The Christian Counselor's Manual Chapter 10

Presuppositions and Methodology

In this chapter the overall premise is that the word of God is better than any form of psychology or psychoanalysis. I would have to agree that the Lord is bigger than anything else out there and the best comforter is truly the Holy Spirit.

The author sites an example of a man with “mental illness” that had been going to a secular therapist for two years and experienced zero changes in his illness. After a lengthy conversation devaluing worldly counseling the author summarizes, “Your problem, then, must be the result of some unknown nonorganic cause affecting a nonorganic part of you that has caused a mysterious nonorganic illness.” At which time the client told the author that he was right. The author concludes that the client was practicing blind faith in the expert (therapist) that had given him a psychiatric label, relieving him of responsibility and allowing him to believe that he could make no changes in his sickness, of which a minister or pastor could not understand according to this man (Adams, J.E., 1973, p.80).

It was surprising that the author stated about Dobson’s approach to change, that it is, “cold and godless.” He continues that it is, “centered on manipulation but says nothing of biblical confrontation” (Adams, J.E., 1973, p.82).

He continues to complain about Skinner’s non-standard approach with his comment that, “Christians alone can say what a man should be, for they alone have that standard in God’s written and living Word” (Adams, J.E., 1973, p. 84).

His complaint about Rogerianism is that he believes that, “man is good, not evil.” Which in turn leaves God, Christians and scriptures, un-needed (Adams, J.E., 1973, p. 84-86). At this point, I begin to disagree slightly with the author. In my experience the reverse thought that man is evil and not good, could be detrimental to the way that we view people in sessions, their motives and abilities to change. If we can see that yes truly people do sin, but the desire to do good is prevalent in most people. No one wants to sin, but because of habits, tendencies, the lust of the flesh and giving into desires that temporarily satisfy, they do. When a person truly comes to the saving knowledge of the Lord on the cross, His sacrifice of love and mercy, that person is a person that wants to do good, but because of whatever habits have been formed from circumstances that guided the person, they continue to sin. As counselors, we must keep in mind that the person is in your office for a reason. They’re seeking help and that should be commended.

this blog is not complete, but will be continued...

Adams, J.E. (1973). The Christian Counselor’s Manual. p. 71-97. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.