Hi, I’m Jeremy Ward
Christian Counsellor
I’m passionate about joining the dots between what God says and the stuff of life. It’s people who’ve helped me to do this who’ve been most helpful for my growth and maturity in the Christian life. Their impact has convinced me that God really does know our experience intimately. The things He says and the way He relates to us really make a difference. His words reorient us to the things we’re facing. They reshape the way we respond. Once you get a taste of His way of changing us—and the freedom it brings—you realise there is no other way worth living.
It’s this experience of being helped by others that’s motivated me to pursue training in biblical counselling. You can read more about that training and my approach below.
But first, a little more about me. I’m married to Hayley and a father to Heath, Rory, Amber and Aiden. We live together in Sydney’s Inner West.
Currently I’m set apart for Christian Counselling three-days per week (Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays). When I’m not counselling I also work two-days per week as a Graphic Designer for Katoomba Christian Convention (KCC).
Currently I’m enjoying Aiden (in his first year of life)—particularly as he’s learning to smile and interact—reading Famous Five novels with our boys and playing with Amber on the trampoline. I enjoy coffee, metal music (to the surprise of many!) and photography.
“My mission is to point people to Jesus, who comes close and offers help and hope, especially in our difficulties.”
— Jeremy Ward —
Approach
& Philosophy
My training is in biblical counselling. This means that I approach personal problems through the lens of the Bible. Whether you’re facing the pressure of a particular hardship or you’re finding yourself stuck in a bad pattern of responding I seek to understand this on the basis of what God has said.
I’m open to learning from the insights of psychology, psychiatry and medicine. But I also recognise the limitations of these fields. Usually, such professionals are not interested in relating our difficulties to knowing God and being known by Him.
Since we are both physical and spiritual I aim to keep knowing God central to whatever issue you are facing.
If you haven’t already, you can watch my video “What is biblical counselling?” below.
My Training
Following my Master of Divinity at Sydney Missionary & Bible College (SMBC) I have completed a Foundational Certificate in Biblical Counselling through the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF) with a number of additional units.
My specific CCEF training includes completion of the following units:
- Dynamics of Biblical Change (taught by David Powlison)
- Helping Relationships (taught by Ed Welch)
- Counseling in the Local Church (taught by Tim Lane; now taught by Michael Gembola)
- Biblical Interpretation; now Scripture for Life and Ministry (taught by Mike Emlet)
- Human Personality; now Applied Theology of the Person (taught by Ed Welch)
- Counseling Observation (taught by Ed Welch)
- Marriage Counseling (taught by Winston Smith; now taught by Aaron Sironi as part of the Masters in Arts Counseling program)
- Counseling Abusive Marriages (taught by Darby Strickland)
- Problems and Procedures; now Everyday Problems in Counseling (taught by Ed Welch; now taught by Lauren Whitman)
- Theology & Secular Psychology (taught by David Powlison; now part of the Masters in Arts Counseling program)
I have been approved as a Biblical Counselling Australia Accredited (BCCA) Counsellor. (This is quite rigorous involving 400 hours of supervised counselling, agreement with BCA’s Purposes and Beliefs, BCA’s Code of Ethics & Practice, a National Police Check. Full details here.)
Jeremy receives ongoing professional supervision from Karl Hood, lead counsellor at MECCC and Executive Director of BCA. He is also participates in ongoing professional development with a group of biblical counsellors who meet together monthly in Sydney, as well as a monthly Zoom consultation group chaired by Ed Welch.