All counselors at Cross Church are followers of Christ, with special training and experience in applying the truths of the Bible to life. They believe Scripture is sufficient to speak 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. They believe that the Bible ultimately points us to a Person and a relationship, Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, and that real change, growth and healing comes in the context of a living, vital relationship with Christ. They all believe that deep and lasting change is brought about only by God himself through the power of the Holy Spirit, with a strong emphasis on the influence of living in healthy, encouraging community. Their counsel is based upon the principles of Scripture first and foremost, and Christian teachings that align with the truths of God’s Word.

Through counseling at Cross Church, you will experience a non-judgmental, safe place to explore your problems with a compassionate, supportive, empathetic counselor who will meet you where you are and who will guide you to see your problem from God’s perspective, equip you with tools and skills to deal with your problem, and prayerfully help you to find hope, healing and meaning in the midst of your hardships and struggles. Their goal for you is to help you live more fully in your God-given identity, and experience peace and well-being in your daily life.

God created his children to heal and grow in relationship with each other. That is one of the important reasons why the local church is so necessary in the life of a Christian. Every aspect of Cross Church has a therapeutic component – Sunday morning worship, small groups, service to the body of Christ, etc. People oftentimes experience healing before they ever see a counselor when they embrace all aspects of church involvement, become honest with themselves and others in the context of safe relationships, allow direction and accountability from fellow believers, and allow themselves to be loved by and grow with others.

If you have done these things and still have struggles, then counseling can be an option for you as one component of your therapeutic process. If you still feel isolated and confused, your problem is getting worse and more frequent, you find yourself trying to numb your emotions, or you find yourself withdrawing or becoming unproductive in life due to your problem, then counseling may be for you. In addition, counseling provides a confidential relationship that becomes a temporary place of safety to work through difficult issues.

Keep in mind, though, that the knowledge, insight, and direction you gain from counseling still must be worked out in community and not in isolation. That is why we will always approach the process with a member with holistic healing in mind involving other aspects of the church and opportunities outside the counseling room.

Counseling requires a collaborative relationship and a willingness to work. Because counseling involves exploring painful places in order to find healing, you may experience discomfort and unpleasant feelings at times. This may result in disruption and turmoil in your life.

If you come with a desire to change, and the willingness to work hard in between sessions, you will see the best results. You will only reach your goals with ongoing effort and hard work. Your results from counseling depend on what you put into it. Counseling is not a passive activity. Purposeful, ongoing work outside of counseling sessions is needed to find lasting freedom from any specific problem or challenge. Remember that your problems did not occur overnight, so they will not be resolved overnight either. Counseling often leads to better relationships, solutions to problems, and a reduction of distressing feelings. Please be aware that there is no guarantee of a specific result in counseling.

During counseling, you will receive “tools” that you can use in your life as you work through current problems and encounter new ones after your counseling is complete. The counseling process includes collaborative goal setting and “homework” designed to help you meet your goals, as well as check-ins and evaluations along the way. Because the process is designed to help you find your own answers through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, you will not receive “advice” or “solutions”, but rather direction. Consider counseling the beginning of a journey toward a correct and greater understanding of God, yourself as his beloved child, your uniqueness and purpose in this world, and your problems in light of the teachings of Scripture. Prayerfully, this will result in a deeper, abiding relationship with Him, from where all answers ultimately come.

The goal of counseling is not to eliminate problems and produce a “finished product.” Unless you are at peace with this reality, you will never feel like life is “good enough” to free you from counseling. Scripture says we will always have pain and suffering as long as we are on this earth (John 16:33). The goal of counseling is to learn to navigate through rough emotional and relational times properly so they do not cause impairment in the ability to engage your primary life roles.

Confidentiality with any staff member at Cross Church is defined by pastor-parishioner privilege because we are a local church, and therefore, our staff members operate as agents of the church (pastors/ministers), not agents of the state (licensed counselors.) Confidentiality is an important aspect of our process. We will carefully guard the information entrusted to us. No record of your involvement with this ministry will appear on any churchwide database, or records kept in a place that is accessible to anyone except the individual you meet with.

Living Well counselors adhere to the AACC Code of Ethics. They also provide each client with a thorough explanation of confidentiality, explained in the Informed Consent. They are required to follow HIPAA law, which protects sensitive client health information from being disclosed without the client’s consent or knowledge.

If after reading these FAQs and Staff page you determine that one of these counseling services would be a good fit for you, you can use the “Request Help” link on the main counseling page. Someone will respond to your request by phone and help you with next steps.

Please be aware that this ministry is not an emergency service, and an immediate appointment will not be possible. If you have a medical or mental health emergency, you should call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room or mental health facility.

If you would like to contact Living Well directly, you can call 479-521-1296.

Each counseling option is different. Please check the Staff page for specific costs.

Each counseling option is different. Please check the Staff page for specific locations.

In order to receive services from Julie, Gina, Chris, Sophia, or one of our Ministry Team Members, you must be a member of Cross Church, having completed Growth Track and signed a Membership Covenant. This is to adhere to the Arkansas Law which states that unlicensed counselors can only counsel within the membership of the organization.

If you would like more information on Growth Track, please click here.

You do not need to be a member of Cross Church to receive services from Waylon, Elizabeth, Living Well, or another professional in the community because they are licensed with the state of Arkansas and can serve anyone.

Please check the Staff page for specific information about what each counselor offers.