Counselling Today

The Importance of Counselling

The current world scenario shows that world health is going to take a serious dive into the negative as the WHO says that by about 2010 mental health problems are going to rate in the first two of the top ten health problems of a pandemic nature. I refer to an article published in a local Cape Town based news paper where a doctor was reviewing the desperate need for soft approaches to counselling and the health of people with mental health problems.

From a Biblical perspective, it does not take a rocket scientist to observe the declining state of consecration and anything goes attitude in respect to ministry and the church. "How the mighty have fallen". A weak attitude and low understanding of pastoral counselling inside the institution of the Church as well as in the community has spelled out this lack of foresight in the training of pastors to handle and manage simple to complex issues, with regard to helping people on their pilgrimage out of problems and to move on in life with God and their fellow man. There is a general lack of knowledge with regard to counselling in the Church as an Institution that can affect the heart attitude of the community ,that is to effect for life rather than as an event on Sundays.

The importance of Counselling in the market place

From a secular point of view, psychology is the study of mind, thought, and behaviour. It is largely concerned with humans, although the behaviour and thought of other animals is also studied; either as a subject in its own right (see animal cognition), or more controversially, as a way of gaining an insight into human psychology by means of comparison (see comparative psychology)

Counselling is the resultant offer of help and healing from both a Biblical and Secular perspective, as truth is at the base of the issue involved in the understanding of human problems, there is human truth, animal observation and there is Biblical Truth.

Biblically we have to introduce ourselves to these aspects of human study. When we examine the science of human psychology we appreciate the animalistic approach of man outside of God ,in other words, if God is removed from the equation the result is usually animal, but when God is included in the equation then the result is one of dignity. This short circuits mans approach and enters man into Gods design for life and that which may have taken years to apply or conquer has a more dignified result in restoring man with God. Thus from a Biblical perspective the Church as an institution has the main task of restoring that God given dignity by bridging the gap between God and Man.

The importance of counselling in the market place should not and need not be excluded from the equation of understanding and the knowledge to bring wholeness in the community and the market place. This is attainable by recognition of what God has provided through the Ministry of Bible Based Counseling, this is the restoration of dignity to man.

Education and Psychology combined for better counselling.

Counselling is conducted both scientifically and non-scientifically. Mainstream psychology is based largely on positivism, using quantitative studies and the scientific method to test and disprove hypotheses, often in an experimental context.

Counselling on its own tends to be eclectic, drawing on scientific knowledge from other fields to help explain and understand behaviour. However, not all psychological research methods follow the classical scientific method. For instance Gods order of things and His observations are Eternally different to our subjective approach to ourselves. Humanly speaking there are influences that can be cited or recorded for specific comment and psychological assessment, but in Gods order of the Divine, His comments are that the problems of man is related to Sin.

Qualitative research utilizes more interpretive techniques and is descriptive in nature enabling the gathering of rich clinical information, unatainable by classical experimentation. Some psychologists, particularly adherents to humanistic psychology, may go as far as completely rejecting a scientific approach. However, mainstream psychology has a bias towards the scientific method, which is reflected in the dominance of cognitivism as the guiding theoretical framework used by most psychologists to understand thought and behaviour.

It is here that Biblical Counselling must also be appreciated from a Biblical Bias , and a God given assessment of the problems of mankind , with the understanding of God given Therapy and cure for Sin , of a God given therapy in the outworking of a Biblical Psychology which results in Holy Spirit directed Bible Based Therapy , which ignores the negavity or positivity , but bases its work of counseling not only by human techniques but on the Therapy and leading of the person of the Holy spirit and in particular His gifts to the Christian as counsellor of which the attained knowledge and discernment play a big role. Counselling does not necessarily refer to the brain or nervous system and can be framed purely in terms of phenomenological or information processing theories of mind. Increasingly though, an understanding of brain function is being included in psychological theory and practice, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, neuropsychology, and cognitive neuroscience. Therefore the Biblical Course cannot ignore the understanding of illnesses, neither can it ignore the interventions of God in the healing processes.

Biblical Based Counselling differs from sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science, in part, by studying the behaviour of individuals (alone or in groups) rather than the behaviour of the groups or aggregates themselves. Although psychological questions were asked in antiquity (c.f., Aristotle's De Memoria et Reminiscentia or "On Memory and Recollection"), psychology emerged as a separate discipline only recently.

The beginnings of Psychology in its organized form.

The first person to call himself a "psychologist", Wilhelm Wundt, opened the first psychological laboratory in 1879. Various forms of Therapy offered in the course of psychological theory development and practice were developed by Wundt as a "psychologist". Other noteworthy contributors are (these are not the only ones):

Integrity Therapy - O. Hobart Mowrer

A Freudian who argued that we find solutions to our problems when we reveal them. Freud argued that most problems have its roots in sex - differences in the sexes etc. For example a man might see himself competing for his mothers affection and so act up against his father. These feelings are hidden deep inside the person says Freud.

Mowrer argued that repressed feelings must come out into the open and be expressed. It must be dealt with openly by confession. Only then is there release of stress and tension.

Mowrer did not like the Freudian approach. He argued that guilt must be dealt with through confession.

Nouthetic Confrontation - Jay E. Adams

Adams being a Christian Minister argued that confrontation with the truth as found in the Word of God was crucial for ministers to be able to break through the barriers of deceit that people build around themselves. He also taught that counselling was truly a Biblical and pastoral issue and was a part of ministry in the church but that it had been lost and needed to be rediscovered or restored to pastoral ministry for the sake of the Church's health.

Integrity Therapy, Christian - J.W.Dakeford

Integrity Therapy wants to make the person responsible through openness, dialogue, confession and positive approach to action. (Hamilton, pp. 57 ). It wants to bring out the persons sense of values. J.W. Drakeford changed the system into a Christian approach.

Transactional Analysis - Thomas Harris

This is a therapeutic approach, good for interpersonal relationships and works well in group and marriage counselling situations. Theory advanced by Paul McCormick and Leonard Campos in Introduce Yourself to Transactional Analysis and Thomas Harris in I'm OK, You're OK. The Theory argues that there are three ego states in every person (Hamilton, pp. 57) A kind of mirror effect on the offspring.

1. Parent - you behave like your parents.
2. Adult - you sort out facts and feelings
3. Child - you behave as you did as a child, adventure investigation etc.

There are no problems when they meet straight across. Trouble arises when they criss cross- inter - cross communication arises. "The relationship between persons are called transactions (exchanges) between persons." ( Hamilton, pp. 57 )

This will be picked up on in the section of Communication and Counselling

Reality Therapy - William Glasser

Work: Reality Therapy in 1965 immerged as a reaction against Freudianism. It is concerned with the present. The emphasis is on responsible behavior The person must be willing to accept responsibility for his actions.

Rational Therapy - Albert Ellis

Guide to Rational Living. Roots in Greek philosophy. A humanistic approach - no place for God or emotions and Scriptural guidance.

Ellis' Presupposition : Man's problems stem from irrational thinking. His problems can be solved by reason - thinking it through .He argued that a man can enjoy fulfillment and express himself creatively and emotionally by being rational, organized and disciplined in his thinking. This is not a good approach. It is humanistic which gives no room for the spiritual side of life and leaves no room for emotional expression of, Man is a fallen creature. He cannot see things clearly.

Misbelief Therapy - William Backus

Deals with the problem of percolating effect of a consistent internal monologue. These all involve devaluating of the person.

He offers the counsellor Three Misbeliefs in Depression:

1. I am no good;
2. My Daily life is no Good;
3. My Future is Hopeless.

Therapy counters these percolations by Telling the truth about God and you.

"You are a creature of infinite worth" etc.

Mind maps

M. Scott Peck speaks of this area that can help people come free from the areas that trouble them in "residual memory".

The development and evolving a new mind map for future survival is a way to go.

Client-centered therapy

Carl Ransom Rogers, born Oak Park, Ill. Jan. 8, 1902, died Feb. 4, 1987, pioneered in the development of scientific methods for studying psychotherapeutic outcomes and processes.

His client-centered therapy (earlier called non-directive psychotherapy) is among the most widely employed techniques in clinical psychology.

Learning how to create a psychotherapeutic relationship that the client may use for personal growth is the central theme in Rogers's Theory.

The characteristics of a helping relationship are that the therapist is

1. genuine,
2. accepting of both his or her own experience and that of the client, and
3. empathetic and understanding.

The troubled person is then likely to trust his or her experience, to find new meaning within it, to base choices on more complete evidence, and to find life more lively and satisfying.

Rogers used a statistical method for studying self and ideal concepts before and after therapy and employed direct observation and psychological tests to measure psychotherapeutic growth. He explored the philosophical assumptions and models of human nature inherent in humanistic and behavioristic conceptions (see humanistic psychology). Later, he was concerned with the implications of therapeutic understanding for broader areas of life.

Tim La Haye - M Scott-Peck - Roger Hurding - Jay E Adams - Neil T Andersen - William Backus - Dr. James Dobson - Fred Littauer - Dr. Ed Murphy - Dr. Bob Larson - Dr Derek Prince - among many others need to be over-viewed by the student of Biblical Psychology and Counselling to gain a more informed insight into the vastness and the finiteness of human endeavour when we relate to God in the equation of Psychology and the work of Counselling.

The scope of counselor training

• The Bible Based Counsellor needs a wide scope of learning and training in the Spirit to achieve excellence in Counselling Ministry , this wider scope helps the Bible Counsellor to stay focused on their role and calling in the Community and the Institution of the Church in its role in the Community.
• To this end we educate and envision the BBC student with teaching that interlinks with the various areas of development and processes in psychology.

At some point in the offered course we approach the History of Psychology and its work of Counselling

1. From a secular history record.
2. From a Christian History perspective.

For the purpose of Directed Focus and Quality of Learning, the basics for Bible Based Counselling (BBC) is a necessity for Directed Learning in general, Nouthetic (Logos Based), Narrative Counselling that involves a Biblical approach to man and the Therapy of the Holy Spirit.

Through the discipline of directed learning and selected titles that relate directlyand specifically to Biblical Counseling, it is expected that, because the training is directed at objectives, the counsellor will experience a raised level of ministry in the Spirit. The student will also get experience in the work of counselling across the different fields of its study, through in-depth learning and practice.

Calvary University: Purpose and Position on Counselling

The programmes provide training in counselling of interest to those who use counselling skills in their work or who would like to learn about this field of ministry. The advanced programmes offer a professional training in counselling for those who wish to work as counsellors or who undertake a substantial amount of counselling as part of their existing work role.

Through the programmes we strive to:

Provide and promote theologically informed, spiritually sensitive, ethically sound, and clinically competent counseling and consultation as an extension of Christian ministry.

This will lead to the well being of persons and communities by those who seek to integrate theology and psychology through training in counselling techniques into their practice.

Our fundamental premise is that real freedom and healing are possible by the grace of God, who has provided His Son for our salvation and His Spirit to heal and restore, a Biblical Therapy. We invite God's presence into the healing process. The truth of the Word and the power of Prayer is the foremost ministry tool, as apart of the pilgrimage of healing away from the problem to the safe place of God.

The teaching includes a variety of ministry specialties such as:

• How to minister in the Spirit
• Using a Biblical approach to therapy and healing
• On becoming a counsellor
• Marriage and family issues
• Anger management
• DID & DID/SRA
• Pastoral care for pastors and leaders
• Addictive behaviours
• Eating Disorders
• Grief and loss
• Panic attacks
• Sexual abuse issues
• Obsessions and Compulsions
• Traumatic memories
• Guilt and self-hatred
• Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit
• Conscience
• Emotions / Temptations
• How to set up a Counselling Department in the Local Church
• Ethics

… as well as Issues specific to Women, to Men, and to Children.

These along with the Biblical Foundation, the die is set for a strong foundation for Bible Based Counsellors to bring healing and freedom to those who are need of it. These courses will advance any pastors skills and knowledge for the healing of individuals wherever and whoever they are . Counsellors are doing a pastoral role alongside or individually in the pastoral gift of counseling. Through this approach we allow the Church and Community to experience the difference of Raising the Standard of Bible Counselling in the Spirit.

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