Looking for a counselor can be overwhelming. How do you know if someone will be good? Is that person properly trained? Is he or she a Christian? If so, how much does a Christian worldview shape that provider’s counseling? One frequent piece of advice I hear is to seek out a licensed Christian counselor. I recently finished reading a book by a counselor I respect, and she offered this advice several times. Near the end, she explained that she urges people to seek a licensed counselor because licensure certifies that the counselor has received proper training and isn’t offering faulty or half-baked advice. It makes sense that you’d would want to ensure your counselor is trained well. When I go to my doctor, I expect she’s received training from reputable institutions, not from TikTok videos. Yet I disagree with this advice. Reasons a Counselor May Say No to Licensure I don’t think your counselor needs to be licensed. Why? Consider a few reasons. 1. Counsel is a broad category. When my children began to launch from their teen years into young adulthood, I sought counsel from godly fathers who were ahead of me in their parenting journey. Only one of those friends was a professional counselor. Their advice has been so helpful to me as I’m developing new skills as a parent of young adults. When I run premarital counseling, I encourage young couples to go out to dinner with godly older couples and ask them for their counsel on beginning marriage. In cases like these, we don’t think twice about a person’s legal credentials; we only want to know if he or she is wise and qualified to offer the advice we need. So it is with counseling. Are you more likely to receive good parenting advice from a licensed 26-year-old who isn’t yet a parent, or from a godly mother of six? I’d choose the latter. I bet you would too. If I were to be diagnosed with cancer, I’d keep seeing my doctor, and I’d go to several brothers and sisters in Christ who’ve walked a smilar path of suffering. 2. Some licensure standards can be problematic for Christians. Licensure has benefits. It confirms the counselor is formally educated, has been supervised by a licensed counselor, and has passed a national exam. However, many of those standards can be problematic for a Christian. The philosophy behind most certification programs conflicts with a biblical understanding of trauma, sin, and healing, and in some respects, the national exam is also at odds with a biblical understanding of anthropology and care. A secular institution’s approach will forefront diagnosing mental health disorders or chemical imbalances and then direct clients toward psychiatric medication and practices that promote self-actualization and emotional regulation. While psychiatric medication may be needed and certain self-actualization and emotional regulation practices can be helpful, they don’t go far enough. Scripture tells us that our propensity toward selfishness isn’t (merely) because of educational deficiencies, childhood trauma, or toxic culture, but especially because of our sinful nature. Paul says, “Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. . .” (Rom. 5:12). This means that to grow in spiritual and emotional health, we must deal with our sin and false beliefs. A counselor who operates with a biblical worldview will tease out what motivates you, what beliefs you have about your identity, and how you’re relating to God. To grow in spiritual and emotional health, we must deal with our sin and false beliefs. As reformed Christians, we believe that all issues are spiritual and some are also physiological, that counseling involves both the mind and the heart. So the philosophies that drive our counseling training matter. If we believe that counseling isn’t merely psychotherapeutic techniques, but must also be rooted in theology, then we should look for a counselor who has a robust Christian worldview and is unwilling to accept practices that violate his or her biblically informed conscience. 3. Licensure places a counselor under the state’s authority. I have trusted friends who are counselors and have chosen not to pursue licensure because of concerns over placing themselves under the state’s legal authority. According to a report by Alliance Defending Freedom, “In 2018, [the state of] Washington passed a law that allows government officials to decide what can be said within the confidential conversations between counselors and their clients. Under the Washington law, [a counselor] can’t mention or discuss anything related to gender, sexual orientation, sexual behaviors, or gender identity that’s not in line with the state’s views.” Kentucky governor Andy Beshear recently followed suit with a similar executive order. I suspect other states will follow. When my wife considered whether to pursue licensure, she and I felt it wasn’t wise for her to put herself in a legal situation where she’d have to practice civil disobedience or violate her conscience. While I respect (and refer church members to) many counselors who have chosen to pursue licensure, I don’t believe that a Christian ought to write off an unlicensed counselor, especially given these grave concerns about what’s required for the process. If Not Licensure, What Qualifies a Christian Counselor? Faithful counselors come from more than one corner of the Christian counseling world. When browsing a Christian counselor’s website, look for statements that explain her understanding of Scripture’s authority as well as her views on gender and sexuality, a factor that often reveals the foundation of a counselor’s approach. You might also look to reputable biblical counseling organizations like the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation or the Biblical Counseling Coalition, which have resources to help you find a counselor. Seek out Christian counselors committed to being clinically informed, but avoid those who merely tack their Christianity onto a secular psychological approach. Such counselors may say they’re willing to offer a Christian perspective if their clients wish them to do so. This approach doesn’t operate from a coherent biblical perspective that relies on Scripture. Avoid counselors who merely tack their Christianity onto a secular psychological approach. The best place to start may be with your pastor, who likely has relationships with counselors in your area and may have a good sense of their counseling philosophies and reputations. It’s been said that counselors are the new priests in today’s culture. That means Christian counselors are the first place many struggling people go for help—often even before they approach a pastor. This also means we need to be careful not to grant the secular world too much power over those serving in this noble role. While believers are free to pursue licensure, we shouldn’t make it essential for a Christian counselor.