Why Counseling?
People often find themselves “living in the flesh” and experiencing thought patterns that leave them dead at the core of their personalities. They find themselves powerless over anxiety and fear, longing to be set free. They experience traumatic events, life’s trials and overwhelming losses that often lead them to become what might be described as “the walking wounded” who are in desperate need of healing.
Christian counseling exists to help those in need to “possess their souls” so they can fully trust God, to love Him with all their hearts, and to respond to the challenges and difficulties of life with confidence and hope through His power. The goal of Christian counseling is to help free people to experience God’s pardon, purpose, and power so they may become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ as well as to
lead people to the realization of who God created them to be – forgiven, loved, adopted children of a perfect Father who delights in His creation and truly cares for his people.
What Is At the Heart of Christian Counseling?
- The recognition that God is the primary counselor
- The reflection of the overall goal to restore worship in the hearts of hurting people
- The leading of troubled people to trust in God and all of His attributes
- Engendering profound gratitude for God in both the counselee and the counselor
- Acknowledging that God sets the counseling agenda and serves as the standard for change
What Can I Expect From Christian Counseling
- A collaborative process between a caregiver (counselor), a care seeker (counselee), and God
- Committed to the process of moving forward under the authority of the Word of God
- Empowered by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit
- Facilitated in a context and spirit of accountability and encouragement
- Directed towards the goal-driven outcome of possessing all of the elements in the soul for the purpose of pursuing one’s identity in Christ
What Is The Riverside Baptist Church Counseling Ministry?
RBCCM is a newly formed ministry of Riverside Baptist Church offering a Bible-based, Christ-centered approach to counseling. Our mission is to connect hurting people who are experiencing life’s challenges to the restoring love and power of Jesus Christ. RBCCM counsels from the inerrant Word of God through the authority, clarity, necessity, and sufficiency of Scripture that can more than adequately provide the answers to life’s most difficult and challenging trials.
AM I REQUIRED TO BE A MEMBER OR ATTEND RIVERSIDE TO RECEIVE COUNSELING?
You are not required to attend or be a member of Riverside Baptist Church to receive counseling as it is our mission to serve our surrounding community regardless of attendance or membership. However, it should be noted that those who consent to counseling are agreeing that they will be receiving Bible-based, Christ-centered counseling from a trained pastoral counselor and should not be misconstrued as a substitute for mental health treatment in the state of Florida.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The Riverside Baptist Church Counseling Ministry serves as a true ministry of Riverside and will never charge a fee for any counseling services. We only encourage those receiving counseling to consider making a donation of any amount directly to the counseling ministry.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
RBCCM is a ministry of Riverside Baptist Church and is aligned with the RBC mission and the statement of the Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention.
MEET THE COUNSELOR
Joseph Goelz, Director of Counseling Ministries
Joseph serves as the primary pastoral counselor for the Riverside Baptist Church Counseling Ministry. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy and Psychology from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida and a master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling and Community Chaplaincy from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Joseph’s areas of expertise and focus are in grief and loss/bereavement and terminal illness for adults and children as well as marriage & family counseling. He has been a clinical music therapist for over 30 years as well as having served in worship ministries.
Joseph has been married for over 15 years to his wife Catalina and has two children.
