“The Mission of the Hope Counseling Center is to come alongside hurting people with the comfort we have received in Christ and to send out equipped counselors to serve the Church.”
Why HOPE?
We are a Church-based counseling center. While we respect experts and specialists in the counseling field, we think that the Church has a unique role in bringing the Hope of the Gospel, the wisdom of the Scriptures and the care of the local church to bear upon peoples' problems and suffering. We believe that wise biblical counsel alongside healthy, encouraging community (the local church) is immensely beneficial for most personal challenges, if not all of them. Our counselors are not licensed by the State which provides us the freedom to counsel from a distinctively Christian worldview.
We are committed to providing a balanced and Biblical approach to counseling. By “biblical counseling” we mean that your counselor is a Christian with special training and experience in applying the truths of the Bible to life. We believe that the Bible speaks to all of life and to all of its problems, but sometimes it takes careful thought and prayerful wisdom to know how to make those connections. We believe that the Bible ultimately points us to a person and a relationship – Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. We believe that real change comes when people learn to see themselves and their problems in the context of a living, vital relationship with Christ. This does not mean that you must be a Christian to profit from our counseling, although we believe that deep and lasting change is brought about only by God himself. Our approach in counseling would be considered cognitive behavioral therapy with a strong emphasis on the influence of living in healthy, encouraging community. Our counsel is based upon the Scriptures and other Christian teaching.
Who We Are
We are a team of committed Christian counselors and members of North Wake Church who volunteer to provide free or donation-based biblical counseling to those in need. We offer this service to our community at the pleasure of our church Elders and the Membership of North Wake Church. We are not Licensed Counselors, Psychiatrists or Psychologists. We are a Church-based counseling center. While we have not chosen to pursue licensure, many of our counselors are formally trained with either a Masters Degree in Biblical Counseling, a Masters Degree in Divinity or are pursuing such a degree from an accredited Seminary. As a Church-based counseling center, we primarily receive oversight from our Church Elders and Pastoral Staff.
What To Expect
Expect a Listening Counselor: Proverbs 18:13 says, "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame." Therefore, in all of your sessions, but particularly the first several, the counselor will work hard to listen and understand your situation.
Expect to Look at Scripture: Isaiah 9:6 says, "...and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, ..." We don't place confidence in a human counselor, a counseling center, or a program. We place our hope in a Savior, the Christ, the Wonderful Counselor. Ultimately, all faithful Christian counseling points to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the source of our counseling will be Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 declares, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Expect Work: Your counselor will provide homework for you to complete prior to your next session. Counseling is not a passive activity. Purposeful work outside of weekly appointments with your counselor is typically needed to find lasting freedom from any specific challenge.
Expect to Pray: In a way, prayerlessness communicates, "I am enough". Therefore, expect to go to the Lord and pray during your sessions (Col. 1:9-11).
Expect to Meet Regularly: Each counselor has different preferences on their session lengths. Most counselors prefer a 50-60 minute session length, however, some prefer 80-90 minute sessions. Your counselor will schedule your session for their preferred session length.
Our Story
In 2001 North Wake Church saw a need within Wake Forest and surrounding communities to address depression, anxiety, and various marriage problems from a distinctively Biblical counseling perspective. HOPE Counseling Center was born under the vision and direction of Dr. Sam Williams, a Counseling Professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Elder of North Wake Church.
F.A.Q.
Read our list of frequently asked questions.