Helping Clients Rebuild Self-Esteem in Christian Counseling

  My dad died last week. I had been anticipating it for a while. His body had been slowly failing for years—Parkinson’s disease, congestive heart failure, and perhaps things we never fully understood. His death wasn’t a shock, but it still shattered something inside me. Because outside of my wife, my best friend died. He was more than a father. He was a steady presence, a quiet protector, a man who helped me steer clear of destructive patterns common to many young men—not by shame or force, but by showing up. He used to lean against my bedroom doorframe at night and just ask what was on my mind. No pressure, no preaching. Just presence. We’d talk about what I was afraid of. What I didn’t understand. What I hoped for. He played catch with me almost every evening the weather allowed. He came to every basketball game and every baseball game. I can still see him sitting in the stands—arms crossed, calm smile on his face—rarely yelling, just there. I never had to wonder if he was proud of me. I knew. He carried himself with a kindness and gentleness that made me feel steady. He didn’t draw attention to himself. He didn’t try to be impressive. But there was a quiet strength in him—a calm that helped anchor me when I needed it. He wasn’t loud or forceful, but he was consistent, present, and kind. He was strong in the ways that mattered most. He lead me as I learned to live into who God made me to be. They say a heart attack took him. But it was years of sickness that prepared me for it. Still, when he went, he went quickly and without pain. For that, I’m deeply grateful. My dad grew up on a small dairy farm. He’d tell stories of a fast-running stream, of rolling hills, of a slingshot mishap that earned him more trouble than he planned. He talked about a legalistic church that pushed him away from the Lord in his youth—and about the wandering that followed. He had a slightly hippie-ish streak, a rebellious edge softened by curiosity and kindness. And then came a near-death experience—one that turned his heart back to God. That moment changed the course of his life. It led to a 55-year marriage with my mom, and a life marked by faithfulness, loyalty, quiet dedication, and deep love—for both creation and the Creator. He also loved children’s literature. He read me E.B. White, Charles Schulz, and Donald Duck comics. He wrote magazine stories, and even a book where I was the main character. He delighted in those stories, not just because they were fun, but because they held beauty, humor, and truth. That love of words was one of the many ways he poured himself into my life. He didn’t just tell stories. He lived one—a good one. And I got to be part of it. The Kindness of Others—and the Limits of Words Since his passing, people have been incredibly kind. Friends and colleagues—many of them counselors, as I’m at a residency training other therapists—have offered their support. They’ve told me they’re sorry. They’ve asked what they can do. They’ve told me they’re praying. They’ve sat beside me in the quiet. It’s all well-meant, and I am deeply thankful. But there’s a strange truth about grief: I don’t need people to be sorry. They haven’t done anything wrong. And honestly, I don’t want to tell the story of what happened another fifty times. I don’t want to narrate his death. I want someone to sit with me in the weight of it. What I need most is something no words can give. I need presence. When my strength falters, I need others to be strong beside me—not to talk me out of my pain, but to stand in it with me. To point me quietly back to Jesus. Not with advice or even encouragement. But with silence, compassion, and presence. And honestly? Many of the people around me have done this well. They didn’t rush in with sermons or platitudes. They didn’t minimize the pain. They didn’t fix it. They stayed. Their kindness taught me what we often forget—even as counselors. What Mourning People Really Need Grief doesn’t ask for answers. It doesn’t require theology. It demands witness—someone to acknowledge the depth of loss and not turn away. And yet, many of us, even those trained to sit with sorrow, still rush in to make things better. We offer clichés. We fumble with tasks. We do something to avoid doing nothing. But here’s the truth: in grief, nothing is often the most powerful thing you can offer. What to Do When Someone Is Mourning Grief is not something to be solved. It’s something to be witnessed, honored, and carried. When someone you love is mourning, your job is not to fix it. It’s to show up and stay. Here’s what that actually looks like: 1. Be Present—Not Performative Don’t try to be profound. Don’t force conversation. Just be present. Sit down. Stay longer than is comfortable. When you don’t know what to say, don’t say anything. 2. Offer Simple, Specific Help “Let me know if you need anything” puts the burden back on the grieving. Instead, offer something tangible: “Can I bring you a meal? Would Tuesday work?” “Can I watch the kids for two hours?” “Would a walk together help?” 3. Acknowledge the Loss—Then Let Silence Do the Work You can say “I’m so sorry.” You don’t need to ask for details. Retelling a loved one’s death can retraumatize. Let the grieving person offer what they want, when they want. 4. Avoid Platitudes and Preaching Don’t say “He’s in a better place” or “Everything happens for a reason.” Even quoting Scripture can feel like a dismissal when not invited. The truth of God is not the same as the timing of God. Be sensitive. 5. Be the One Who Remembers Grief doesn’t follow a calendar. The day of the funeral isn’t the end—it’s the beginning. Text them one month later. Say their loved one’s name. Show up again. And again. 6. Pray Without Preaching Yes, pray. But don’t pray the pain away. Sit with it. Welcome God into it. Let your prayer be, “Lord, be near.” Why Presence Matters: Because That’s What Jesus Gave Why does it matter that we offer presence instead of platitudes? Why resist the urge to fill silence with words or offer help only when asked? Because this is exactly how Jesus met those in mourning. His actions weren’t reactive. They were incarnational. Jesus didn’t just perform miracles—He entered sorrow. He saw people in their pain, understood what that pain cost them, and moved toward them with compassion before they even knew what to ask. One of the most powerful examples of this is found in Luke 7, when Jesus encounters a widow whose only son has died. She didn’t plead. She didn’t have to. Her grief was enough. Biblical Reflection: Jesus and the Widow of Nain Luke 7:11–17 – Compassion That Restores a Life Jesus is walking into the small village of Nain when He sees a funeral procession. A widow is burying her only son. She says nothing. She doesn’t even know He’s coming. But Jesus sees her—and everything that her son’s death represents. In first-century Jewish society, widows were some of the most vulnerable people. Without a husband or son, a woman had no legal standing, no source of provision, no social safety net. This woman wasn’t just grieving her child. She was facing total collapse—financial, relational, communal. Darrell Bock notes: “The son’s death meant more than personal grief. It meant social death. It meant poverty, marginalization, and abandonment” (Bock, 1994, p. 213). Jesus doesn’t wait for her to call out. He moves first. He sees her, and Luke tells us He is “moved with compassion” (v. 13). The Greek word used is splagchnizomai—a gut-wrenching, deeply felt compassion. Jesus isn’t just noticing. He is feeling with her. He touches the bier—an unclean act under Jewish law—because grief never kept Him at a distance. He enters it. And when He raises the son, Luke records: “Jesus gave him to his mother” (v. 15). He restores her—not just her son, but her future. R. Kent Hughes writes: “Jesus not only raised her son, He raised her future” (Hughes, 1998, p. 249). This is the model: Jesus saw the depth of loss, and He entered it. He didn’t rush to fix. He didn’t avoid the mess. He stood in it, touched it, and restored from within it. That is our call too. For the Christian Counseling Community This is where we can grow—not just in theory, but in practice. In the presence of real grief, people don’t need advice. They need presence. Not polished words. Not clever insight. Not strategic support. They need us to stay. To sit in sacred silence. To bring Jesus not by explaining Him—but by embodying His nearness. This is how we reflect Him. This is how we become safe places for the mourning. So the next time you sit with someone who has lost what they loved, resist the urge to say more than you should. Stay. And trust that your quiet presence may be the most Christlike thing you ever offer. References (APA 7th Edition) Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke 1:1–9:50 (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament). Baker Academic. Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke: That You May Know the Truth (Preaching the Word Commentary Series). Crossway.

The Birth of Remnant Counselor Collective: A Refuge for Christian Mental Health Professionals When I first began studying psychology in 2000, I approached it with wide-eyed innocence. I believed that helping people heal, manage emotions, and overcome mental illness was a straightforward calling—one rooted in compassion and care. I had no reason to think it would be anything but a noble pursuit. But as I progressed in my studies, I began to realize that the field wasn’t just about science or service; it carried deep cultural tensions that shaped what could be discussed, how issues were framed, and even which perspectives were welcomed. I had no idea that psychology—and the work of helping people heal—was so deeply politicized. The Church’s Skepticism As a Christian, I noticed early on that many in the church were skeptical, if not outright dismissive, of mental health work. These were the same people who wouldn’t hesitate to see a doctor for a broken leg or a heart condition, yet they viewed seeking professional help for anxiety, depression, or relational struggles as unnecessary—or even unbiblical. The stigma was glaring. The Field’s Hostility On the other side, when I entered the field after completing my undergrad and master’s degrees, I encountered an entirely different challenge: hostility toward Christianity. Many agencies and private practices, if not explicitly Christian, were openly antagonistic toward the faith. At professional conferences, I heard stories from colleagues about how those with even moderately conservative values were shouted down, dismissed, or made to feel unwelcome. Some described these gatherings as more akin to political rallies than professional discussions. Those who held differing views often stayed silent, watching as ideas that ranged from unhelpful to outright unhealthy were presented as unquestionable truth. Christian mental health professionals find themselves walking a tightrope. We face skepticism from the church and hostility from the field—all while simply wanting to serve, to help people heal, and to provide compassionate, evidence-based care. The Loneliness of Christian Therapists This tension creates a profound sense of loneliness for many of us. I’ve struggled to make friends at church, where my profession is often misunderstood. In my personal life, even within my own family, I’ve been accused of “analyzing” people when all I was trying to do was engage in thoughtful, meaningful conversation. It makes me wonder—have our society’s conversational and relational skills eroded so much that simply listening well and asking good questions is seen as intrusive? I’m not psychoanalyzing people. I’m just being present. So why is that a problem? Why Remnant Counselor Collective Exists These experiences—the loneliness, the skepticism from the church, and the hostility from the secular field—are part of why we created Remnant Counselor Collective. Christian therapists, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists often feel isolated. We struggle to find spaces where we can be fully ourselves—both as mental health professionals and as believers. The church doesn’t always feel safe, and the secular field rarely does. I’ve had conversations with colleagues who unknowingly expressed deep disdain for Christianity, mocking faith-based counseling as bigoted—without realizing they were talking to a Christian therapist. This is the kind of environment many of us navigate daily. Remnant Counselor Collective exists as a refuge. It’s a place where Christian mental health professionals can consult, connect, and speak honestly about clinical matters from a biblical perspective. It’s a space where we don’t have to defend our faith or tiptoe around our beliefs. Here, we uphold biblical truth. We reject anything that contradicts Scripture—anything that belittles our faith or undermines the core doctrines of Christianity. And we do this while engaging in honest, respectful conversations about complex clinical and ethical issues, always keeping our relationship with Jesus at the center. A Soft Revolution The name Remnant Counselor Collective isn’t just about being a refuge—it’s about being a people. In Scripture, the remnant is the group God sets apart for His glory. We don’t want to simply retreat. We want to be a soft revolution—a voice in the field that pushes back against unhealthy, unwise, and even foolish trends. We want to sharpen and strengthen each other so that our presence in the mental health profession is effective and impactful. Refuge. Sharpen. Strengthen. Honor. Refuge – A safe community where Christian mental health professionals can be themselves without fear of judgment. Sharpen – A space where we challenge and encourage one another to grow in both our faith and our clinical expertise. Strengthen – A community that equips us to navigate the challenges of the field with wisdom, resilience, and biblical truth. Honor – Keeping Christ at the center of our work, our discussions, and our professional decisions so that everything we do reflects His glory. By embracing these values, we enrich our own lives, combat loneliness, and—ultimately—create a lasting impact on the world. This isn’t just a ministry for us. It’s a mission for the good of society.