4-Mat Review: Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling

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

Interdisciplinary integration is of utmost importance and the best usually comes from those “who have formal and informal preparation in both psychology and theology” (McMinn, 1996, p. 9). McMinn carefully describes the meaning, likeness, and distinction between psychology, theology, and spirituality. His manner of writing makes it easy for students, professionals, or lay persons to digest the information. Challenges that Christian counselors are

The author of this book Mark McMinn explains how psychology, theology, and spirituality can all be integrated into Christian counseling. He discusses the difference between the three overlapping principles. He wrote this book especially for Christian counselors, pastors, as well as students so that they may clearly understand the meaning of the three principles, allowing them to apply it to everyday problems. The main question this book poses to answer is, How does a Christian counselor integrate their faith into a counseling session in a way that can be beneficial to their clients. He discusses the

Bob Kelleman, in his book Gospel-Centered Counseling, suggests that a study of human mind is not a product of modern psychology. However, men’s attempt to know and understand human suffering and problems began even far back from Greek philosophy. Thus, Paul rightly says in Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (KJV).” However, it is certainly true that rise of psychology in modern era restricted the use of counseling to a secular world, while breaking a tie between counseling and religion in its usage. Secular society claimed counseling has no place in religion, its usage and methodology can be utilized and systemized only by pure science. This is how Christian ministry began to lose a counseling in its domain.

Mark McMinn’s book, Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling, 1996, brings theology, Christian spirituality, and psychology into the counseling responsibility. Faith, true, honest, heartfelt faith is his unceasing, steady, melody. McMinn just doesn’t just focus on

McMinn unveils the realism of what essentially happens in the counseling office. He dives into the fitting together “Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling”. McMinn explains how “those who enter therapy in the midst of their pain experience a restorative counseling relationship that brings acceptance hope, and meaning into their broken lives” (McMinn, 2011, p. 20). There are various questions surrounding Christian counseling that McMinn faces head on in this book when it comes to the challenges counselors face as it relates to integrating religion and spirituality in their sessions. Life on the frontier as McMinn puts it, is where counselors face six basic challenges. Challenges such as moving from two areas of competence to three, blurred personal-professional distinctions, expanded definitions of training, confronting dominant views of mental health, establishing a scientific base or even defining relevant ethical standards (McMinn, 2011). Personal journey’s that McMinn has taken throughout his career provide him with the knowledge, skills and abilities to depict how we should face these challenges. McMinn talks about how many counselors have a need to interpret studies, have good psychodynamics and figure out which cognitive therapy is right for their counseling. As he states, “Christian counseling is more complex than other forms of counseling because our goal are multifaceted (McMinn, 2011, p.

Christian counselors have a responsibility to their clients to integrate psychology and theology in their therapeutic approaches. Incorporating multiple components however is not as straight forward as one might think. In Psychology Theology, and Spirituality (McMinn, 2011) McMinn discusses the benefits of an integrated counseling approach that strives to promote “both spiritual and emotional growth” (McMinn, 2011, p. 5) by including a third element; spirituality, or more specifically, spiritual formation. Finding the proper blend of elements can be challenging even for a seasoned therapist.

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

Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling by McMinn was published in 1996. This book was written to help Christian counselors gain knowledge on the latest information and new techniques of Christian counseling. McMinn captures the spiritual and mental side of psychotherapy, he teaches his readers that spiritual discipline is needed to ensure successful counseling sessions. Biblical quotations and scriptures are used throughout the book to show how McMinn integrates spiritual into counseling. Throughout the book he also incorporates many concepts and theories relating to Christian counseling.

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).

Their approach incorporates both theology and psychology in their method of use. Both take a holistic viewpoint on what is best for their client’s well-being. They both take the view that “when a person is suffering with emotional problems, it affects the physical body and the spirit” (Brewer & Clinton, n.d.). Both theories whether being used individually or together function on the same concepts of building bridges or pathways been the counselor and the client in order to develop a relationship that will enable the counselor to help in the healing of the mind, the body and the soul/spirit as both psychology and theology both strive to succeed in. Faith plays a large role in counseling as it “enhances physical and mental health” (Hawkins & Clinton, 2015 p. 17) and it can in turn show that “faith-filled clients become stronger and healthier physically and mentally” (Hawkins & Clinton, 2015 p. 17) and isn’t that what all counselors strive to achieve for their clients

This article addresses 30 clinicians who are American Counseling Association (ACA) members view on the importance and their frequency of engagement in clinical behaviors in addressing spiritual/religious issues in counseling. One clear theme that emerged from the data was that the counselors tended not explicitly address spiritual or religious issues. Cashwell et al., (2013) questions why spiritual and religious behaviors are

Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling, by Mark R. McMinn “is a book for those wanting to explore the frontier of intra-disciplinary integration” (McMinn, 2011, p.9). Once the strong foundation of intradisciplinary integration is established McMinn goes on to list six challenges that arise when exploring the new frontier within the counselor setting. He then discusses the pattern of healing and finally list six spiritual tools. Bottom line McMinn hopes that Christian counselors “will be those who seek deep wisdom through study, meaningful relationships in Christian community, and spiritual humility” (McMinn, 2011, p. 32).

Some people may not be familiar with the true meaning of Christian counseling. Many may think it’s just the pastor giving advice concerning problems within their personal life. Christian counseling can be addressed this way: a discipleship created to assist people to become free to take part of God’s forgiveness, purpose, and power from on high to become sons of the living God (Hawkins & Clinton,2015). When people experience Christian counseling, they have an opportunity in expressing wholeness, spiritual maturity, relational competency, and a stability in intellect (Collins, 1993). Christian counselors desire is like a clergy to assist people with possessing their soul to trust and love God with all their hearts. Hawkins & Clinton (2015)

My theological of pastoral care and pastoral counseling I will view all the human being as it was written in the beginning with Genesis 1:27: "And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them." As I know the creation of human being, therefore, my pastoral care and pastoral counseling will also views all human being as spiritual and bodily creatures created by God. As a result, my priority in pastoral care and pastoral counseling is that I was called into relationship with God and with one another. the same way my counseling session with client my main goal with he / her as a clients is to meet them where they are at now in their trials, tribulations, and suffering; we also celebrate their moments of personal growth, self-awareness, discovery, and change. As a pastoral counselor, the stakes are changed in the sense that there is an additional responsibility to look after the client’s journey in towards spiritual growth and a more mature faith. We seek to aid in the process of humanization, psychological wholeness, and well-being where we desire to give our client’s a taste of what is means to be “a fully functioning, free, consciously aware, responsible, and loving” individual. God did not create human beings to suffer any evil; that was the fault of man. Therefore, the ultimate questions I will ask of my clients are these: “What part is God playing in the story of your life?” and “What is God asking of you in this