WHEN Christians decide they need professional counselling, where do they go? Should they choose Christian counsellors? Or will any counsellor do, as long as he or she has the necessary skills?

There is a new group of Registered Clinical Counsellors in town, at Arbour Counselling Centre. It is located in the building of the First Church of the Nazarene at 4277 Quadra Street. All three of its members are Christians: Joel Durkovic, Sherri Koster and Liz Prette.  

BCCN spoke to Durkovic and Koster – first asking them how their faith influences their counselling.

Durkovic began by making an interesting distinction. “I am a Christian, but I don’t do ‘Christian counseling,’” he stated, adding: “Does a Christian surgeon do Christian surgery? No, he performs surgery; but because of his Christian care for the patient he will make sure to do it competently. In the same way, I aim to do a professional, good job in counselling. I am a counsellor who is a Christian.”

What principles does he go by, when dealing with a client?

“I practice the discipline of recognizing that Christ is present through the Holy Spirit, and I seek his wisdom and guidance during the conversation. I don’t say this out loud, unless I know I have the patient’s permission to do that.”

“I bring my worldview, which is deeply Christian, with me to counselling,” said Koster. “Whether the client is Christian or not, God calls me to do my work with the same zeal, care and commitment. I visualize everybody as someone who is loved by God, and who is also broken and in need of redemption. When Christians know this, that creates a safe environment for them.” 

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The Bible has a lot to say about human relationships, and a lot of counselling is about relationships. Is the teaching of modern psychology similar to the Christian view?

“Yes,” said Koster, “I often think there is nothing new under the sun. A favourite scripture of mine is ‘Be transformed by the renewal of your mind,’ and ‘As a man thinks, so is he.’ Those are very similar to the principles of Behavioural Cognitive Therapy.”

Durkovic added: “John Gottman, a Seattle researcher who is the current guru of marriage research, has found that in the best marriages the partners are able to acknowledge their own brokenness, and forgive one another; that they love each other even when they don’t feel like it. All Christian principles.”

Both Durkovic and Koster stressed the central importance of approaching people where they are; laying no expectations on them; and letting them set the agenda.  “That’s what makes it a safe place to process their issues, their brokenness,” Durkovic said.

Koster concurred: “We accept people as they are. We have to be invited by them to walk with them into their lives. This is precisely the attitude that Jesus urged on us: ‘Judge not’; it describes his own way of making people feel comfortable, to trust him.”

Do these counsellors specialize in any way? They will accept clients of all sorts, but they all have areas of special expertise: Durkovic specializes in couple and marriage counselling. Koster loves to work with women, around issues of self-esteem, personal and spiritual growth. Liz Prette works with children and families. For years she was a school counsellor at Pacific Christian School.

Oh – and the fees? $100 an hour, with a sliding scale down to $60, depending on income.

Find out more at www.arbourcounselling.ca

– Jack Krayenhoff

March 2008