Relationship support comes in many forms and involves different techniques, skills, and approaches. Each involves person-to-person interaction. The following definitions (as summarized from the International Coaching Federation) are provided for clarity.
Counseling or Therapy
Deals with healing pain, dysfunction, and conflict within an individual or in relationships. The focus is often on resolving difficulties arising from the past that hamper an individual’s emotional and cognitive functions in the present, improving overall psychological functioning and dealing with the present in more emotionally and cognitively healthy ways. The Counselor or therapist is typically licensed by the state unless exempted (i.e. pastoral counseling).
Training Programs
Primarily about the future and focuses on setting goals, creating outcomes, and managing personal change. Coaching supports personal and professional growth based on self-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes.
Mentoring
Involves and experienced individual who comes along side at key times with a listening ear. A mentor is one who provides wisdom and guidance based on his or her own experience. Mentoring may include advising and coaching.
Coaching
Primarily about the future and focuses on setting goals, creating outcomes, and managing personal change. Coaching supports personal and professional growth based on self-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes.
The counselors listed in the link below below are listed by location and then in alphabetical order by last name. They represent themselves to be Biblical counselors offering services that include marriage and family counseling and agree with the National Association of Evangelicals Statement of Faith http://nae.net/statement-of-faith/]. Heart for Families compiled this list from the information received from each individual. The counseling practices of these individuals are not associated with Heart for Families and are not endorsed by Heart for Families. Those seeking professional counseling services are responsible for evaluating the credentials, expertise, and claims and determining the specific counseling theory of each counseling provider.