Christian counseling has benefited from the insight that psychologists have discovered about the human mind. However, it is important to note that many aspects of effective Biblical counseling differs greatly from that of its secular counterparts. This study will compare and contrast the theories of Dr. Crabb as outlined in his book, Effective Christian Counseling, and some of the theories held in popular secular counseling: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, and Rogers’ Client-Centered Therapy. Goal of Christian Counseling When one sets out to accomplish a task, it is imperative that a goal be set. Dr. Crabb sets forth the goals for Christian counseling as “MOVE OVER and MOVE UP” (Crabb, 1977). Dr. Crabb theorizes that a counselor must help a client move over into the pathway of spiritual obedience and to move up in which the client obeys not only externally, but also internally (Crabb, 1977). By moving up, the client not only experiences a change in thinking, but ultimately that change also involves a change of heart, changed goals, and a transformation of the personality (Crabb, 1977). The effective Christian counselor will be able to look beyond the “fundamentally self-centered” goals of their clients and will be able to set a goal of helping the client find “spiritual and psychological maturity” (Crabb, 1977). Dr. Crabb’s goal-setting theory differs from that of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). REBT is a form of psychotherapy pioneered by Albert Ellis (Johnson, Ridley, & Nielson, 2000). The goal of REBT is for the client “to understand exactly how they create their own emotional reactions by telling themselves certain things, and how they can create different emotional reacti... ... middle of paper ... ...quired to comfort and exhort one another: “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” Therefore, a non-involved role of a therapist cannot fulfill the role that God has for them. Dr. Crabb suggests that at times it is important to just listen (Level I counseling), but sometimes the counselor must be prepared to exhort and enlighten (Crabb, 1977). Throughout the study of comparing and contrasting Dr. Crabb’s method with that of the REBT, CBT, and RCCT, it is apparent that the plan laid out in Effective Biblical Counseling by Dr. Larry Crabb is the best approach for the effective Christian counselor. The plan laid out of Dr. Crabb fully institutes the role of the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ in the life of the client, and the client is fully dependent upon God for change instead of depending upon their own abilities.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy(REBT) was developed by Albert Ellis. REBT is to teach people how to fight against faulty beliefs and to help to get a new way of living to the patient. Also, REBT is based on the premise that emotional and behavioral problems are originally learned from significant others during childhood. Therefore, the therapist might use ABC theory of personality to work with Todd to overcome his difficulty. First, the therapist find out the negative event is Todd has trouble sleeping (A, the activating event). After that, to find out that Todd’s emotional reaction may be worrying about maintaining his 4.0GPA (C the motional consequence). Finally, Todd might find that why he believes he had to maintain his 4.0GPA (B, the
As a Christian counselor, we have the power of the Word on our sides, but so many of us do not understand how to properly apply scripture into the counseling relationship in an effective manner. In Interventions that Apply Scripture in Psychotherapy, Garzon (2005) attempts to accomplish the following; educate individuals on the various techniques one can use to apply scripture, and to encourage and stimulate God ordained creativity in the hopes to create new techniques and methods for applying God’s Word in the counseling relationship.
Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling written by Mark McMinn and published by Tyndale House in 2011 notions towards the idealization that Christian counselors need to be privy in the most recent psychological methods as well as theological theories. “This is a book about counseling processes techniques” (McMinn, 2011, p. 150). McMinn also alluded that Christian counselors benefit from having a spiritual maturity. With having these attributes counselors are better prepared to take note of prayer, Scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption. McMinn (2011) model flows in the direction of healing while equating to a more advantageous relationship with The Lord Jesus Christ as well as with other relationships (McMinn, 2011).
Clinton, T. & Ohlschlager, G. (2002). Competent Christian counseling: Foundations and practice of compassionate soul care. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press.
The in-class counseling practice exercises gave a great insight into the various counseling theories and techniques. By role playing, I was able to better understand the challenges and benefits of the theories and how it applies to the current field of counseling. In the following, I will attempt to communicate my experience both at an academic level and spiritual level.
Mark McMinn purposely writes this twofold book to first, address the pragmatic assimilation of psychology, theology, and spirituality. Secondly, he explores the spirituality of a Christian counselor, and how this aspect of character affects the methods he or she may use to represent Jesus Christ when dealing with clients. Altogether, this book discusses the dual need for Biblical Counselors to multitask with clients while pursuing personal development in spirituality to advance a Christian worldview. The objective is to “help Christian counselors and researchers unite around certain key questions and perspectives so that our interventions become increasingly relevant and effective" (p. 6).
REBT therapists focus on having the clients think rationally. Irrational thought does not help a person reach goals (Bishop, 2004). Rational thought in REBT is not the general definition where it’s “logically valid”. Rather rational thought is cognition that is effective for an individual (Ellis, 1999). Irrational thinking causes emotion reasoning, low frustration levels, and automatic thinking the worst of a situation. However, rational thought is flexible and realistic which helps a person reach their goals (Bishop, 2004)
Gary Collins, a Christian counselor, helps individuals to comprehend their full potential using a God-centered way of coaching. He believes that, through coaching, an individual builds up a vision for their life and a desire for a good future. The book aids coaches to acquire skills that they require to help others, to emerge winners during difficult and challenging moments in their life. The book is also designed to develop Christian coaches’ in questioning, listening and responding. These can help Christian coaches to assess themselves and build up a strategy for their work. Collins rewrote the second edition in order to simplify his coaching methods. The second publication develops his practical skills as a new head in the world that is changing quickly, which includes how to use diverse situations, insights based on the Bible and customized forms among others.
Confidentiality. Confidentiality is just as important in Christian counseling as it is in secular counseling. According to the American Association of Christian Counselors (2014), “confidentiality recognizes that every client has a fundamental, moral and legal right to privacy and to have a wide range of personal thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and behaviors that are protected from public knowledge” (p. 22). It is crucial for counselors to maintain client confidentiality unless what a client discloses brings harm to themselves or other people. Confidentiality should be kept at all
Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) was established by Albert Ellis and he has found that what individuals accepted unequivocally influenced how they responded rationally. Accordingly, when their beliefs became irrational, it would make individuals feel skeptical, edgy or bad tempered and would even prompt pounding toward oneself state of mind (Psych Central.com, 2014). REBT is a pragmatic methodology to help people in taking care of and vanquishing troubles and in addition attaining objectives. REBT places a decent arrangement of its point of convergence on the present and locations state of mind, undesirable feelings and nonadaptive practices that can affect life fulfillment adversely. REBT additionally gives a show
However, it does not matter how strong a person’s faith is or how weak a person faith is, everyone in Christian counseling starts off the same. It is a process how a person develops overtime. This is similar to a child learning how to tie his or her shoes. At first they do not get it but overtime, it becomes of habit and the person get better. According to Clinton, Hart and Ohlschlager (2005),” they believe that Christian counselling has to do with and learning applying the principles of the kingdom on living to the chronically sins, fears, failures, and dark areas of our life (p.21). When people are at their lowest point he or she turn to Christ to get the throughout tough times. Furthermore, in chapter two a person learns about the trust and fined our truth. In chapter two it discusses becoming a trust worthy counselor. In Chapter two, I realized that is all about gaining the clients trust. If the client, does not trust the counselor then no typ of relationship can be bonded. The client is in a venerable state and the counselor has to make sure that the can feel free to be
bless to be a counselor, but Dr. Crabb's biblical teaching in Christian counseling will lay out the foundational requirement to enable the ones
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a form of Cognitive Behavior Therapy created by Albert Ellis. REBT was one of the first types of cognitive therapies and was first called rational therapy. In 1959 the name was changed to Rational Emotive Therapy and did not get its current name, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, until 1992.
On the down side there are a limited number of educational programs that adequately deal with the issue of incorporating religion and spirituality in therapeutic/counseling settings. This can be attributed to the fact that counseling is based in psychology, a scientific field, which has traditionally neglected issues of a spiritual nature (Nelson, Kirk, Ane, & Serres, 2011) as well as the practice used within the United States to separate education and religion (Cashwell and Young, 2011). This then results in a significant portion of therapist and counselors who are not prepared to address the issue of spirituality and religion with their clients. One would think that with the value many Americans place on the topic of religion and spirituality that there would come a time when a client would want to address this topic during his or her session.
Newman, Willis C. Bible Teaching about Christian Counseling: Theory and Practice Tacoma: Newman International LLC 2006) 32.