Central to psychological counselling is to help others to think more positively about life, especially to have hope.  

There is a time to face the approaching and potential dangers in life that could be disastrous if not avoided.  As humans it is wise to beware of what could go wrong to avoid potential problems.  However ruminating in our dark thoughts on the most potentially sad things that make us dwell in traumatic fear can be disadvantageous.  Ruminating on negativity for too long is not good for our mental health.  

To dwell too much and too long in what could potentially go wrong, has the disadvantage of increasing symptoms of anxiety and depression.  

Psychological counselling focuses on helping people change the way they view life from being negative to being more positive.  

If you think too long about what could go wrong and the stupid mistakes you have made that caused you to lose out on the good things of life.  You can dwell on how much you have basically failed in life, and regret missing out on the love you know you have lost out on. You can compare yourselves to other who you believer have better loving relationship than you now have in life.  You can regret and believe you have missed out because you have been so stupid, naïve and don’t have reasons to expect much better in life.  You can think dark thoughts, you can believe wrongly that fundamentally you aren’t much of a person anyway.   You can end up feeling hopeless and ignoring the good options in life because of such negativity.  Such dark thinking is not only irrational and false but can lead to depression and anxiety and anger.  

Everyone is made in the image of God and thus is valuable and loveable.  For everyone there is the potential of heaven if they trust in Christ.   This positive hope is even more so for those in Christ who have a sure hope and security of God’s love both in this life and the next.     

The promises of God are there regardless of what status and worldly success we might experience in life.  Even if you lose your marriage and family, working life and poor finances and declining health, God remains there.  Even experiencing shame, poor mental health, suffering and loneliness, our faith continues to provide hope and joy and peace.  Regardless of who you are and what status in life you are experiencing there is the positive reality our faith in action: seeking to live out faith by demonstrating good works in our dealings with others.

There is the realistic hope of miracles in this life, the potential that God can turn things around, so that we can experience more prosperity, health, honour, happiness and find love in this life.  However as believers we have much more hope that just in this life, and our own individual prosperity.  Regardless of whether we suffering or not, how we live our out character matters eternally.     

Our goal as Christians is to love honour and glorify God.   Aso our goal is also to love, respect and build up other people.    

Each of us has this important spiritual journey regardless of what status and worldly success we might experience in life.

Psychologists in counselling use a wide range of techniques and tactics to change your thinking to being more in touch with reality in a positive way.   Christianity is also a way that can be used to change your thinking from being negative to being more positive.  It is based on truth.  Christianity gives hope, joy and peace not only for this life, but for the life to come. It applies to everyone.

I can’t think of a better and more helpful psychological way to help change clients thinking from being negative to being more positive and hopeful but meditating on the reality of hope of the  Gospel of Jesus Christ.

John 10:10b (NIV) 

“I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Philippians 4:4 (NIV).

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” 

Romans 15:13 NIV
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." 

Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.”