Biblical Counseling Resources

Are you looking for a trained, certified biblical counselor in your area? Want to recommend a good biblical counselor to help others? Interested in training to become a biblical counselor? You’ve come to the right place.

A word about pastoral counseling:

Assuming you are a member of a doctrinally sound church, if you are in need of counseling about a personal issue, my advice is to seek the counsel of your pastor first before attempting to locate a biblical counselor.

There are several reasons for this. First, as a shepherd, part of your pastor’s job is counseling his sheep. Second, as your pastor, he is probably already acquainted with you, your personality, some of your history, your habits, etc. A rapport has already been built that is not there with a biblical counselor you’ve never met before. Third, your pastor is most likely equipped to help you through your issue, especially if it’s a moderate to minor one, but often, even if it’s a more serious issue. Seeing your pastor first can be faster and easier than beginning the search for a qualified biblical counselor. Fourth, if, for some reason, your pastor cannot counsel you, he is probably more familiar with the biblical counseling resources in your area, and can steer you to those more efficiently than this page can.

Even if you do end up wanting or needing to see a biblical counselor, setting up an appointment with your pastor can be a very helpful first step in the process.

(Faithful membership in a doctrinally sound local church is imperative for Christians and even helps prevent and resolve many issues people seek counseling for. If you need to find a good church, click here.)

What is biblical counseling?

Biblical counseling (sometimes called nouthetic counseling) is not the same thing as “Christian counseling” or going to a regular therapist who happens also to be a Christian. It’s a totally different animal. Briefly, a biblical counselor is someone who has completed training in a biblical counseling program where he or she has learned Scripture, doctrine, and theology, and how to help counselees correctly apply the Bible to their particular situations. It has been compared by some to a focused, “deep dive” form of one on one discipleship.

What is the nature of biblical counseling? ACBC’s Truth in Love Podcast

What is the goal of biblical counseling? ACBC’s Truth in Love Podcast

What is the method of biblical counseling? ACBC’s Truth in Love Podcast

What Distinguishes Biblical Counseling from other Methods? by David Powlison

What is Biblical Counseling? interview with David Powlison

Biblical counseling article at Got Questions

Two Sides of the Counseling Coin (distinctions between biblical and nouthetic counseling) by Heath Lambert

Recommending a Biblical Counselor

This is not an exhaustive list of every certified biblical counselor in existence, only the ones I’ve been alerted to. Therefore, I welcome recommendations of church-based biblical counselors and parachurch biblical counseling ministries to add to the list below. You may add your recommendation to the comments section of this page. If you’d like to make a recommendation, please be advised:

•The recommendation must be for a biblical (nouthetic) counselor or counseling ministry. Recommendations for Christian counselors, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, life coaches, etc. will not be accepted.

•The biblical counselor must have been trained and certified by a reputable biblical counseling organization (see below) or seminary.

•You must include the website of the church, counselor, or counseling ministry you are recommending. Recommendations not including websites will not be considered.

•I will not post recommendations for counselors/churches or counseling ministries I find to be doctrinally unsound.

•If the counseling ministry is church-based, the church must meet all of the requirements for churches listed on my Reader Recommended Churches list. (I will not include a church’s counseling ministry on this list unless the church itself qualifies for that list.)

•If you see a counselor or counseling ministry on the list below and you have first-hand compelling knowledge of a biblical reason that counselor or ministry should not be included on the list, please comment below (I will keep your comment hidden).

Find a Biblical Counselor

DISCLAIMER:
I cannot personally vouch for any of the individuals or organizations listed below, nor for anyone who may have recommended them. Please use this list only as a suggestion of biblical counselors and biblical counseling organizations to check out using biblical wisdom and discernment. You will need to vet the counselor’s training and certification yourself.

If you are unable to locate a biblical counselor near you with the resources below:

•Some biblical counselors on this list are willing to counsel via video conferencing (Skype, Zoom, Face Time, etc.). You will need to inquire of counselors/organizations whether or not they offer this service.

•If there is a doctrinally sound seminary in your region, you may wish to contact them and find out if they have a biblical counseling department that can point you to a counselor.

Biblical Counselor Search Engines and Organizations

Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) (Find an ACBC certified counselor)

ACBC Certified Training Centers (may be able to refer you to a counselor)

Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF)

International Association of Biblical Counselors (IABC)

Online ONLY Counseling

Laurena Townsend

Biblical Counselors/Counseling Ministries by Location

Alabama
Huntsville- Grace Community Church

Arizona
Gilbert- Redeemer Bible Church
Sierra Vista- Sierra Vista Biblical Counseling and Training Center

Arkansas
Beebe- The Bible Church of Beebe (see “Counseling” under #2)
Little Rock- The Bible Church of Little Rock

California
Arroyo Grande- Berean Bible Church
Burbank- Calvary Bible Church
Kingsburg- Grace Church of the Valley
Murrieta- Faith Bible Church
Newhall- Placerita Biblical Counseling Center
San Diego- Barabbas Road Church
Southern California- Truth in Love Biblical Counseling
Sun Valley- Grace Community Church
Tustin- Compass Bible Church
Visalia- Abounding Grace Church

Colorado
Centennial-
Reigning Peace Ministries
Southside Bible Church (counseling for regular attendees/members only)

Greeley- Grace Church

Parker- Parker Bible Church

Connecticut
Newtown- Newtown Bible Church

Florida
Clearwater-
Baylight Counseling
Lakeside Community Chapel

Palm Harbor- Grace Community Church
Tampa- HeartSong Counseling

Georgia
Atlanta-
Berean Bible Church
Christ Covenant
Duluth- Providence Church
Sharpsburg- Faith Bible Church
Woodstock- Faith Community Counseling

Idaho
Meridian-
Ambassador Bible Fellowship
Faith Community Bible Church

Illinois
Mackinaw- New Castle Bible Church
Oak Forest- Grace Fellowship Church
Springfield- Springfield Center of Biblical Counseling

Indiana
Helmsburg- Twelve Stones Ministries
Lafayette- Faith Biblical Counseling

Kansas
Overland Park- Countryside Church

Kentucky
Louisville- HeartSong Counseling

Louisiana
Slidell- Northshore Biblical Counseling and Training Center

Maryland
Annapolis- HeartSong Counseling
Baltimore- HeartSong Counseling
Central Maryland- HeartSong Counseling
Columbia- Hope Bible Church
Hollywood- Truth Bible Church

Michigan
Comstock Park- Maranatha Bible Church
East Lansing- University Reformed Church
Livonia- Berean Baptist Church

Missouri
Kansas City- Reigning Grace Counseling Center
Liberty- Reigning Grace Counseling Center
St. Louis- Christ Fellowship Bible Church

Montana
Bozeman– Grace Bible Church
Missoula- Sovereign Hope Church

New Mexico
Albuquerque- Desert Springs Church

New York
Dansville- Grace Baptist Church

North Carolina
Cary- Colonial Baptist Church
New Bern- Berean Community Church

Ohio
Beavercreek- Grace Covenant Church
Carlock- East White Oak Bible Church
Delaware- Delaware Bible Church
Galloway- Hope Baptist Church
North Ridgeville- Cornerstone Bible Church
West Chester- Providence Bible Fellowship

Oklahoma
Oklahoma City- Temple Care Ministries
Owasso- Bible Church of Owasso
Tulsa-
Grace Bible Church
Grace Community Church – (Susan Heck)

Oregon
Portland- Truth in Love Biblical Counseling

South Carolina
Simpsonville- Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church

Tennessee
Loretto- Liberty Grove Baptist Church
Ooltewah- Renewed Hope Biblical Counseling

Texas
Denton- Denton Bible Church
Pasadena- Providence Baptist Church
San Antonio- Believers Fellowship

Virginia
Culpeper- Providence Bible Church
Lynchburg- Timberlake Biblical Counseling and Training Center
Northern Virginia- HeartSong Counseling
Richmond- HeartSong Counseling
Springfield- Immanuel Bible Church

Washington
Kent- Eastridge Baptist Church
King County- Truth in Love Biblical Counseling
Lake Stevens- Cornerstone Bible Church
Spokane- Faith Biblical Counseling Center
Vancouver- Truth in Love Biblical Counseling
Veradale- Valley Bible Church

Washington D.C.
Capitol Hill Baptist Church
HeartSong Counseling

Wyoming
Powell- Trinity Bible Church
Jackson Hole– Cornerstone Church

Biblical Counseling Training Programs

Are you interested in training to become a biblical counselor? Check out these certification and degree programs, many of which are offered online. (A few programs may consider biblical counseling to be pastoral counseling and may not admit women. Be sure to ask.)