What is biblical counselling? 

By “biblical counselling” we mean that your counsellor is a Christian with training and experience in applying the truths of the Bible to life. At Lighthouse Centre for Biblical Counselling, 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 don’t believe that the Bible is simply a how-to book or a recipe book for happiness. 

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We believe that the Bible ultimately points us to a person and a relationship – Jesus Christ as our Saviour 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 counselling, although we believe that deep and lasting change is brought about only by God himself. However, the Bible is never brought to bear in an artificial or heavy-handed way. 

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What is the process of getting counselling? 

We ask you to fill out the Personal Information Form which allows us to see the issue that you are seeking help with and to determine who might be best placed to help and when. Initially you are placed on a waiting list and we will be in touch with you to indicate the likelihood of timescales to be seen. We trust that you will bear patiently with us as we continue to help others before meeting to help you. 

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How long does counselling take? 

The length of counselling can vary greatly, depending on the problems being addressed. It is unusual for counselling to take less than five sessions; it can average around twenty sessions. Some of the most critical factors in effective counselling are coming with a positive attitude, setting concrete goals with your counsellor, and working to stay focused on those goals. 

 

 

When is counselling available? 

Hourly appointments are currently available on Mondays from 9am until 6pm. There may also be some evening appointments available. Hours are dependent upon the counsellor and their availability. When you fill out your initial Personal Information Form (opens in new tab), you will be able to indicate the hours you are available and that preference can be taken into account. 

 

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What does it cost? 

Although no one is turned away because of an inability to pay, we ask for a donation for each session you receive based on your annual income. This is in conversation with your counsellor and at their discretion.

 

Annual Income                             Suggested Session Donation

Low earners/on benefits              £5-15

Mid earners                                  £20-30

High earners                                 £35-45

 

Information about donations will be given at the initial session.

 

Is there any financial assistance?
Unfortunately we are unable to offer financial assistance to counsellees. However, there are several ways to lower your counselling costs: 

•  Seek assistance from your family or church – We suggest you check with your family or church pastor/church leader(s) to see if they can provide help with your counselling fees. Many of our counsellees have benefited from the generosity of their own congregations. We encourage churches that are referring people for counselling to consider the financial arrangement and whether help can be given as a way of caring for those in your church family or not (Samaritan’s principle). 

• Merkinch Free Church has a fund available for its adherents and members that can be accessed by speaking with Chris Davidson. 

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Where are you based/available to counsel? 
We are based in Inverness. Appointments can be arranged face to face in locations as agreed with the Counsellor and you.

 

What if I can’t make my appointment? 
If you need to cancel and/or reschedule your appointment, please notify your counsellor 48 hours before your scheduled appointment time. Future appointments will be arranged as per counsellors availability.

 

How do we work with churches? 
We consider all of our counselling to be an extension of the ministry of the local church and a way of serving and promoting its ministry. As counsellors we consider ourselves as “temporary staff” to the churches that refer their people to us for help. In that spirit, we seek to partner with the church in any way that will strengthen the counsellee and the church. At the very least, that means asking counselees to apply the truths they are learning to their relationships at church. When appropriate, it may also mean keeping a pastor, small group leader or other shepherd informed about the counselling process or even (with the counselee’s permission) inviting them to be part of the counselling sessions.
 

Having said that, we are very sensitive to the issue of confidentiality. The Bible repeatedly warns against gossip and indicates that trustworthy persons keep confidences. To release counselling information without a counselee’s consent would violate biblical standards as well as commonly accepted codes of counselling ethics. However, situations in which a counselee or another person is in imminent danger of physical or sexual abuse may require us to share that information with relevant persons. Please refer to our note about confidentiality.