20 Kinds of Counseling

by Jack Hyles

1.  Decision counseling; people facing a decision in their life-routine decisions of life.  (Dating, car buying, job offers, house buying, etc.)  This is done after the services, (no major counseling then).  Don’t give much time to people for this, and arrange to see people quickly, one after another, three min. each.

2.  Marital counseling.  Should be done by appointment, and no less than one hour should be given with both parties present; one waits then both together.

3.  Advice counseling.  (strife, situation, etc.) 15 min.  When people do not know how to handle a situation in life.

4.  Rebuilding counseling.  On a regular basis, (1 week or more) do not give rebuilding counseling to women.  (Give no regular appointments with women) Have a woman do this, or have your wife present.

5.  Preventive counseling or public counseling.  Try to figure what the needs of the people are and preach on it.  (Keep track of the subjects you counsel on) Encourage your people to read books as a preventative measure.

6.  Spontaneous counseling.  If you see people on the spot you can cover their need much more quickly ( 3 min. or so) especially if you sense you can handle it quickly.

7.  Counseling by mail.  Refuse to counsel on major problems by mail.  Promise to pray.  Be ethical concerning church matters.  (Tell people to cause no problems if they must leave.)  Use form letters.

8.  Regular counseling, Rebuilding counseling is a part of this.

  • –  Seeing report cards of fatherless children.
  • –  Helping people lose weight.
  • –  Teaching someone to preach.

9.  Refereeing counseling.  Have people to agree to do what you say and don’t see them again if they don’t see you.  Tell them not to gripe at each other all week and write down their grievances and bring them to you.

10. Check up counseling.  See people regularly whom you have helped to see their progress.  (every two weeks for two months, then every month for six months.)

11.  Prayer counseling.  Meet regularly to pray for people each day to help them have the victory that day.

12.  Telephone counseling.  Work in emergency counseling on the spot over the phone.

13.  Praying for the sick.

14.  Group counseling.  Talk to people who have the same interest in one group on a particular matter.

15.  Senior appointments.  Ask every high school Sr. to have an appointment some time during their senior year.  (Never give advice you are not asked for.)

16.  Pre-martial counseling

  • –  Tell them the 4 causes of divorce: (Money trouble, sex trouble, in-law troubles, and      child discipline troubles.)
  • –  Offer to explain to the young men the facts of the life.
  • –  Advise young ladies to get counsel from a woman.  (find the right person for her.)
  • –  Require them to read some books.  (Act of Marriage, by T LaHaye and Cathy Rice’s book)

17.  Testimony counseling.  Preach to people by giving testimonies of victories in other’s lives that you know they need.

18.  Seeking advice counseling.  Ask a teenager or a woman what they think the person should do whom you counseled. (What would you do if?)

19.  Third person counseling.  Telling someone about a counseling session you had with someone else that fits them, but without them knowing you are offering advice.  Make a reference to their sin by referring to another.

20.  Cooperative counseling.  Calling a Dad to ask his advice concerning a daughter’s staying in school when he has said he wants her to leave.  Make him part of the decision.

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