By the Book

"Do you you do Bible counseling?" she asked politely but hesitantly.
"Well," I answered, having no idea what she might mean, "I do use scripture as a resource in therapy."
Not good enough. She had been looking for a reason not to pursue therapy, especially after her husband was so vehemently and adamantly opposed, so this failure to meet her undefined criteria was just what she needed. She didn't slam the door shut, but it was obvious.
Since then I have gone back in idle moments, not obsessively but recurrently, to wondered what she was talking about. As one of the few self-proclaimed "Christian counselors" in Connecticut (long story for another time), I have believers of many variations showing up on my virtual doorstep, and the request for certain forms of treatment which seem to involve little more than prayer and laying-on-of-hands (no, no, not that type!) has been consistent. But this was new.
Did she mean that treatment would consist of quoting appropriate (or inappropriate) scripture passages intended to address her problem? This would be from the Bible translation of her choice, of course, and could quickly deteriorate into little more than a form of Bible study.
Or did she mean dealing with specific passages from the letters of Paul that have been used to get oppressed peoples to sit down and shut up? Whether we are talking about women submitting to their husbands, people of color accepting subjection, or gay, lesbian or transgender folk as bad, these passages (usually taken out of context or even totally irrelevant to the issue) are used more as a control maneuver than as regards the deeper relational issues.
Of course, she may be struggling with what scripture has to do with her everyday life. She may be in a place where she is trying to determine what she believes at all, and how to live that out. She may be on a journey with no clear destination and she is looking for a guide, a companion along the way.
And maybe she just wanted someone who opens the Bible at random and reads something which may or may not have anything to do with her (what I refer to as the "fortune cookie" approach to scripture.) Because that gives her the permission to stay as confused and lost as ever, but with the reassurance that she is still on the right road.