"The destiny of the world is determined less by the battles that are lost and won than by the stories that it loves and believes in."

—Harold Goddard

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Every counselor and counseling center has beliefs about why people flourish, and about what happens when things go wrong in human experience.  This influences how they believe people change in counseling, which often translates into what you can expect when you begin counseling.

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At Karis Counseling Services We believe that:

In the beginning, God created people in His image to enjoy His love and worship Him, and love and serve other people. (Gen. 1:26-27, 1 Cor. 11:7)

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But Mankind violated this relationship, alienating ourselves and all our descendants from God, from others, and from self. Life is often painful and complicated, Yet God has given us the Gospel: "Good, hope-filled news." (Ro. 3:23, Ro. 6:23, Jn. 11:25-26)

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Gospel-centered counseling embodies hope:

• That we can be met with warmth and compassion in our deepest pain;

• That we can learn to love and depend on God by following Jesus;

• That everyone, regardless of their beliefs, can find some amount of healing;

• That our stories can be grieved and celebrated in caring relationship;

• That we can gradually learn to love others boldly and truthfully;

• That we can learn to compassionately care for the needs of ourselves and others;

• And that Jesus will one day return to complete His work of redemption.

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"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."

—Saint Augustine