MARRIAGE  AND  FAMILY  COUNSELLING

       Rev. Tom Aicken has been in the pastoral ministry for over thirty-five years. During that time he has counselled many couples with regard to marriage and family problems. What most people do not realize is that just as there are many different kinds of problems (and each case is unique), so there are many different approaches to counselling (literally hundreds) and they are by no means equally effective.
      Mr. Aicken counsels according to principles from the Bible and is open about doing so with every couple from his first meeting with them. This is not what everybody is looking for, of course, but it is the very thing that a great many people are looking for, especially when they learn what it is. It is not at all uncommon for couples to be pleasantly surprised when they first learn just how thoughtfully and practically the Bible does address their own particular issues.
      If you want to learn more about this approach to counselling, please read Competent to Counsel by Jay E. Adams, and also his book The Christian Counselor’s Manual.
     If you have some marriage and/or family matters you want to talk over, and want to get some practical help from the Bible concerning them, Mr. Aicken would be happy to meet with you.
     There are, essentially, three different styles of counselling. First, there is counselling for the prevention of problems. This is done in a classroom situation with several couples at one time. If there is enough interest, such a class can be set up at our church.
     Second, there is premarital counselling, that is counselling for couples who are about to be married. This covers everything from leaving and cleaving to setting up a family budget.
     And, third, there is counselling for the resolution of problems that have become entrenched so that people do not know what to do about them. For these last two, Mr. Aicken likes to meet with people privately, one couple at a time, in his own home. Appointments can be made by telephone (604-888-0316).
     As a matter of principle, all private counselling sessions are kept in strictest confidence. Moreover, these sessions, along with any reading material that may be required, are provided free of charge as a community service.