In the counseling process, one should not take Jean’s issues lightly because she clearly faced mental instability and abuse when growing up. She has also faced condemnation from the pastor’s family who in this case should have unconditionally loved, cared, and embraced her. It is sad that, Jean has never been loved when growing up and the Christian family, has as well isolated her. In addition, she has never had a model in the Christian family even from the pastor and his wife. With this in mind, this is the time when the therapeutic relationship from the counselor is crucial. Indeed, Jean does not need to be reminded of her sin, her bad choices, and her lifestyles; rather she needs love and acceptance. She needs to be allowed to make her …show more content…
McMinn (1996) believed that for one to be an effective counselor one needs to acknowledge that counseling is an intense personal process which reflects the counselor’s spiritual life, experiential, and educational background. In regard to spiritual life, McMinn (1996) believed that redemption and forgiveness involves humility, self-awareness, and empathy. He further stated that, redemption is the aspect of allowing the client’s life to be restored without judging. Confronting of sin is not recommended in the counseling process if there is no good level of trust between a client and a counselor. In response to this, McMinn (1996) identified four scenarios in which a therapist can utilize to confront sin which are, direct censure, questioning, pondering, and silence. In Jean’s case, I believe the use of silence would be the best approach of confronting her sin. Jean is fully aware of her bad decisions and does not need to be reminded. The pondering approach may also be effective to help her uncover emotions caused by childhood experiences. Overall, the use of silence is important as it helps the counselor understand the client’s stand without having to judge. As an effective counselor, one should
All three disciplines are useful in counseling. He gave practical insights on using religion in the counseling office, moving toward psychological and spiritual health, using prayer and scripture in counseling, and choosing whether or not to address sin in a client’s life. McMinn (2011) also gave practical insights on confession, forgiveness, and redemption. McMinn (2011) discussed various challenges counselors could encounter in working with their clients. After reading McMinn’s (2011) book I do not have any criticisms. The book is an easy read; however, the reader does not want to rush through it or else important points will be
The first important concept that I discovered was The cry of the soul. This concept stating that christian counselors hear the cry of the soul, which means being attentive with clients. And focusing on their past hurts, present struggles and future hopes (Hawkins & Clinton, 2015, p. 3). To deliver the best counseling, it’s important to know and understand the journey of the client and see the various obstacles they’ve endured during their growth in life.
McMinn (1996) states, a Christian counselor’s “spiritual life spills over in interactions with everyone, including clients” (p. 13). A few other challenges that McMinn (1996) identifies are as follows: the necessity for a scientific basis, the need for ethical standards, and challenging the dominant models of mental health. While evaluating each religious intervention, McMinn (1996) poses three questions to ponder that consist of asking the reader if the intervention will establish a healthy sense of self, sense of need, and establish a healing
According to Hawkins and Clinton (2015), Christian counseling is a collective process that includes at least three persons which are the counselor, the client and God’s trinity (Hawkins & Clinton, 2015, p. 39). The main objective of the relationship between these three forces is to obtain transformational
This book is for professional people helpers like Counselors, Guidance counselors, Christian School psychologists, Pastoral Counselors, Pastoral care givers, NursesPastors, youth pastors, Deacons, Elders- and other professionals who interact/ intervene in other people’s lives.
Your job is to help people deal with the changes that come into their lives and make changes that will improve their lives (Collins, 2007, pp. 3-4). Additionally, Pastoral counseling can be both distinctively pastoral and psychologically informed. This occurs when it takes the identity from the rich tradition of Christian soul care and integrates appropriate insights of modern therapeutic psychology… (Benner, 2003, p.14). ). The primary goal lies with change; and our change is stemmed by our reliance upon the Father for change and healing and through “Jesus Christ [who] is the only all-sufficient and perfect healer for hurt people” (Wilson, 2001, p. 14).
This paper is the development of my personal theory on Christian Counseling. I use many scriptural references to support my beliefs and stress the importance of gaining wisdom and knowledge from the bible. It incorporates all of the presentations, readings, and critiques I did at Liberty University’s Theology and Spirituality in counseling course. I talk about how I integrate Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality into my Christian counseling and believe that they all have a lot to offer the Christian counselor. The role of integration and multitasking is necessary to be an effective Christian counselor under the guidelines of the American Association of Christian
Even though Psychologists have generally been uninterested in sin or the concept of sin, as Christian’s counselors, we must understand sin from theological and spiritual perspectives. McMinn’s believes that changing behavior in a client is not more important than changing the inner life of a client. These methods will also allow personal honesty, humility, and discernment in the Christian counselor’s personal and spiritual
Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling by Mark R. McMinn (McMinn, 1996) covers a Christian counselor's life in and out of counseling sessions. McMinn's book is dedicated to recognizing and developing the relationship between counseling and Christian faith rather than a dry Theology. This resource work divides the discussion into 8 chapters, each addressing a vital aspect of Christian psychological counseling and each having a section outlining challenges, methods and anticipated outcomes. The first chapter is co-written with James C. Wilhoit and stresses the importance of the counseling/faith relationship while presenting various challenges confronting the counselor and possible approaches to facing those challenges. The second chapter enumerates the Christian faith's major
McMinn tells how psychology, theology, and spirituality are used and how they should be used in Christian counseling. A Christian counselor has to look at not necessarily psychology and theology in a counseling session but how religion and spiritually is brought into the session. McMinn (2011) states, “Religious interventions require us to understand spiritual formation, place priority on personal spiritual training as well as professional development, challenge prevailing models of mental health, work toward a stronger scientific base, and sensitively recognize ethical issues” (p. 26). Counselors need to work on their own spiritual foundation so they can are able to help clients. This consists of prayer, scripture, redemption, sin, forgiveness, and confession (McMinn, 2011).
Chapter two starts off with the author talk about his education of true christian counseling before settling on one called the discipleship approach (Collins, 23). Readers explore some people-helper principals; starting with “the helper.” This principal starts out citing Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia in which Paul instructed the leaders there to “restore” the individuals who were apparently struggling with sin and other issues (23). Paul instructs that only those who are spiritual may help the struggling individuals so that the struggling individuals may get the real help they need by means of healthy, loving caring relationships. In principal two, we learn how to help people that can be difficult to penetrate
The beginning section of the book describes the challenges counselors face in dealing with clients. (1). Moving from Two Areas of Competence to Three (2). Blurred Personal-Professional Distinctions (3).Expanded Definitions of Training (4). Confronting Dominant Views of Mental Health (5). Establishing a Scientific Base (6). Defining Relevant Ethical Standards (McMinn, 2011). After mapping out the challenges facing interdisciplinary integration, McMinn first divides his renowned book into eight rewarding chapters including summary and reflection following each of them. He also uses vignettes in order to ask his readers”What if this Happens” scenarios (McMinn, 2011)
professional distinctions, the expanded definitions of training, the difference in worldview, scientific deficiencies, and ethical challenges. McMinn (2011) believes that Christian counselors are exposed to difficulties with counseling, because there are many things that they have to focus on. Some of the things they focus on are the problems that the client is dealing with, helping the client to establish a relationship with God, and helping the client to live with lasting positive effects of establishing that relationship with God. Therefore, McMinn (2011) talked about a mapping process that will help Christian counselors. In his mapping process, he provides a simple plan of healing (McMinn, 2011). McMinn (2011) describes this simple
In the book, “Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling”, author Mark McMinn gives the reader information on how these three entities can work together in Christian counseling. McMinn offers several ways in which this can be done including the use of prayer, Scripture, confession, forgiveness, the effects of sin, and redemption in counseling sessions. Through narration of counseling vignettes displaying different results, from different approaches demonstrates for the reader integration. There are very many counselors in different walks in their faith and McMinn helps to explore this area for future and practicing clinicians.
This situation represents the worst of both worlds. It is a theoretical quagmire that no counselor ever wants to find themselves having to deal with. The observer must separate this situation in three phases: the pastor, the young woman and the therapist in order to look at the situation clinically but more importantly skillfully. The pastor approaches life from a dualistic perspective and has a very dark side. Unfortunately, the pastor’s concept of life misrepresented Christianity (McMinn, 1996). Christianity represents more than a personal behaviors or thoughts but also embracing the spirituality or supernatural (McMinn, 1996). The pastor even though he performs the duties of a Man of God, there was more to this than a condition of sin.