Understanding people and their problems and helping
them find solutions and change is no easy task.

Students in the MSCC program are equipped for this task by a seasoned and experienced faculty who base every aspect of the students' training on the following core values:

1. The centrality of Christ in psychological health

Christ is the ultimate source of life and health. People cannot truly experience wholeness-- psychologically or spiritually--without knowing Christ intimately and obeying Him unconditionally. As our Creator and Lord, He alone can give us the power and freedom to change, live and love as healthy people.

2. The authority of the Bible for guiding people

The Bible, God's written word, is the only reliable and sufficient source of knowledge for providing an authoritative and comprehensive framework for fully understanding the complex nature of human beings, their problems and the ways they change. The Bible provides us with the philosophical and  ethical foundations that guide us in choosing and implementing all of our counseling interventions with people.   Whether one counsels in a formal therapeutic setting or in an informal discipleship or ministry context, the same Biblical guidelines remain relevant and applicable.

3. The importance of relationships in human growth and healing

Created in the image of God, people need relationships to grow and stay healthy. The relational environments in which people exist play an important role in either contributing to their difficulties or promoting their health and growth. Helping people find or build honest and loving communities of relationships is an essential part of counseling people and promoting their well-being.

4. The indispensable role of suffering in people's lives

Although suffering is an inescapable part of human existence, it is not the source of people's psychological problems.  The key is  how people choose to respond to suffering.  The primary focus of Christian counseling is not to help people escape suffering, but rather to help them understand, respond to and use their suffering in ways that enable them to discover and enjoy otherwise untapped spiritual truths and resources.

5. The necessity of reflection in Christian counseling and discipleship

People cannot grow without a rich understanding of the forces within them that motivate and control them.  This kind of understanding can only be acquired through careful, candid and contemplative thought and dialogue. Counseling relationships cannot facilitate substantial and lasting changes in people without uncovering and attending to these often hidden or disguised governing forces within their own hearts or souls.

6. The significance of character development in effective counseling and discipleship

For counseling to be effective, its ultimate goal should not be to just relieve people's problems or pain, but to also help them acquire and display the character of Jesus Christ in the midst of whatever problems or pain they are experiencing. Modeling the character of Jesus Christ in what we say and do to those we counsel is the first and foremost responsibility we have as Christian counselors. What makes an approach to counseling distinctly Christian is its emphasis on character development over mere symptom relief. Effective character-directed counseling requires the spiritual resources of faith, prayer and worship.

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