Short answer: In Mississippi, "Christian counselor" is not a separate state license. A licensed therapist (such as an LPC or LMFT) is regulated by the state board; faith integration is an approach some licensed clinicians offer, not a substitute for licensure. At Covenant Counseling, evidence-based care is the foundation. Faith is welcomed only when you ask for it — and you do not have to be religious to come.
People ask me this almost every week, and I understand why. The words can feel loaded. Some folks worry a "Christian counselor" will preach at them. Others worry a regular therapist will dismiss their faith. The good news is you don't have to choose between clinical care and your values — and you don't have to share my faith (or any faith) to sit in my office.
License first: what Mississippi actually regulates
Mississippi licenses mental health professionals through state boards. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Mississippi and Texas, and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Texas. Those licenses require graduate education, supervised experience, exams, and ongoing ethics and continuing education. You can verify Mississippi LPCs through the Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors.
What the state does not issue is a separate license called "Christian counselor." That phrase usually describes:
- A licensed clinician (LPC, LMFT, psychologist, clinical social worker, and so on) who is willing to integrate a client's faith when the client wants that, or
- A pastoral counselor or church-based helper who may or may not hold a clinical license.
Those are not the same thing. Pastoral care from a pastor or ministry leader can be deeply meaningful. Clinical counseling is a regulated health service with different training, scope, and accountability. When you are dealing with depression, trauma, addiction, or a marriage in crisis, I recommend asking first: Is this person licensed by the state to practice counseling? Then ask how they handle faith.
What "Christian counseling" means in my office
At Covenant, Christian counseling is faith-informed care offered only when you request it. It never replaces clinical assessment or evidence-based methods. It can mean bringing Scripture, prayer, or spiritual questions into the room alongside tools like cognitive-behavioral work, attachment-focused couples therapy, and trauma-informed care — not instead of them.
You might want faith in the room if:
- Your beliefs shape how you understand suffering, forgiveness, or hope.
- Church hurt, spiritual abuse, or doubt is part of what you're carrying.
- You want space to talk about God without getting a lecture or a quick fix.
You might not want faith in the room if you're not religious, you're unsure, or you've had enough of people using spiritual language to skip the hard work. That is completely fine. We still do the clinical work. My job is to follow your lead.
What the research says about faith-adapted therapy
This isn't just preference; there's a research base. As part of the APA Task Force work on psychotherapy relationships and responsiveness, Captari and colleagues meta-analyzed 97 outcome studies (N = 7,181) on therapy tailored to clients' religion or spirituality (Captari et al., Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2018).
Their findings, in plain language:
- Compared with no treatment, religiously/spiritually adapted therapy showed large gains in both psychological and spiritual outcomes (Hedges' g ≈ 0.74 for each).
- Compared with other (secular) therapies, adapted therapy still looked better on average for psychological (g ≈ 0.33) and spiritual (g ≈ 0.43) outcomes.
- In the most rigorous additive studies (same therapy approach, with or without a faith component added), faith-adapted care was about as effective as standard care for psychological distress (g ≈ 0.13, not significant), and better for spiritual well-being (g ≈ 0.34).
An earlier classic trial helps illustrate the point. Propst and colleagues randomly assigned religious clients with clinical depression to religious cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), standard CBT, pastoral counseling, or a waitlist. Religious CBT and pastoral counseling produced lower posttreatment depression scores than standard CBT or the waitlist; by later follow-ups, the active treatments looked more similar (Propst et al., Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1992).
I read that research this way: matching care to what matters to you can help, especially if spiritual well-being is part of your goals. It does not mean faith integration is magic, or that a secular therapist can't help a religious person. It also does not mean everyone needs faith in the therapy room.
Christian counselor vs. therapist: a simple comparison
| Question | Licensed therapist (LPC/LMFT, etc.) | Unlicensed "Christian counselor" / pastoral care alone |
|---|---|---|
| State license? | Yes — regulated, searchable | Often no clinical license |
| Training focus | Clinical assessment, diagnosis, ethics, evidence-based methods | Ministry, Scripture, pastoral support (valuable, different scope) |
| Faith in session? | Optional, if the clinician offers it and you want it | Often central by design |
| Best for | Mental health symptoms, trauma, addiction, couples work | Spiritual guidance, discipleship, church-context support |
Many people benefit from both — a licensed therapist for clinical work and a trusted pastor for spiritual care. The problem comes when someone with serious clinical needs only gets advice that skips assessment, or when faith language is used to shame them into silence.
Do I have to be religious to come to Covenant?
No. Full stop.
I come from a Christian background, and I am glad to integrate faith when clients ask. I am also a CSAT through IITAP, an ABCST candidate (American Board of Christian Sex Therapists), and I hold the clinical licenses above. Those clinical credentials are what allow me to practice. Faith is an offered resource, not an entrance requirement.
If you want a clear picture of my credentials and approach, that page lays them out. If distance or schedule is the barrier, I also offer online counseling in Mississippi for anyone located in the state.
How to choose well (a few practical questions)
When you call any office — mine or someone else's — these questions help:
- Are you licensed in Mississippi (or my state), and by which board?
- Do you integrate faith only if I ask, or is it required?
- What approaches do you use for the problem I'm bringing (depression, betrayal, porn/sex addiction, parenting, and so on)?
- How do you handle it if my beliefs differ from yours?
A good clinician will answer without defensiveness. You should leave the first conversation feeling respected, not recruited.
When to reach out
If you've been putting off counseling because you weren't sure whether a Christian setting would pressure you — or because you weren't sure a clinical office would honor your faith — I hope this clears the fog. You can have rigorous, licensed care. Faith can be part of it if you want. It doesn't have to be.
I'm Bruce Thomas, a Licensed Professional Counselor (Mississippi and Texas), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Texas), and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) through IITAP, with 25+ years of experience working with youth, adults, and families. I see clients at Covenant Counseling, 2692 W Oxford Loop, Suite 108, Oxford, MS, Monday–Saturday, 7 AM–7 PM, and online for anyone located in Mississippi. Call 662-380-6644 or request an appointment through the contact page on covenantcounseling.com.
If you're having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) any time, day or night.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for therapy or an individual assessment.
Sources
- 1.Captari, L. E., Hook, J. N., Hoyt, W., Davis, D. E., McElroy-Heltzel, S. E., & Worthington, E. L., Jr. (2018). Integrating clients' religion and spirituality within psychotherapy: A comprehensive meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(11), 1938–1951.
- 2.Propst, L. R., Ostrom, R., Watkins, P., Dean, T., & Mashburn, D. (1992). Comparative efficacy of religious and nonreligious cognitive-behavioral therapy for the treatment of clinical depression in religious individuals. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(1), 94–103.
- 3.Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors. License information.
- 4.Norcross, J. C., & Wampold, B. E. (Eds.). (2019). Psychotherapy relationships that work: Volume 2. Evidence-based therapist responsiveness (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. (Captari et al. chapter adapted from the APA Task Force on Evidence-Based Relationships and Responsiveness.)
