between these disciplines that are for the express purpose of biblical counseling. 

We live in an era of general uncertainty, skepticism, spiritualism, over-medicalized language, and a host of other considerable issues our culture faces. While God’s Word is the same, our culture continues to find new ways to talk about the same old things. As such, biblical counselors need to remain sharp and discerning to contextualize timeless truth to present times (Philippians 1:9-11).  

Even if it’s just an hour a week, this investment will repay the biblical counselor ten-fold in readiness for the ever worldly-nuanced issues of the day.  

Be a reader. 

Reading is an essential discipline. English essayist, poet, and politician Joseph Addison once wrote: “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”¹ How true this is. Blogs could be written on this alone, but I digress. 

I believe in being a multi-disciplinary reader. I make it a habit of reading things I wholeheartedly agree with, as well as those I vehemently disagree with. Whether it be theological perspectives and credo- or paedo-baptism, the usefulness of A.I. or the inherent evil of it, a fantastic BC book, or (I almost hesitate to write this) something from an integrated or clinically informed BCer, it is my opinion that I am sharper because I expose myself to all manner of thought. This allows me to sharpen my convictions, defend my faith, and be more informed on issues that counselees present. 

As such, a good biblical counselor is a reader. They seek out helpful and relevant information that will serve them or their counselees. They read to become knowledgeable and informed on nuanced issues, and, with discernment, become increasingly capable of rightly divide\ing the Word of Truth on the issues of their counseling relationships (Proverbs 1:7; 2 Timothy 2:15)

Or…if you’re not a reader, listen to great audiobooks or podcasts from well-informed and well-regarded individuals within your desired areas of growth. 

Attend a Biblical Counseling Conference 

There is a tri-fold win with this habit. 

• First, you are likely going to get quality biblical counseling education and training (and as you’re seeing from the submission, growth is among the highest values and habits a biblical counselor can have). 
• Second, you are going to get to rub elbows with and be in community with other biblical counselors. The value of this cannot be understated. Two of the most formative relationships that I have as a biblical counselor came from attending biblical counseling conferences. The conferences I attended and the relationships I am thinking about as I write this — no hyperbole — helped shape my life, multi-disciplinary education, and my counseling approach. 
• Third, they provide the potential accomplishment of continuing education units (CEUs). Depending on if and where you are certified, CEUs are essential (and I certainly encourage them as an addendum habit to my first three above). Attaining CEUs not only sharpens you in their nature, but they also help you stay certified with the agencies that necessitate them. Think of this as a happy by-product of the first two under this point.
  

The Theme of this Submission

Maybe you noticed the theme to this submission…because there (c)overtly is one. 

I have been in the biblical counseling field for more than 15 years – encompassing two nonprofits and three churches. In that time, I have served alongside many incredible people, gifted counselors, and gifted teachers. But the shining stars are almost always those who have a lifestyle of learning. They are not satisfied by rusting on their existing knowledge, base, education, or experience. They use those things as a platform to keep knowing, growing, and helping people as they do so. 

If you, dear readers, would indulge me a moment longer…allow me to summarize this way. The primary habit you would benefit from and I strongly urge you to have is this…

Have a habit of learning. 

• Learn in your personal relationship and walk with Jesus. 
• Learn and attain a growing knowledge of the Bible. 
• Learn to be a good reader (or listener if necessary). 
• Learn in community. 

I’d love for each of us to arrive at one year from now, knowing we are all better biblical counselors because we made it a year of intentional, habitual growth through learning.

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1. “The Tatler: By the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq;.” In the digital collection Eighteenth Century Collections Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/004786805.0001.000. University of Michigan Library. ↩︎