What types of counseling issues does Crossroads address?

People come to Crossroads with many different struggles. We believe that the Bible speaks to all of life's issues. Therefore, we apply a Christ-centered worldview to these problems and have seen lifechanging results. Some of the issues that we regularly counsel include:
          • Marriage, parenting, and family issues
          • Pre-marital counseling
          • Depression, anxiety, anger, compulsions, phobias, grief, and other emotional struggles
          • Eating disorders
          • Responding to various kinds of abuse and trauma (i.e., verbal, physical, sexual, etc…)
          • Addictions, pornography, and other dominating life habits
          • Personality disorders and identity issues
          • Assurance of salvation and guilt

What are the qualifications of Crossroads counselors?

Crossroads counselors have formal training in both the Bible and counseling. All counselors have at least a master's degree in counseling, as well as theological training. Our counselors do not carry state licensure due to our conviction that counseling belongs in the church, and due to matters pertaining to separation of church and state. The state prohibits counselors from biasing their counsel based upon religion (i.e., prayer, referencing Scripture, involving the local church, mentioning Christ, offering the gospel) or a specific moral code. This is stated explicitly in the code of ethics of the American Psychological Association (APA):

          PRINCIPLE E: RESPECT FOR PEOPLE'S RIGHTS AND DIGNITY: Psychologists accord appropriate respect to 
          the fundamental rights, dignity, and worth of all people. They respect the rights of individuals to privacy, confidentiality, 
          self-determination, and autonomy, mindful that legal and other obligations may lead to inconsistency and conflict with 
          the exercise of these rights. Psychologists are aware of cultural, individual, and role differences, including those due to 
          age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status. 
          Psychologists try to eliminate the effect on their work of biases based on those factors, and they do not knowingly 
          participate in or condone unfair discriminatory practices (emphasis added). Crossroads counselors abstain from state 
          licensure, not because of a lack of training or experience, but as a matter of conviction in order to be able to practice 
          counseling in a manner that is genuinely Christ-centered. Our experience and training in dealing with the complex 
          problems in living combined with a distinctively Christian world-view ensures that you will receive excellent care that is 
          consistent with and strengthens your faith.

How much does counseling cost?

Crossroads is solely supported and able to operate because of the financial donations of its clients. Therefore, it is the responsibility of each counselee to maintain the operating expenses of Crossroads. The fair-market-value of counseling in the Augusta area ranges from $75.00 to $125.00 per 50-minute session. Your responsibility is to pray about the amount God would have you donate for the counseling you receive and be obedient to Him in your giving. Donations are expected at each visit.
Donations should be in accord with what a man or woman has, not according to what he or she does not have. Therefore, no one will be refused counseling because of the amount of their donation. We have made intentional efforts to keep our operating expenses extremely low. However, there are some expenses that are unavoidable. We have closely examined our budget and
determined that we require an average of $50.00 per counseling session.
We pray that God will allow us to continue to provide Biblical Counseling to the CSRA with a financial policy that makes it accessible to everyone. We want to be able to maintain our commitment to never charge fees for our service. Thank you for prayerfully considering your donation to this ministry.

Does Crossroads qualify for insurance payment?

Crossroads does not accept third party reimbursement for our service. However, some insurance companies will reimburse your expense at Crossroads as an out-of-network provider. In today's health insurance climate, insurers are increasingly reluctant to pay for any out-of-network provider, but check what your policy covers. If you have coverage, we are glad to provide you with invoices and other documentation necessary to file for reimbursement with your insurance company. However, you will be expected to make a donation at the time of your session and have your insurance company reimburse you.

How long does counseling take?

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

What is "biblical 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. At Crossroads 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. 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. However, the Bible is never brought to bear in an artificial or heavy-handed way.

How does Crossroads work with the church?

We believe that the church is God's chosen context for change. Jesus redeems and renews his people by joining them to himself. In so doing, he also joins us to each other to create a vital community of change and growth. We consider all of our counseling to be an extension of the ministry of the local church and a way of serving and promoting its ministry. In a sense, our counselors serve 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 counselee 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 counseling process or even (with the counselee's permission) inviting them to be part of the counseling sessions.

Having said this, Crossroads is very sensitive to the issue of confidentiality. The Bible repeatedly warns against gossip and indicates that trustworthy persons keep confidences. To release counseling information without a counselee's consent would violate biblical standards as well as commonly accepted codes of counseling 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.