CHRISTIAN COUNSELING AT ITS BEST 1

Christian Counseling at its Best

WORKING OUTLINE

Steven E. McDonald

Liberty University

COUN 507 - Theology and Spirituality in Counseling

Sub-term: D06; Deadline: 2 Aug 2011

Instructor’s Name – Dr. Rita Smith

Date of Submission 31 July 2011

CHRISTIAN COUNSELING AT ITS BEST 2

I. Introduction:

God’s love is limitless, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not

send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might

be saved” (Jhn 3:16-17, NKJV). Knowing this, the Christian therapist realizes the

ultimate sacrifice and infinite love God has made known to redeem mankind unto

Himself.

II. What is Important for Understanding Human Personality?

A. Personality

“People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1

Sam 16: 7b, NIV).

Man’s personality is a reflection of his motives rooted in personal worth. Both

male and female has a need for significance and security; however, “for men the

primary route to personal worth is “significance” and for women the primary

route is “security” (Crabb, 1977, p. 62).

B. Motivation

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast

created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev 4:11).

“Whatever one’s other problems may be, there can be no change that is

acceptable to God, and in the long run, to the counselee, until fundamental,

positive change toward God has occurred” (Adams, 1986, p. 3).

“We have to see before we’ll be free” … “We can’t get help for problems we

can’t admit we have” (Wilson, 2001, pp. 106-107).

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“Locate your misbeliefs … Remove them … and, Replace misbeliefs with the

truth. (Backus & Chapian, 1980, p. 15).

C. Human Development

Mankind was made for oneness but not codependence, “And the LORD God said,

It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him

… Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto

his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen 2:18; 24 , KJV).

“The requirement for oneness is two complete people. The Bible defines a

complete person as a mature person.” (Cloud & Townsend, 1999, p. 86).

Some of the sin issues that people are dealing with are psychological and some

are spiritual. “Research based on the scientific method … is not wrong; it’s just

incomplete. It [secular methods] ignores the influence of the spiritual world,

because neither God nor the devil submits to our methods of investigation”

(Anderson, 2000, p. 21).

D. Individual Differences

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of

the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jer

1:4, KJV).

According to Adler, “The pattern of an individual’s life was set by about age 5.

As a result of heredity, environment, and the individual’s own creative work, the

lifestyle is developed very early on and is relatively immune to change”

(Murdock, 2009, p. 116).

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“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” Ps

51:5).

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye

will serve” (Jos 24:15a).

God has a preordained destiny for our life; however, He also made us with a free

will to choose good or bad. God does not wish anyone to perish and go to hell,

but it is the individuals’ decisions that determine their destiny (2 Pet 3:9).

III. Where are Problems Developed?

A. Working Definition of Health

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring

health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Prov 3:7-8, NIV).

“After a stressful situation allow yourself plenty of time to “unwind,” and do your

unwinding slowly” (Hart, 1999, p. 42).

B. Working Definition of Illness

“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?

Those things result in death!” (Ro 6:21, NIV).

“Though we were created for dominion and relatedness, we managed to pervert

both capacities in the Fall” (Jones & Butman, 1991, p. 49).

C. Psychological and Spiritual Illness

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy” (Ps

94:19).

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“Only those counselors aware of psychological symptoms, theological principles,

and spiritual formation will be able to discern the best treatment” (McMinn, 1996,

p. 11)

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of

self-discipline” (2 Tim 1:7, NIVok).

D. Role of Integration and Multitasking

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your

mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and

acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, NIV).

“In order to integrate psychology and Christianity, it is necessary to define the

contours of psychology and the contours of Christian orthodoxy” (Entwistle,

2010, p. 246).

IV. How to Source Problems and Structure Effective Intervention

A. Key Elements of my Theory

“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line;

here a little, and there a little” (Is 28:10).

The five key roles in Christian counseling are: “1) Participants: authentic presence. 2)

Observers: professional objectivity. 3) Engineers: continually assessing and adjusting to

client need. 4) Ministers: serving as conduits of grace. 5) Disciples: counseling as an act

of obedience and service to God.” (Hawkins, 2011, p. 2)

B. Process and Techniques

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“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be

opened to you, For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one

who knocks, the door will be opened” (Mat 7:7-8).

“With misbelief therapy the client is informed immediately that the plan of action

involves his hard work at changing the lies and misbeliefs which have victimized him”

(Backus & Chapian, 1980, p. 23)

C. Expectations of Effectiveness

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow

tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will

renew their strength” (Is 40: 29-31a, NIV).

“Mistaken beliefs are at the root of a lot of anxiety … Once you start challenging your

own mistaken ideas, you will find it gets easier and easier - that is, if you start by

challenging the mistaken belief that you can’t change your mistaken beliefs” (Hart, 1999,

pp. 112, 114).

V. How does my Worldview influence my Theory?

A. Theoretical Considerations and Worldview Dimensions

“‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was

God He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made … In

him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the

darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jhn 1:1-5).

“Everyone has a worldview - a window through which he or she views the world,

framed by the assumptions and beliefs that color what he or she sees” (Entwistle,

2010, p. 55).

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“Without love for the counselee, and method or technique will fail. But with love,

you can succeed even without aids” (Adams, 1986, p. 103).

B. Approach to Integration

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).

In order for Christianity and psychology to integrate, psychological methods must

be filtered through the Word of God (Crabb, 1977, p. 49).

“Our task is to critically evaluate the major secular psychotherapy theories in light

of Christian revelation and faith” (Jones & Butman, 1991, p. 39).

C. Conclusion