Can you be my counselor?

Hello Rich!  

My name is Riley and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  I have read over your questions and 
I am not sure if I fully understand your questions but I will definitely try my best to answer them for you. 

Firstly, I will address you wanting to be closer to Christ. If you are looking for a counselor to bring you closer to Christ, I would recommend someone that has training or experience in Christian counseling or in religious affairs. This is a specific topic and isn't one just any counselor can do.   

I would encourage you to get help by a therapist for support and someone to talk to about your struggle.  You mention not having good influences around you and needing help. That is not very specific so I am unsure of what help you are needing, but I would encourage you to of course find a counselor you are comfortable with so you can start getting the help you are searching for.  BetterHelp is a great place to get that help as there are many different qualified counselors/social workers/therapists here that are waiting to help you. 

I do think it is important to to address you mentioning that you need a friend.  At BetterHelp the providers here are all trained in maintaining professional boundaries and following a code of ethics.  There is a clear line of being a therapist and not blending being a counselor/therapist and a friend. These professional boundaries are important to maintain in order for you to get the most out of counseling.  If you are struggling to make friends, counseling can help you work on developing social skills as a way to make and build on friendships to give you that added support.

I am not sure if this answered all of your questions.  If you still have more questions, or do not feel that I answered your questions appropriately, please feel free to ask another question or you can reach our support team to get any clarification if needed. 

I hope this helps!