Easy Does It Counselor…. – Mental Health Coaching #2 – Purity 1344
Purity 1344 05/06/2024 Purity 1344 Podcast
Purity 1344 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of what I am guessing is a Hawaiian “black sand beach” with aqua-marine waters and a mountainous shoreline comes to us from an unknown FB friend who shared this spectacular scene on social media on or around April 12th, 2022.
Well, It’s Monday, and as that old 90’s hip hop classic from Soul II Soul says: it’s “back to life, back to reality” but as we begin another work week things are decidedly different in my life. Even, though I will be rushing out the door to my day job as per usual, a new chapter for my life has begun as I am now officially open for business as a Christian Life Coach, albeit in a limited part-time capacity. Yup the LLC is formed – MT 4 Christ Christian Life Coaching LLC. The business bank accounts are established. Business pay pal is set up, https://mt4christ.com/ is up with pages describing my business services (https://mt4christ.com/mt-4-christ-christian-life-coaching-llc-christian-life-coaching-services/) (https://mt4christ.com/mt-4-christ-christian-life-coaching-llc-prayer-ministry-services/) and even have buttons that will take you to my bookings page for your initial consultation (https://book.titan.email/mt4christ ). And if you wanted to support my efforts at ministry or business there is even a page where you can make a payment or a donation (https://mt4christ.com/donations-and-payments/ ) although they would not be tax deductible currently. It’s crazy but the “dream” to be a Christian Life Coach has been accomplished. It will be even crazier when I have clients but as it stands I am really content with how things have progressed to this point in my life.
Saturday, I testified about my frustrations of trying to find my purpose in God’s kingdom since becoming born again and how the role of pastor just doesn’t seem to be in the cards (https://mt4christ.com/2024/05/04/disqualified-and-uncalled-not-a-pastor-mental-health-coaching-series-1-purity-1343/) and today before I present on what a Mental Health Coach is, as it will be one of the services I provide as a Christian Life Coach and it really deserves some explanation, I wanted to complete my testimony regarding how the two obvious paths for my future in Christ, as a pastor or as a Christian counselor, seemed to split in three paths this year. This “path less traveled” is that of a Christian Life Coach and although it is a path that is by far less clear, I believe that it will be the one that makes all the difference in my life and was the one that was suited perfectly for me. But before we go running into the wilderness of Christian Life Coaching and describing the role of a Mental Health Coach, I want to stay at the crossroads one last time before moving ahead and taking one last look at the path that would have led to me becoming a licensed Christian Counselor.
So why do I phrase it like that? Why a “licensed Christian Counselor”? I make that distinction because the state I live in, the Empire State – New York, more or less makes it illegal for anyone to call themselves a “counselor” without a license. Thus you will not be hearing about me “counseling” anyone. I’m a coach! So, drop and give me twenty!
But seriously, beyond the legality in my state, the decision to be a Christian Life Coach instead of a licensed Counselor has a lot more with the term “Christian” than it does with “Licensed” or “Counselor” really because not only do I not concern myself with being approved and recognized by the state as a counselor, I also do not necessarily want to be identified by some form of psychological therapy. I am first and foremost a Christian and the tremendous freedom and victory that I have experienced in my life was not the result of what the government did or from what I learned in my psychology classes at SUNY Oswego. My change from someone who struggled with addiction to drugs, alcohol, and sex and who suffered from anger, depression, and anxiety was not due to government programs or psychological theories. My freedom and joy came from the Lord. It was through a deep personal relationship to God, the study of His word, and applying His wisdom to my life that I have been transformed and as much as I want to help those who suffer from mental health problems like I did, I know that to do so from a secularly approved psychological standpoint is like trying to win a boxing match without being allowed to throw any punches. Sure psychological therapies may offer ways to cope or manage pain, but they don’t have any real power behind them to defeat the affliction or to bring healing and freedom. The power to heal and to be free comes from God and when we think we are wise in our own sight because of the methods or therapies we know, we are acting independently of Him.
However, I have to admit that I was ready to play ball. I was ready to go out and get “one more degree” from an accredited Christian school, Liberty University, to get a doctorate in Pastoral Counseling that would hopefully meet the criteria of the state to get licensed. So earlier this year, with dreams of one day being called “Dr. Clark”, I applied to Liberty and waited for the journey to begin!
But Liberyt, being an accredited school, coyly but eventually definitively stated that they wouldn’t recognize my master’s degree in Christian Counseling from Vision Christian Bible College and Seminary because although they are a member of the International Association of Bible Colleges and Seminaries [IABCS] for accountability and accreditation, they are not accredited with the federal government. So in essence, Liberty’s rejection meant I would have to pursue a second master’s degree in the same course of study from them, or a secular school, to obtain a degree that would be recognized and allow me to be licensed. So why go to Liberty at all? I could just get a master’s in social work and get licensed…. and I even entertained that idea until I saw that a part of those programs required an internship where I would basically have to work for a mental health agency for a couple of days a week in order to jump through all the hoops necessary to be a licensed counselor in New York. Something I haven’t ruled out completely, because I try to “never say never” but something that seems highly unlikely at this point.
I was working part-time for mental health as a psychiatric technician for Columbia Greene’s Mobile Crisis Assessment Team (MCAT), but I eventually moved on because I saw that I wasn’t really able to tell anyone the things they need to overcome their mental health problems. I couldn’t talk about my faith to the extent that I wanted to and so I stopped picking up shifts when I saw that the clients we were serving were chronic and really beyond any hope of healing, without Christ. So rather than upsetting anyone with my faith or myself becoming further disillusioned, I left.
And so as I pondered my future with the Liberty rejection, I didn’t know what to do until I heard about Mental Health Coaching and pondered the idea of being a Christian Life Coach. Life Coaching is unregulated by the State of New York. You don’t need a license to practice, and you don’t have to censor yourself when you practice as a Christian Life Coach. So I had to think outside the box for my future and the more I considered being a Christian Life Coach the more I realized that this was the path that was meant for me. As a Christian Life Coach, I don’t have to wait for someone to call me up or for me to jump ship into a denominational church like I would if I wanted to be a pastor. And I don’t have to go back to school to get some state secular approved degree to get a license to practice, I can just be who I am – a Christian who can show people the way to a relationship with God that will lead them to experience the freedom and victory that only He can make happen in their lives.
So my course is set. Not a Pastor and Not a Counselor, I will be a Christian Life Coach because, really, that’s who I already am and just like my walk of faith has been a “path less traveled”, I am comfortable to set out into the wilderness by being a Christian Life Coach because I know the Lord will be with me.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .
Today’s Bible verses come to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
( While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Scripture-Reference-Counseling-Kruis-ebook/dp/B00CIUJZT2?ref_=ast_author_dp )
This morning’s meditation verses come from the section on Death and Eternal Life
1 Peter 1:3-9 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Today’s verses fall under the twenty-third point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Death and Eternal Life.
23. Christians are guaranteed an inheritance that can never be destroyed.
Today’s verses tell us that we will experience various trials and be tested but if we stay in the faith, if we believe and continue to follow Jesus, we will one day receive our imperishable inheritance – eternal life. Short on time and the word is enough. Enjoy the hope we have in Christ and the precious promises that are guaranteed through Him.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament” By Stephen F. Olford – A Collection of Devotional Journals: 1940-1941.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Olford’s books for your own private study and to support his work. This resource is available online for less than $10 at many sites.
EVENING READING: ACTS 15
“Men who have risked their lives for the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Acts 15:26
Another Scripture which comes to my mind is “they did not love their lives to the death” (Rev. 12:11).
What a compelling love for their Lord these men must have had! Ready to be offered at any moment; ready to suffer dangers, persecutions, or poverty. Yes, they were men that had risked their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ Himself said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). It is the love that is ready for sacrifice, even if it is the sacrifice of life.
O Lord, give me this love for You,
that come what may, I may be faithful to You.[1]
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“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”
Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
[1] Stephen Olford and Heather Olford, According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament, A Collection of Devotional Journals 1940-1941 (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2008).
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