Christian Counseling and Secular Psychology

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Recommended: traditional counseling theories

Theory Critique

In our fast passed and ever changing society, personal experiences built up over time and often make life difficult to deal with over time. Everyone has their own prospective on what is important and how they will tackle various problems they face from day to day. It is the responses to our harsh environment and experiences that can often manifest into feelings such as: anxiety, resentment and possibly guilt (Crabb, 1977). It is those that have negative experiences in life that seek out the help of counselors, to better understand and change the root of those problems. Each Christian counselor must carefully research and develop a counseling model which best aligns with their education level and spiritual beliefs. The following will be a summary of the models of counseling developed by Dr. Crabb and Dr. Hawkins, addressing the strengths and weaknesses of each model. Through this theory critique a Christian counselor should be able to identify and develop a strong foundation for their counseling theory and better serve their clients while maintaining a strong spiritual foundation.

For centuries Christian counseling and secular psychology has been viewed as models which should be maintained separately due to the fundamental concepts which each is based on. Christian counseling traditionally focuses on guidance and truth from the Scripture, being the only truth (Crabb, 1977). While secular counselors base their techniques on research and often built on “unobservable or hypothetical constructs”, this can lead to a fusion of data and interpretation (Crabb, 1977). Dr. Crabb’s model of counseling addressed in his book Effective Biblical Counseling addresses the need for the attempt to merge Christian and secul...

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...ithin their own counseling theory. It is up to each counselor to weigh all the information provided to them and base their practice on education and Christian principles in order to better provide their clients with the best of both worlds with the common goal to ease the trouble they are experiencing in daily life. It is through our dedicated personal relationship with God that we will see the true path our counseling practice should take.

References

Crabb, L. (1977). Effective Bibical Counseling, A Model for Helping Caring Christians Become Capable Counselors. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Hawkins, R. E. (2014). Model For Guiding the Counseling Process. Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University.

McMinn, M. R. (n.d.). Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

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