Christian counseling works by recognizing the close connection between a person's emotional or psychological well-being and their faith. It allows clients to bring their whole selves into therapy to develop coping strategies that align with their personal beliefs. Christian counseling draws upon the principles of Christianity to help individuals navigate mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, relationship problems, grief, or anger. It is important to note that not all Christian counselors are licensed therapists. While some integrate evidence-based psychological principles into their practice, others may not.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) stresses the role of thinking in how we feel and what we do. It is based on the belief that thoughts, rather than people or events, cause our negative feelings. The therapist assists the client in identifying, testing the reality of, and correcting dysfunctional beliefs underlying his or her thinking. The therapist then helps the client modify those thoughts and the behaviors that flow from them. CBT is a structured collaboration between therapist and client and often calls for homework assignments. CBT has been clinically proven to help clients in a relatively short amount of time with a wide range of disorders, including depression and anxiety.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is the treatment most closely associated with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Therapists practice DBT in both individual and group sessions. The therapy combines elements of CBT to help with regulating emotion through distress tolerance and mindfulness. The goal of Dialectical Behavior Therapy is to alleviate the intense emotional pain associated with BPD.

Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is an evidence-based form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that offers effective treatment for various conditions including anxiety, phobias, and eating disorders. It is considered a particularly effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). ERP usually includes a dozen or more sessions and starts with assessment and education. ERP then follows two essential steps, firstly, individuals are directly exposed to stimuli that typically evoke fear, distress, obsessive thoughts, or compulsive behaviors. Secondly, they learn therapeutic techniques to prevent their usual maladaptive responses.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a method of therapy that works to engage the motivation of clients to change their behavior. Clients are encouraged to explore and confront their ambivalence. Therapists attempt to influence their clients to consider making changes, rather than non-directive explore themselves. Motivational Interviewing is frequently used in cases of problem drinking or mild addictions.