Standards of Conduct

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament exert a controlling authority on both the terms and the content of soul care.  In this counselling relationship the counsellor moves toward troubled people to help with struggles faced in a fallen world. Holy Scripture possesses an authoritative role in controlling those relationships whether they happen in a formal counselling context or informally through living life together. The same Scriptures also claim to address directly the problems, questions, trouble, and struggles that people confront when they seek counselling help. Biblical Soul Care UK works in partnership with The Association of Certified Biblical Counsellors (ACBC) which exists to help the church of Jesus Christ excel in the ministry of biblical counselling. We are bound by God’s Word in the 66 books of the Bible as our standard for counselling practice. We affirm the following commitments as a summary of the terms by which we should order all of our counselling relationships. These are the standards of counselling conduct we shall use to evaluate the faithfulness of counsellors certified by ACBC.

I. The Commitment to Scripture

God inspired the Bible to provide authoritative guidance to his people as they honour him in the midst of difficulties in a sinful world. People seek counselling help when life does not seem to be working properly and they need help understanding and addressing what has gone wrong. Biblical counsellors believe it is the divine intention of Scripture to describe the perfect standard to which people must conform as they live their lives, the spiritual problems they face in life which challenge that standard, and the process of transformation that God has designed to help them change. Biblical counsellors are committed to using the Scriptures in counselling out of the conviction that the topics addressed in the Scriptures are the exact issues addressed in counselling conversations.

A. Biblical counsellors must use the Scriptures in counselling as the authoritative and sufficient source for counselling content. The Scriptures sufficiently address the issues that trouble people and lead them to seek counselling help. This fact encourages biblical counsellors that a proper understanding of the counselling problems of people combined with a proper understanding of the contents of Scripture lead to the confidence that the biblical text powerfully and relevantly addresses all counselling problems. This truth requires biblical counsellors to work to direct all of our counselling conversations to the truth of God’s Word, and to encourage our counsellees to make much use of the Scriptures in their personal lives.

B. Biblical counsellors must reject any secular counselling intervention that is at odds with Scripture. Secular counselling therapies add nothing essential to the understanding and resolution of counselling problems, though secular institutions can provide assistance to biblical counsellors when situations like hospitalisation become necessary for extreme and urgent care. Such interventions are only effective when they are consistent with Scripture and ineffective when they are at odds with Scripture. In themselves they are unnecessary and insufficient for the counselling needs that people face. Biblical counsellors do not engage in these interventions or make referrals to counsellors that do but rather to medical doctors who deem it necessary.

C. Biblical counsellors must properly interpret the texts of Scripture that they use in their counselling. The meaning of a text of Scripture is controlled by its genre and by the grammatical and historical context in which it was written and by the intention of the author who penned it. Biblical counsellors must seek to understand the genre and original meaning of the text of Scripture. Only with that understanding is it possible to communicate the truth of God’s Word to counsellees.

D. Biblical counsellors recognise that there is an important distinction to be made between the author’s intended, authoritative meaning of the text and our application of that text. Biblical counsellors, therefore, must make a clear distinction between the explanation of texts of Scripture and their individual opinions about how to apply that passage to counsellees.

Psalm 19; 119:25, 40, 50, 105, 107; Proverbs 6:23; 10:17; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:1-17; 2 Peter 1:3-21

II. The Commitment to Jesus

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who has come in the flesh to redeem fallen humanity from all the effects of the fall through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension to the throne at the right hand of the Father. He is the source of eternal joy and serves as the ultimate resolution for every counselling problem. He intends to do away with all counselling difficulties powerfully, though partially in this life, and then fully in the next. All people access these benefits through faith in him as they begin and continue to live the Christian life. It is the privilege of all Christians to use our conversations to direct all peoples to him at all times and in all places. Jesus is the goal of all our conversations, whether informal or formal.

A. Biblical counsellors must point their counsellees to the necessity of faith in Jesus Christ unto salvation. Because Jesus Christ serves as the personal solution to all of our counselling difficulties, the primary goal of every counsellor should be to introduce counsellees to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Faithful counsellors will pray for wisdom about the best way to call their counsellees to saving faith in Christ, knowing that it is only through a relationship with him that troubled people can know joy now and throughout eternity.

B. Biblical counsellors must also point their counsellees to the necessity of faith in Jesus Christ unto sanctification. Faith in Jesus Christ is essential, not only to enter the Christian life, but also to grow in holiness throughout life. Biblical counsellors point their believing counsellees to the person and work of Christ as that which makes it possible for them to live the life of faith as they await the fullness of their salvation at the last day.

Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 6:1-4; 10:8-13; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:4-6; Ephesians 4:15

III. The Commitment to Care

The call to engage in counselling conversations is the call to love others well. Biblical counsellors demonstrate the love of Christ through the counselling care that they offer to troubled people who seek their help. The counselling relationship is one of loving care, regardless of whether that relationship happens in the context of more formal counselling, or is simply the care we express to others. Biblical counsellors seek a posture of loving service in their conversations and avoid bringing harm into the lives of counsellees.

A. Biblical counsellors must care for counsellees in sacrificing time for them. Scheduled appointments are often one practical way to ensure that counselling conversations occur, but a biblical commitment to care for others well can never be limited to formal counselling meetings. Counsellees are our brothers and sisters in Christ; they are our lost friends, neighbours, and family members. Loving them well requires our service to them at times that may be inconvenient. Biblical counsellors spend their energies to love and serve troubled people and never seek to limit their involvement in the life of a counsellee to a specific meeting, but involve themselves in the lives of their counsellees as much as is wise and possible. It may at times be wise to end a formal counselling relationship when counselling has become counterproductive to the counsellee. When further meetings are no longer wise or possible, reasonable effort is made to connect a counsellee with someone who will continue biblical care.

B. Biblical counsellors must care for counsellees by seeking to match their words of counselling wisdom with tangible acts of care. The Bible teaches that it is a sinful demonstration of lifeless faith to limit our counselling care to the words we speak, while avoiding acts of care. Biblical counsellors seek to meet the physical and other practical needs of our counsellees wherever possible.

C. Biblical counsellors must care for counsellees in making decisions about whether or not to charge fees for counselling. The Bible is clear that ministers of the gospel of Jesus are entitled to earn their living from the gospel. This principle can extend to biblical counsellors who serve Christ in vocational ministry. At the same time, the Bible is clear that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a precious gift that should be offered without price, and that it may be necessary for ministers of Christ to selflessly serve those in their care. Biblical counsellors, therefore, must seek to love their counsellees in discerning how the Lord will provide for them. Biblical counsellors will communicate with their counsellees early and clearly about any fees for counselling, will avoid exorbitant fees, and will do everything possible to avoid refusing care to those unable to pay. Biblical counsellors will never limit their conversational care only to those who are able to compensate their counsellors.

D. Biblical counsellors must care for counsellees in protecting the weak from harm. Counsellees can be harmed by others and can inflict harm on themselves. Biblical counsellors avoid sinful language and behaviour that brings harm into the lives of their counsellees. Biblical counsellors understand that it is impossible to protect the weak from every danger in a fallen world and yet they endeavour to protect counsellees from exposure to the harm that comes to them through false teaching, unbiblical counselling, harsh speech, abusive treatment, and any other manifestation of sinful relationships. And they actively seek to protect counsellees from harm through their own persistent sin.

Proverbs 3:27; Matthew 22:34-40; John 15:12-17; 1 Corinthians 9:1-18; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; 1 Timothy 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12; James 2:14-17; 1 John 2:7-11; 3:11-24

IV. The Commitment to the Church

The church is the body of Jesus Christ, which he has purchased with his own blood, and has commissioned to advance his kingdom on earth. Because the church is the pillar and buttress of God’s truth, it is indispensable in the ministry of counselling that seeks to communicate that truth. Biblical counsellors do their work with the conviction that biblical change is ultimately impossible apart from the full ministry of the church.

A. Biblical counsellors must be committed to the priority of the church in accomplishing their counselling ministry. Biblical counsellors will place themselves under the leadership of a church and pursue the accountability of that leadership as it relates to their life, doctrine, and counselling practices.

B. Biblical counsellors must pursue the closest possible connections between church accountability and the counselling centres where they serve. Whether the counselling ministry is formally part of the church or whether church leadership holds groups accountable through board involvement or personal accountability of individual counsellors, biblical counsellors know that the ultimate faithfulness of a counselling centre is connected to its organisational proximity to Christ’s body.

C. Biblical counsellors must seek to involve their counsellees in a faithful church. Counselling ultimately seeks, by divine grace, to aid counsellees to conform their life to behaviour that glorifies God. Biblical counsellors understand Christians best grow in grace when they are actively involved in the church.

D. Biblical counsellors must seek out, for themselves, and those they counsel, churches, which will faithfully discharge the command of Christ to show care through corrective church discipline. Such discipline is a central way that God cares for his flock, and protects the purity of the church.

Matthew 16:16-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; Ephesians 2:19-21; 1 Timothy 3:15; Titus 1:10; Hebrews 3:13; 10:25

 V. The Commitment to Humanity

God made human beings in his very own image as the pinnacle of his creation and they are, therefore, invested with inestimable dignity. Biblical counselling engages these precious image bearers to show care to them according to the standards of God’s Word. Biblical counsellors work to show honour and care to human beings in every relevant way.

A. Biblical counsellors must counsel in a way that protects life and honours the image of God in human beings. Biblical counsellors never condone the taking of innocent life through murder believing acts such as abortion, selective reduction, euthanasia, and assisted suicide are sins that both hurt people and dishonour God. Biblical counsellors use their conversations to point people away from such sinful activities and toward a protection of all human life.

B. Biblical counsellors must counsel with an understanding of the importance of the heart. The Bible teaches that human beings are guided by the various motivations and desires of their hearts. The heart is the source of initiation for all activity, and is of crucial importance in the counselling task. Biblical counsellors seek to help struggling people change at a level of depth that flows from the inner person to the outer person.

C. Biblical counsellors must do their work understanding the importance of care for the physical body. Human beings are whole persons, and so the physical body and the actions that result from it are of crucial importance in the counselling task. Biblical counsellors will work to foster behaviours that are commanded by Scripture and eliminate behaviours that are forbidden. Biblical counsellors will also work to emphasize proper care for the physical body including recognising the importance of professional medical care for medical problems.

D. Biblical counsellors must do their work understanding the importance of gender. God created the human race to exist in two equal genders of male and female. God has also commanded that those genders are called to function in different capacities in the contexts of the home, church, and society. The biblical instruction on gender means that, while men and women should disciple one another as they live out their daily Christian lives, women will strive to avoid formally counselling men since this generally requires the task of teaching men with authority which is forbidden by Scripture. Men will likewise be committed to ministry to women, but will strive to avoid ongoing, one-to-one counsel with women because of the biblical admonitions to stay above reproach and to avoid any appearance of sin. Biblical counsellors embrace the entirety of Scripture’s teaching on gender and so work to help troubled people embrace their physical gender revealed at birth, and to function in ways that accurately represent that gender in the world, in the church, and in the Christian home.

Genesis 1:26-27; Proverbs 4:23; 20:5; Mark 7:14-23; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 11:2-16; 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:4; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:3, 22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:9-15; 5:22; Titus 1:6; James 1:19-27; 4:1-2

VI. The Commitment to Purity

God created sex to be enjoyed in the context of the marriage relationship between one man and one woman. All other sexual expressions constitute sexual immorality and are sinful, bringing pain into the lives of all who are engaged in them. Counsellors have a biblical responsibility to foster sexual purity in their attitudes, actions, and speech.

A. Biblical counsellors must seek sexual purity in every area of their own lives. The Bible commands Christians to flee all forms of sexual immorality. Those committed to the ministry of the Word in counselling must avoid immorality in their personal interactions with others. Biblical counsellors do not seek any sexual involvement outside the bonds of Christian marriage regardless of whether that involvement is improper sexual speech, acts of impurity that push the line toward sex, or overt sexual acts. Biblical counsellors also fight for moral purity in their private moments when no other person is around understanding that all sexual immorality destroys counselling effectiveness by harming themselves and their counsellees.

B. Biblical counsellors must seek purity in their intentions with counsellees. The Bible teaches that all sinful sexual behaviour begins with sinful intentions of the heart. Biblical counsellors fight by grace to defeat the lustful intentions of the heart. Counsellors should seek accountability especially when grappling with sinful sexual desires.

C. Biblical counsellors must encourage sexual purity in the lives of counsellees. The Bible teaches that great pain and consequences come into the lives of those who are guilty of sexual transgression. Because this is true, biblical counsellors are committed to urging counsellees to pursue biblical standards of purity in thought, word, and deed. Biblical counsellors discourage any expression of sexuality outside the bonds of marriage including lust, pornography, adultery, fornication, and homosexuality.

Exodus 20:17; Proverbs 5; Matthew 5:27-32; Romans 13:13-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Ephesians 5:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Hebrews 13:4; James 1:14-15

VII. The Commitment to Competency

The calling to be a biblical counsellor involves more than a commitment to the sufficiency of Christ and his Word in helping people with their problems in living. It also involves a commitment to growing in the kind of wisdom and skill that produces counselling excellence. No counsellor of the Word has arrived at a place of perfection, but biblical counsellors work to achieve growing competency as they help struggling people.

A. Biblical counsellors must pursue the necessary education, training, and experience required to do their work. The best biblical counsellors have received quality instruction from wise teachers about how to counsel well, have been trained to develop excellent counselling skills, and have been supervised by mentors who know how to counsel with excellence. Those who want to pursue the highest standards of excellence will pursue as much of this equipping as possible whether through formal or informal means.

B. Biblical counsellors must be committed to ongoing education and training to remain effective. New counsellees always arrive with fresh problems, and counsellors are in constant need to grow in wisdom and skill. Biblical counsellors, therefore, never stop learning, but always seek to grow their base of knowledge concerning the truths of Scripture, information about the problems that people face, and the wisdom that comes through counselling. When a counselling problem falls outside their area of competency counsellors are honest with counsellees about their limitations and seek help from others with greater competency.

C. Biblical counsellors must maintain a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ in order to maintain the spiritual vitality necessary for the work of counselling. The Bible is clear that people always speak out of the overflow of resources stored in their heart. This reality means that biblical counsellors can only offer truly biblical care as they are walking in close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and storing his words in their heart. It is a close relationship with Jesus, more than anything else, that ensures our competency as counsellors. Biblical counsellors fight for a dynamic relationship with Jesus through, among other means of grace, Bible-reading, prayer, corporate worship, and close personal accountability as a part of the body of Christ.

D. Biblical counsellors must seek to gain as much information as possible about the nature of the problems faced by their counsellee in order to provide effective care. It is impossible to help troubled persons without extensive knowledge of the problem they are confronting. Biblical counsellors are committed to learning as much as they can about counsellees and their problems in order to be able to offer the best possible care. Biblical counsellors avoid the assumption that they understand the nature of a counselling problem before they have carefully investigated the matter.

Proverbs 18:13, 17; John 15:1-11; Matthew 12:33-37; Ephesians 3:14-21; 5:11; Colossians 1:9; 3:16; 1 Timothy 4:15; 2 Timothy 2:2, 15; James 1:19;

VIII. The Commitment to Methodology

Wise counselling requires a commitment to understanding and following the change process as it is revealed in Scripture. Counselling is about offering help to people as they make Spirit-initiated changes in their lives that honour him, and so biblical counsellors must know that biblical process and be committed to following it if they are to succeed in their work of counselling. The Bible is a sufficient resource, which explains the processes necessary in the counselling relationship.

A. Biblical counsellors must be committed to the truth that the fundamental key to the process of biblical counselling is the person and work of Jesus Christ. We point counsellees to the person and work of Jesus Christ, and then teach them how to grow in his grace. Biblical counsellors work to point all persons to repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ to find forgiveness for their sin and comfort in their pain.

B. Biblical counsellors must seek to help counsellees change their sinful desires and behaviour through a biblical process of putting off sinful attitudes and actions and putting on ones of righteousness. Change requires more than merely stopping sinful desires and behaviours, it also requires beginning new desires and behaviours which honour God. Biblical counsellors work to help their counsellees experience change in this practical way as informed by biblical texts.

C. Biblical counsellors must seek to help counsellees change at a deep level through a biblical process of heart renewal. Because the desires of the inner man precede the behaviour of the outer man the Bible requires that a person must take their thoughts captive in order to achieve the kind of change that honours God. Biblical counsellors help counsellees discover how their sinful desires, thoughts, and feelings lead to sinful actions and then work to assist them in forming new patterns of biblical thought and action through the grace of God.

D. Biblical counsellors must help their counsellees change by meeting with God in prayer. The Bible teaches that the way we draw near to God in our sin and suffering is through consistent prayer. God hears the prayers of those who draw near to him in Christ, who desires to help them in time of need. Biblical counsellors encourage their counsellees to express their dependence on God through both public and private prayer.

Acts 26:17; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 10:5; Ephesians 4:17-32; Colossians 3:1-17; Hebrews 4:16

IX. The Commitment to Authority

The Bible is clear that God’s world is one where structures of authority must be recognized and respected. The Bible teaches that authority exists between the Trinitarian relationships of the Godhead and affects each of our human relationships as well. Biblical counsellors work to honour all biblically-instituted authorities and assist their counsellees to do the same.

A. Biblical counsellors must submit to the authority of God above every other authority source, and must help their counsellees do the same. God is the supreme authority in the world, and is himself the source of every human authority. God mediates his authority to us perfectly in the pages of his Word, the Bible. Every source of authority is ultimately held accountable to God’s Word as the perfect standard. Biblical counsellors help their counsellees to live their lives in submission to God’s authority even when his authority conflicts with human authorities. Such conflicts of human authority with divine authority can create very serious challenges to counsellees suffering under the weight of an oppressive and unbiblical authority. Biblical counsellors seek to help counsellees work with other, more faithful sources of authority, to resolve oppression and abuse of authority.

B. Biblical counsellors must help their counsellees submit to legitimate authority in the context of the home. God has called husbands and fathers to exercise spiritual authority in the home, seeking the welfare of those in his care. God has also called wives to be submissive to their husbands and children to be submissive to the authority of their parents. These authority structures are an incredible blessing when discharged faithfully. Biblical counsellors will help family members honour these sources of authority appropriately throughout the various stages of life.

C. Biblical counsellors must help their counsellees to submit to the authority of their church. God has gifted his church with ministers to shepherd the souls of his people. These shepherds have real spiritual authority that must be followed when it is discharged biblically. Biblical counsellors see this authority as a blessing from God given for the good of his people, and therefore endeavour to help their counsellees embrace it.

D. Biblical counsellors must help their counsellees submit to the authority of the state as it is discharged righteously. God has provided government as a blessing for all people in order to preserve order and righteousness. When this authority is discharged righteously and in keeping with God’s law all people benefit from it. Wherever possible, biblical counsellors work to obey the laws of the legal jurisdictions in which they serve, and urge their counsellees to do the same.

Matthew 20:25-28; Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 5:9; Ephesians 5:22-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13-25

 X. The Commitment to Integrity

The Bible emphasizes the importance of honesty in all of our relationships. God never lies, and he commands this kind of integrity for his creatures as well. Honesty, therefore, is to be a hallmark of any human relationship including formal and informal counselling. The kind of trust necessitated in counselling relationship requires honesty on the part of counsellors. Deceit sinfully undermines this relationship and must be avoided.

A. Biblical counsellors must be straightforward about the kind of counselling they do. Counsellees are served when biblical counsellors clearly communicate their intention to use the Bible as their authority for all counselling matters. Biblical counsellors should therefore seek to communicate this commitment in any context whether public or private, formal or informal.

B. Biblical counsellors must maintain and communicate the biblical standards for confidentiality. Trust grows in relationships where all parties have clear expectations regarding the confidential nature of private information. Biblical counsellors seek to maintain trust and integrity by keeping personal information as private as possible. Biblical counsellors protect the reputation of their counsellees by avoiding reckless and unnecessary disclosures of personal information. Biblical counsellors must also make clear to their counsellees that a commitment to biblical authority requires the disclosure of certain kinds of information to certain parties. A biblical commitment to protect counsellees from harm as well as commitments to the authority of the home, church, and or government may require disclosure of information that counsellees would otherwise prefer to remain private.

C. Biblical counsellors must accurately represent their qualifications. It demonstrates a lack of integrity for counsellors to misrepresent their training, experience, and areas of expertise in communicating their counselling qualifications. Biblical counsellors work to represent humbly and accurately their credentials, qualifications, and skill-level.

D. Biblical counsellors must exercise care in receiving gifts from those they counsel. Such gifts may be gladly received when given as a token of love and gratitude for the help and care offered in counselling. Biblical counsellors must be wary of gifts that are perceived as an exercise in manipulation or as an effort to control certain counselling outcomes. Biblical counsellors never compromise their faithfulness to the Word of God because of a gift received or promised, monetary or otherwise.

Exodus 20:16; 23:1; Leviticus 19:11; Deuteronomy 16:19; Proverbs 19:5; 24:28; 25:18; Zechariah 8:16; Matthew 5:37; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9

XI. The Commitment to Reconciliation

God is concerned to pursue peace with his creation. He possesses righteous anger regarding sin but offers to put that anger away through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. He calls his followers to this same attitude of peace. The calling to be a biblical counsellor is, therefore, the calling to be a peacemaker.

A. Biblical counsellors must be committed to helping counsellees pursue peace with God through faith and repentance. When biblical counsellors are aware of areas in the lives of counselees where they are separated from God by their sin they will always seek, with wisdom and grace, to help them repent of that sin, confessing it to the Lord and forsaking it for the pursuit of new desires and behaviours that honour him.

B. Biblical counsellors must be committed to helping counsellees pursue peace in their relationships with other people through confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Biblical counsellors take every available opportunity to help counsellees achieve reconciliation in any relationship where this is possible, whether in marriage, family, friendships, or church fellowship. Though life in a fallen world often means that conflicts cannot be resolved, biblical counsellors never allow a conflict to remain unresolved when another wise option remains available.

C. Biblical counsellors must pursue peace in relationships with all their counsellees. When a conflict arises biblical counsellors will lead in reconciliation as each party confesses sin and grants forgiveness. Biblical counsellors are also eager to bring in another party to help facilitate reconciliation if this should be necessary.

Psalm 32:1-5; Proverbs 28:13; Matthew 5:9; 23-24; 6:14; 7:1-5; 18:15-35; Mark 11:25; Luke 17:3; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 4:31-32; Colossians 3:12-13; James 3:18; 1 John 1:8-9

XII. Violation of Standards

Members of the Association of Certified Biblical Counsellors are required to observe these standards of conduct in order to remain members in good standing.  It is the task of the board of trustees of this association to enforce these standards with our membership.  As the board of trustees seeks to accomplish this responsibility they desire to honour the judgment of local ecclesiastical authorities whenever possible.  Any verdict, however, about the violation of these standards for our members, or the penalties for violations of our members is at the sole discretion of the board of trustees.  It shall be the responsibility of the board of trustees to clearly and publicly communicate the process for reporting violations of these standards, for investigating alleged violations, and for instituting penalties for any violations.