Michael Loftis, L.C.S.W. Doctrinal Statement
Simply put, Christianity informs my counseling perspective. This does not in any way mean that you should be or need to be a Christian to visit with me, or that I will approach your session with a preachy manner. Sometimes clients prefer to leave the Christian perspective out of their sessions, and other times clients come to me specifically for that added spiritual layer of understanding. Here is a helpful article on the differences between Christian counseling and secular counseling, if you’d like to know a bit more about them. As I said, though, Christianity informs my perspective, so below are the doctrinal statements of that perspective:
- I believe in ONE GOD, CREATOR of all things, consisting of three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Gen 1; Deut. 6:4, Matt 3:16-17, II Cor. 13:13)
- I believe the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired Word of God. (II Tim 3:16-17)
- I believe in the Virgin Birth, the physical death, and the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Rom 8:11, Matt 1:18-23, Luke 23:26-56)
- I believe that the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ provide the only means of forgiveness, justification and salvation. Those who believe in Jesus and accept Him as Lord and Savior become the children of God. (Rom 8:11-17, Rom 3:21-26, Eph, 2:8-10)
- I recognize the importance of integrating the whole person, including spiritual, psychological, and physical elements. (I Cor 3:16, I Cor 6:19-20, I Thess. 5:23-24, Luke 10: 25-28)
- I believe that the journey to emotional health and wholeness is facilitated by offering ways to integrate Biblical principles into everyday life. (Eph 3:16-19, Luke 10: 25-28)