Christian Counseling Methods Essay

IntroductionChristian counsellors are doing theologys work and essential(prenominal) function the ghostly Gifts with which they were blessed to be qualified to reach their leaf nodes. mend it whitethorn be difficult to always reach a invitee right away, when a Christian pedagogy can be stiff and inspection and repair several(prenominal)one understand what divinity desires for them, it can be a truly(prenominal) fulfilling and satisfying experience. But the Christian counselling must know what order they be after to use with each invitee and habitus come in quickly if they convey to fox orders to become to a greater extent(prenominal) effective in reaching the leaf node. As is the case with secular counselling, Christian hash forbidden has many antithetical methods that can be utilize. date thoroughly-nigh of these methods are preferred by to a greater extent focusings than others, they each smell some similarities and some differences, i ncluding in their goals, suppositions, strategies, and how to develop a discuss program in spite of appearance a perform community. This paper impart attempt to excuse those similarities and differences, with the methods being compared to Lawrence Crabb, Jr.s method that he wrote ab extinct in his 1977 countersign entitled Effective Christian Counseling. snap off I Goal of Christian CounselingFrom the rattling beginning of his book, Crabb tells Christian counsels that they must ask the question What is the client reddentually asking for? (Crabb, 1977, p. 20). Christian counselors must submit to de nameine what a client is essay to get out of way. If the client is attempting average to receive happiness out of commission, they whitethorn non hand the correct expectation as they start counsellor. genius of the goals that clients should yield is to become closer to Christ. As Crabb states, An obsessive preoccupation with my happiness, however, often obscures our understanding of the biblical route to turbid, abiding joy (p. 20). Counselors must direct their clients to keep the Word of immortal and to follow in the path that He has set bundle for them.Christians are told that if look to the Lord and wind up seatedat His right for all of eternity, this will grant us eternal happiness. To be subject to realize this, Crabb tells Christians that they must touch for and set about spiritual and psychological maturity. To obtain this, Christian counselors need to push their clients to do two things. Crabb says that Christians, to mature, they must obey immortal in the present moment and a deal strive for long-range character egress (p. 23). If Christians mature spiritually, it will make it easier for them to follow the path divinity has set d confess for them and their happiness, in this look as well as the next, will increase.Rogers Client-Centered Therapy (RCCT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Rational emotional Behavior Therapy (REBT) all have genuinely similar goals. totally three methods spill less about concentrating on semipermanent (next life-time) goals and centralise much more than on the immediate goals that a client wants in the near approaching. Instead of maturing spiritually and psychologically, RCCT, CBT, and REBT focus more on plainly disciplinary actions and teach that undesir qualified responses can be unlearned and replaced with more desirable ones (Andrews, 2010, p. 112).Clients are taught ways to avoid continuing the uniform behaviors that they may have acted on in the past instead of learning wherefore divinity fudge wants Christians to obey Him. Learning how to be more like Christ and what rewards calculate us in the next life is a great motivator to back up Christians mature and achieve all of their goals for this life and all eternity with God.While Christian focusing may have a diverse overall goal than RCCT, CBT, or REBT, this does non mean that Christi an discuss can non use some of the concepts of the other methods. using multiple methods and finding the right method to reach each client should be the overall goal of any font of counseling, be it religious or secular. If this is not the overall goal of the counselor, the client may want to carry on finding another(prenominal) counselor who will better look them.Part II Basic ConceptsOne of Christian counselings roughly important basic concepts is getting deep into a persons fountainhead and figuring out exactly what is lacking from them not just mentally, but spiritually that may make them less quick than Goddesires them to be. As Crabb (1977) describes, Christian counselors must realize out what kind of face-to-face worth does a client sets in themselves, how significant do that client consider themselves in the grand scheme of Gods creation, and how secure is the client in their own skin (p. 61).Every client may have a different way of defining their own private wor th, and this is something that a Christian counselor must be able to recognize. Effective Christian counselors will be able to figure out where their client feels the safest and where the client feels like they have the approximately significance in spite of appearance Gods Kingdom. Without being able to do this, it will be very difficult for a Christian counselor to effectively reach their client and pundit change within that persons life or actions.REBT can be very effective when used in coordination with Christian counseling. Although the founder of REBT, Albert Ellis, was originally staunchly anti-religion, his philosophical stance toward religious beliefs has clean softened (Johnson, Ridley, and Nielsen, 2000). Mr. Ellis has so far stated that even devout religious commitment may be service of processful for many clients (Johnson, et. al.). This shows that even soul who originally rejects the idea of God being suspensorful to those suffering in their lives can be shown the light.The basic concept of REBT began by stating that multitude shaped their views and actions by the shade within which they were brought up. Depending on a persons culture, that can assistant determine their self-worth, their own significance within their culture, and how secure they feel within their culture because of their place in society. Christian counseling can be used to help them understand that God views everyone, no division what skin color, age, or social class, as equal and as His children.Christian counseling may have differing concepts from RCCT, CBT, and REBT at quantify. All counseling concepts, however, look to assist the client in their lives. By using the methods together, the Christian counselor may be able to find that the client is more loose to the advice that is being conkn to them and more minded(predicate) to act on that advice.Part one-third Basic StrategyThe main outline of Christian counseling is to help the client identify issues going on in the clients life and how the client can better theiractions to be more like Christ. Identifying issues, behaviors, mindsets surrounding actions can help to change a persons actions when the same situation may tog up in the future. As Crabb (1977) states, one of the most important strategies later in counseling is to course of study what your client will do differently now that his cerebration has changed (p. 157). The wideness of identifying the poor thinking processes and figuring out how to correct those processes cannot be understated. Just because the thinking has been identified does not mean a person will act on changing it unless some sort of plan is put into place with the counselor.RCCT has what could be exposit as a very unconventional strategy of helping the client. RCCT states one of the strategies is that the therapist, in no way, should judge or measure out the individual (Kensit, 2000). This seems a very contrary request to make of a therapist. While it is good for the client to determine the direction of each counseling session and what they feel like disclosing to their counselor, not allowing a counselor to evaluate the client seems a very dangerous strategy. The client may be more open to their counselor, but they are also not receiving any feedback, be it positive or negative, and may not be able to determine for themselves how their actions need to be corrected and how they can mitigate their lives.Christian counseling seems to have the more effective strategy when it comes to helping clients improve their lives and mindset for the long term. Having a counselor help identify should be more effective than just having a counselor sit and listen and not give any true feedback. Without some feedback from the counselor, the client may as well not come into counseling, as they are not truly getting much out of it.Part IV Developing a Counseling Program in the local anaesthetic ChurchChristian counseling is really the only method where the perform is used and where programs are developed. While it was written intimately 30 years ago, Crabb (1977) states that In the churches particularly, assembly work and fellow counseling have spread in epidemic port (p. 163). This seems to still hold true today. in that respect are many different types of peer reserve groups in church, such as young married couples, mens groups, womens groups,divorced groups, and many more, and they all use Christian counseling methods to support each other within the group. Having someone who is in the same or a similar situation that you may be in is helpful.While many of the pile in these groups may not have any sort of true learning in counseling methods, often times there is a moderator who will help move things along and can offer up assistance to those who may need a professional to talk to in access to their peer group. By using the Spiritual Gifts with which members of the church are equipped, peer counseling and havin g counseling programs within a church community can be just as effective as having individuals essay professional help.ConclusionChristian counseling would appear to get deeper into a clients psyche than secular counseling. While RCCT, CBT, and REBT can be effective in helping someone change their actions for the brusque term, Christian counseling should prove to be more effective for most clients. Christian counseling looks much longer term than the other styles of counseling. Using Christian counseling in coordination with some of the other methods may assist RCCT, CBT, or REBT to be more effective and successful. Having a basis in looking towards the long term future and figuring out what God wants for His people will never be a bad method of counseling, just so long as you find a way to reach the person, use the resources nearly them, and are able to figure out what a client uses to determine their own value in Gods creation.ReferencesAndrews, L. W. (2010). Cognitive-Behavior al Therapy. In Encyclopedia of Depression (Vol. 1, pp. 112-113). Santa Barbara, CA Greenwood Press. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http//go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu2048/ps/i.do?action=interpret&id=GALE%7CCX1762700076&v=2.1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&authCount=1 Crabb, L. J. (1977). Effective biblical counseling. Grand Rapids, MI Zondervan Publishing class Johnson, W. B., Ridley, C. R., & Nielsen, S. L. (2000). Religiously sensitive rational emotive behavior therapy Elegant solutions and ethical risks. master key Psychology Research and Practice, 31(1), 14-20. doi10.1037/0735-7028.31.1.14 Kensit, D. A. (2000). Rogerian scheme a critique of the effectiveness of pristine client-centred therapy. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 13(4), 345-351. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from