Ask Me Help Desk - Is psychology useful in the context of biblical counseling

Is it useful to know psychology if you are a biblical counselor. What are the benefits of knowing psychology. How will this benefit

What do you mean by "biblical counselor"? If you mean doctrine or theology, then phychology is not necessary, but if you mean personal, marriage, relationship, etc. counceling then absolutely; psychology is a must.

... just my opinion.

Personally, I feel that both are indispensable. Oftentimes, a purely spiritual/biblical approach is best; likewise, other times a psychological approach is called for. Still other times, a blending of the two will reap results. Really, it depends on the nature and the source of the problem being presented.

There are those who say that psychology has no business being used on a Christian. I strongly disagree. As we are learning, more and more disorders have an organic and chemical root which can often be successfully treated with medication and the proper therapy. Myself, I tend toward Cognitive/Behavioral approaches, as it is entirely possible to bring about a complete shift in thought processes and thus effect change literally at the chemical level.

Besides, what Christian (other than a certain few) would have a problem with a fellow Christian going to an oncologist for cancer or a cardiologist for heart problems? Psychology is simply another branch of the scientific tree. Granted, there are a few nuts hanging from that branch, but I think the same can be said for most of the other branches as well.

God gave us the gift of inquiry and research so that we might live healthier. Why reject the gift?

Stay miles away from a "Christian psychological counsellor" because they have an agenda before they even see you or hear the issues that are making you ill.

Let me add the interests of clarification. A client of a Christian counsellor will not be allowed to come to the conclusion that, "Gee, Christianity is really making me sick!"

Christian counselors are normally all trained in various counseling methods. And no they do not have hidden agendas besides helping a person get over their problems, And of course since Christianity is not a item to make someone sick, there would not be that conclusion, but they can help you find ways to deal with issues, as in other methods. They will have methods of questioning things you are doing, and have methods of marriage counseling.

Now not all pastors are trained in counseling, but many untrained pastors do couselor people. So don't be afraid to ask. If you are looking for someone to talk to , any pastor may be a good choice, but if you need indebt counseling, a religious counselor is always a good choice.

Of course if you hate religion, you would not be willing to accept their help, so why would you chose them. But many addresses the issues using bibical principles, which are good to live by even if you are not religious.

Christian psychologist alreaady has his mind made up that god is the answer. The bible tells you what to do morally. Pshce is the brain.

Rather than put religion and psychology at odds, as some of the anti religious may pose, the scientific are willing to see both as complements to better mental health.

Religious or spiritual problem. A culturally sensi...[J Nerv Ment Dis. 1995] - PubMed Result

Notice "culturally sensitive"

Lesson 2.1 Typology of Religious Problems

"In the final defintion of Religious or Spiritual Problem published in the DSM-IV, only two of the four types were included:

loss or questioning of faith
conversion to a new faith "

These require a counselor with a background in the specified faith, not someone who has no knowledge of faith or an anti - religious bias.

LESSON 4 Co-Occurrence with Mental Disorders

There is no doubt that "religious leaders" have caused mental health problems. For example : molestation, or Jim Jones or David Koresh, but these are not true representations of the divine or of Christian teaching.

Psychology is useful because, like what the Bible teaches, THERE ARE normal STANDARDS, and psychopathology is a deviation from the normal.

Complete List of DMS-IV Codes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

Christian counselors are normally all trained in various couseling methods. And no they do not have hidden agendas besides helping a person get over thier problems, And of course since Christianity is not a item to make someone sick, there would not be that conclusion, but they can help you find ways to deal with issues, as in other methods. They will have methods of questioning things you are doing, and have methods of marriage couseling.

Now not all pastors are trained in couseling, but many untrained pastors do couselor people. So don't be afraid to ask. If you are looking for someone to talk to , any pastor may be a good choice, but if you need indebt couseling, a religious counselor is always a good choice.

Of course if you hate religion, you would not be willing to accept their help, so why would you chose them. But many addresses the issues using bibical principles, which are good to live by even if you are not religious.

Hey you need to go online to Association of Christian Counsellors and read their "ethics" page. The Christian agenda supercedes the needs of the individual in therapy. They say that sin is the reason for anxiety. In fact, sin and/or not "having faith in the Father" is the reason for all distress in the world. What a load of you-know-what. Stay away from these people unless you are already their type of christian and share their belief system. Otherwise "Christianity" can and will make you sick/sicker.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Choux

Stay miles away from a "Christian psychological counsellor" because they have an agenda before they even see you or hear the issues that are making you ill.

Let me add in the interests of clarification. A client of a Christian counsellor will not be allowed to come to the conclusion that, "Gee, Christianity is really making me sick!"

I absolutely agree.

To be fair, I don't think a "Christian" counselor will be able to give 100% of his/her advice apart from his/her biblical worldview, no more than a "secular" counselor will be able to give 100% of his/her advice apart from his/her secular worldview.

When you go to a mechanic asking for advice on a car repairs, why would you be offended if he started to talk about his own beliefs about the importance of good interval maintenance. If you knew up front that he was a mechanic, you'd expect to get that kind of advice. I think it is similar to a biblical counselor ("Christian psychological counselor").

Now, on the other hand, if you went through the yellow pages and stumbled upon an ad for a "counselor" with no mention of any ties to biblical counseling, I think that could perhaps be a little dubious. I mean, why not come right out and say that you are a biblical counselor? From that standpoint, I could understand the "agenda" point that Choux was making. It is always best to be straightforward with people about what you believe and your style of counseling.

It is interesting that there is a belief in American culture which says that the road to healing cannot be found with the insight of the biblical authors. The belief is that Christian counseling is dubious and evil and manipulative. You know, I don't deny that there is that dynamic at work... you can find it out there if you are looking for it. I've personally experienced it in some forms. But I am also aware of the fact that secular counselors are not blameless when it comes to manipulating patients either. I personally know someone who was advised to get drunk before being admitted for counseling (he was an alcoholic). He was so distraught about the whole thing because drinking was the last thing that he wanted to do and yet his counselor was advising him to do it.

Where there are similarities of manipulation at play in both counseling styles, it is the byproduct of human evil. But a complete dismissal of Christian counseling is shot through with arrogance and irrationality, in my opinion.