The concept of “lay counseling” is often misinterpreted. Most people are familiar with the concept of counseling— a client meets with a licensed professional to discuss a variety of topics to seek advice or guidance. The American Counseling Association (ACA) defines counseling as “a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.” So what exactly is lay counseling, and how does it differ?
The words “laity” and “layperson” are derived from the Greek work “laikos” meaning “of the people” and is commonly used in the church to describe non-ordained congregants. Therefore lay counselors are not required by the state to be licensed, and are generally non-clergy members of the church that have been trained (generally through an organization like LCI) by a group of licensed/clinical professionals.
Lay counselors are people that have a spiritual calling to care for others and volunteer their time to provide their services under the guidance of their local church body. Like licensed counselors, they typically meet for an hour in a counseling office on a regular basis, they maintain strict confidentiality with their clients, they keep notes and files on their cases, and they regularly receive supervision from licensed counselors.
Lay counselors are people that have a spiritual calling to care for others and volunteer their time to provide their services under the guidance of their local church body.
The Goal of Lay Counseling
For most forms of counseling, the goal for the counselor is to care for and empower individuals that may be walking through a new or difficult season(s) of life. For the client, the goal can vary depending on their situation but may include one (or multiple) of the following goals:
- Providing a healthy mental framework for processing life situations
- Improving relationships with others
- Facilitating behavior change in their own life
- Developing healthy coping mechanisms
- Guidance on an important decision
With lay counseling the first few sessions should be dedicated to discussing and aligning on the goal of counseling—in other words—what does the client hope to gain from meeting with a trained lay counselor? As counseling is a collaborative effort between both the lay counselor and the client, goal setting will serve as a guide for the ongoing communication through therapy.
Why is Lay Counseling Important?
Mental health can seem like a buzzword in today’s culture, but the reality is that millions of people face mental health issues every year. The statistics are sobering:
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34, and the 10th leading cause of death for all ages in the U.S.
- An estimated 48 million people battle anxiety disorders— about 19% of the population or roughly 1 in every 5 people.
- In 2018 alone, 19.1% of adults experienced mental health challenges.
- The overall suicide rate in the U.S. has increased by 31% since 2001.
While these stats are looking at some of the most challenging of situations, there are millions of other people that don’t fit into these categories that are also looking for care, insight, and guidance from a trusted person— parents navigating the shifting waters of child rearing. The individual that wonders if they might be attracted to the same sex. The grown child whose abusive parent continues to wreak havoc on their sense of normalcy. The newly married couple surprised to discover challenges with intimacy. The professional that desperately wants to make a change. The young teenager facing an unexpected pregnancy. The parent looking for advice on caring for their now-adult children.
Simply put, there are millions of people that need care, and lay counselors can become that trusted resource and listening ears people are looking for in their lives—but there is a shortage of opportunities for people to get the affordable, loving care that they need. As the mental health organization PsychCentral notes, “the mental health workforce in the United States is barely keeping up with the growing need for its services.”
There are millions of people that need care, and lay counselors can become that trusted resource people are looking for in their lives.
As one pastor interviewed by Christianity Today put it, “We don’t have enough programs of continuing care for many of the people who come through our doors.”
All of this data and information is precisely why the Lay Counselor Institute (LCI) exists today.
What is The Lay Counselor Institute (LCI)?
LCI is a 501c-3 ministry devoted to furthering the idea that key church leaders may be trained to offer effective, biblical lay counseling services within a Church context and with proper supervision. Together Dr. Bill Clark and Barbara Giuliano founded LCI. Read the full story behind LCI.
Now, almost thirty years later, LCI uses a proprietary model of comprehensive lay counselor training, and also provide supplemental, topic-specific seminars and workshops to enhance our training.
While LCI does not offer a certification program for academic credit, once trained by LCI in conjunction with a local church, lay counselors can expand the reach of the local church by caring for others.
Who Should Go Through Lay Counselor Training?
Throughout the Bible we see that all believers are instructed to care for one another:
- “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – Phil 2:4
- “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” – 1 John 3:17-18
- “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” – Gal 6:9-10
- “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” – Gal 6:2
- “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” – James 2:14-17
- “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” – Matt 25:40
However, lay counseling training is beneficial to a variety of groups within the local church that have a specific calling to caring for others:
- Those aspiring to become lay counselors in the most traditional sense— a volunteer counselor meeting with a client in a safe, confidential environment
- Pastors or church staff looking for ongoing, practical counseling training to help them care for their congregation
- Volunteer church leaders who work closely with people and may have to navigate situations with diligent care (small group leaders, home group leaders, Bible study teachers, youth group volunteers, parents, prayer team, etc.)
While the primary objective of LCI is to implement a lay counseling program within the local church, any leader in the church can benefit from the fundamentals of lay counseling as they learn biblical wisdom and practical techniques for caring for others effectively. The content is geared towards those who are looking to strengthen their ability to biblically counsel, mentor, and/or disciple others whether in a formal setting, leading a small group, or just meeting one-on-one with others.
Should My Church Consider a Lay Counseling program?
In the article, The Call to Care: Lay Counseling and the Local Church, Dr. Eric Scalise notes, “many pastors wonder if the local church should offer direct counseling-related services and ministries or whether this is more the purview of formally trained Christian [clinical] professionals. For me, the answer is not an “either-or,” but a “both-and.””
When people are facing difficult situations—depression, anxiety, a failing marriage, grief or loss, infertility, sexual addiction, substance abuse, domestic violence, family discord, broken relationships, job loss, sickness, cancer, child-rearing, and other challenges and crises—they need a network of support from both clinical professionals, the church, and the broader community. A lay counselor program plays an integral role in weaving together the comprehensive support system and providing a safe space for people to bear one another’s burdens in a biblical, loving way.
“When people are facing difficult situations, they need a network of support from both clinical professionals, the church, friends, and the broader community.”
Want to learn more about LCI’s training opportunities or host a workshop at your church?
About the Author
Natalie Walkley
Natalie started her career in a year-long leadership development program at McLean Bible Church—where she had the privilege to be a part of LCI’s training. She has been serving as a lay leader in the church by leading Bible study groups for the last decade and co-authored her first study, HIStory: Genesis to Revelation in 30 Weeks in 2018. Today, Natalie works in marketing and leads a women’s Bible study in Nashville, TN, where she lives with her husband, Matt, and two littles.