In Luke 10:1, Jesus sent out His disciples to do the work of ministry in pairs: “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.”
In biblical counseling, we have applied this Scripture to the work of ministry and therefore, we counsel in teams of two. It’s not merely an observation for the second counselor but time to participate in what the Holy Spirit is doing! It is TEAM counseling not one person doing counseling and one person watching!
I love Dr. Garrett Higbee’s approach in Chicago, Illinois, where he involves a lead counselor, an apprentice, and an advocate in the process. He not only has 2 counselors but an additional third “advocate” person who is learning and being discipled in the process as well (www.biblicalsoulcare.com).
So I am not the ONLY one championing this approach! You can read all about our approach in the new edition of Strength in Numbers: The Team Approach to Biblical Counseling (www.focuspublishing.com). Our forms are in that book as well as an outlined approach and rationale for our ministry.
Hilary Clinton had it right when she said: “It takes a village.” She just had the wrong village – it’s not the government but the CHURCH! The church is commissioned by God to care for souls, not the government!
-Mark (thankful for the safety, wisdom, and love in the TEAM approach to biblical counseling)