Why did i create this website?
by Dr. Schulz
- My personal background is I have been a practicing Licensed Psychologist in private practice in the State of Ohio since 1994 and I have been working in the mental health field since 1977 (at this point having over 40 years of experience). After becoming licensed as a psychologist, I sought within my practice to provide psychological interventions consistent with a Biblical perspective. This has always been my passion as I have practiced as a psychologist.
- For over 20 years outside of my practice of psychology I have also been involved with providing Life Coaching. Life Coaching is different from Psychological Counseling. It does not involve giving the individual a diagnosis and is it not involved in treating mental illness. Life Coaching, as a discipline, has drawn a lot of its concepts from Psychology and Motivational theory and a whole industry has arisen providing Life Coaching. As part of a church ministry what if we can help equip and train individuals to provide “Christian Life Coaching”? There is an overlap between Pastoral Counseling and Christian Life Coaching. It is usually an ordained pastor who provides Pastoral Counseling as an extension of his/her pastoral role. Christian Life Coaching can be done by a lay person as part of an outreach of a church. or as an individual outside of a church Those providing Christian Life Coaching are not generally clergy but of course they can be. Pastoral Counseling is generally an extension of the services provided by a Church. Individuals can provide Life Coaching or Christian Life Coaching as it is not Psychological Counseling and is not Professional Counseling and does not require a License. Those who provide Coaching should never imply that they are a Counselor or that they are providing Psychological Counseling because those are legal terms and the practice of Counseling and Psychology can only be provided if the individual providing it is Licensed by their state to do so. For pastors a pastor providing "Pastoral Counseling" it is safe to use the word counseling because the pastor is part of a church and pastoral counseling is recognized as being an extension of the ministry of the church and his/her role as clergy.
- In regards to Christian Life Coaching we can legally teach members of our churches to become "Christian Life Coaches" and provide “Christian Life Coaching” to members in a congregation. .
- This is where I wish to become more involved in and provide resources to help lay-people within the Church in obtaining advanced skills to help people who are struggling within the church. The goal is to train people to be involved in Christian Life Coaching and as part of this to train people in small group ministry to address specialized needs that are not necessarily addressed adequately in a Bible study group and to help facilitators of small groups to more effectively lead groups dealing with specific issues.
- Often, those in the Christian Community are perceived by Non-Christians or people within the Church seeking help from another person in a church as either giving a superficial answer to someone who approaches them for help, or the individual just feels uncomfortable in responding to the individual and as a result the individual may experience further hurt from members of the Body of Christ instead of encouragement and healing toward a pathway forward. There is a saying - “Although Christians have been referred to as being the Army of Christ sometimes, we are an Army that shoot our own wounded.”
- I believe I can take my 40 years experience and to apply it to teach and train those interested in providing Christian Life Coaching.
- Here are the core Christian theological beliefs governing a foundation for Christian Life Coaching.
- A belief in a Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
- A belief that Christ came into the world, lived, died on the cross, and resurrected from the dead.
- A belief that Christ died for our sins and that through his death and resurrection and inviting him into our life we are given the gift of salvation.
- The Christian faith as practiced has its ups and downs due to our human condition. However, we have the promise that God is always with us even though sometimes we may lose our way. We believe in God's Grace and if we have a conscious and meaningful intent and desire to repent and turn away from how we have fallen short (sinned) and we confess that sin we are forgiven of that sin(s) through Christ’s death and resurrection. Christian Life Coaching involves a non-judgemental process to assist individuals in carrying out a Biblically based approach assisting individuals, couples, and families on a pathway toward deepening in their faith experience and assisting them in overcoming difficulties in life.