Christian Counseling Methods

The guidance counselor must pay the closest attention to the spirit of the counselee, for it is there that the counselee's personality and motivation exists. The spirit of a person is the immaterial essence of the personality that continues to exist after the body dies. As Jesus related in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), the spirit of the man in torment was able to "remember" (v. 25). It is in the spirit that true and lasting changes begin. Proverbs 25:28 says "He that [hath] no rule over his own spirit [is like] a city [that is] broken down, [and] without walls." If a person does not rule his spirit his actions are destructive. Conversely, one who does rule his spirit acts wisely, and builds up both himself and the people (or society) around him.

A method of counseling that will seek to effect lasting changes in the counselee must therefore be willing to deal with the spirit of a person. Proverbs 18:14 says "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?" If the spirit of a person is such that it can hold up under any physical infirmity (as numerous handicapped people can attest), then it is the spirit of the man that is the focus of the personality and the source of its strength. This is the focus Jesus takes with His children, giving them a new nature, a spirit that is alive and can communicate with God in worship and prayer. The secular psychologist, ignoring the spirit, treats only the symptoms of the disea

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irit's help they are not able to follow them.) The husband would think he loved his wife but in fact had an off-center definition of "love," probably closer to lust than to the selfless, giving of oneself type of love the Greeks called "aga'pe." Lust only goes a little ways in a relationship, because it is focused on the self and the self's wants. (Many people like to say "needs" to justify or validate their demands, but sex has never been a "need" for any human. Millions of people have lived long and happy lives without it.) The wife, meanwhile, is not submitting to her husband but instead is disputing with him in every decision so that he feels threatened, which makes her feel defensive, which makes the children nervous, all of which gradually reduces the amount of love each has for the other. The changes taking place in the clients will come from two directions. Assuming they have accepted Jesus as both Lord and Savior, they will hear Him working on their internal personality while the counselor is working on their external habits. Sinful ones will be dropped, offensive ones will be changed, and eccentric ones will be an occasion for the other party to learn tolerance. The counselor's job here is providing the wisdom, maturi

Category: Psychology - C