Mission Statement: The Family Therapy Clinic at Oklahoma Christian University exists to provide high quality therapy services to clients and serve as a training environment for OC’s Marriage and Family Therapy program. The Family Therapy Clinic provides mental health therapy services at a discounted rate by clinical interns who are supervised by licensed and credentialed faculty within the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Oklahoma Christian University.

Non-discrimination statement: The Family Therapy Clinic serves all people without discrimination on the basis of race, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, sex, health status, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status.

Statement of Faith: Our staff and interns at The Family Therapy Clinic support OC’s Statement of Commitment found in the OC MFT program’s student handbook and see the delivery of therapy services as consistent with those principles.

Christian Training for Diverse Populations: We believe that Christians have a distinct call to help and serve others. This call to help and serve extends to people who hold similar Christian beliefs and those who do not. We believe that Christian therapists can and should help and serve clients from diverse backgrounds and worldviews. We explicitly believe that therapists should never interject their personal beliefs onto a client. We also support that a Christian therapist can effectively serve clients who hold differing personal or religious beliefs.

Regarding topics of sexuality and gender diversity: We believe it is important to articulate how we see a Christian perspective intersecting with counseling and the culturally important issues of sexual diversity and gender identity.

• A Christian therapist does not practice conversion therapy and would not recommend seeking this practice or treatment from others.
• If a client or family is navigating issues related to sexuality or gender identity, our role as clinicians is to help the client explore, process, and apply how their personal beliefs and values relate to sexual and gender identity.
• We recognize that people within the Christian faith view sexuality and gender identity from a variety of perspectives. In delivering therapy services, we do not advocate for one specific view.
• We do not seek to change sexuality or gender orientation but help individuals and families find a way to understand themselves that aligns their identity and religious beliefs as applicable.

Our framework on how we believe Christian therapists should operate and treat clients:

• A Christian therapist should help people explore, question and understand how the client’s personal religious beliefs and values impact their lives.
• A Christian therapist should not advocate or promote a particular set of beliefs or application of beliefs for clients.
• A Christian therapist should be trained, skilled and able to work with clients from a diverse backgrounds including diversity in race, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, gender, health status, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status.
• A Christian therapist should not discriminate clients based on race, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, gender, health status, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status.
• A Christian therapist should know their own personal beliefs, world view, and values and as a person can hold to those beliefs strongly.
• A Christian therapist should be able to work with clients who hold different beliefs from a stance of being informed, curious, non-judgmental, non-discriminatory and affirming of the client’s beliefs without allowing any of the therapist’s personal beliefs to inform delivery of services.
• We recognize that Christian communities have a range of views on sexuality and gender issues. A Christian therapist does not advocate for one specific view with our clients and does not seek to change a client’s view. We respect and support client’s holding a range of views.
• A Christian therapist does not practice conversion therapy and would not recommend seeking this practice or treatment from others.
• A Christian therapist can and should help a client explore how the client’s values and religious beliefs apply to all facets of life including sexuality and gender issues. If the client perceives a conflict between sexual or gender identity and their religious beliefs, then a Christian therapist should work to help the client resolve those conflicts in a way that fits within the client’s worldview and personal beliefs.

Approved 10/2022