Counseling is both a science and an art that aims to help clients understand themselves and their situations in order to solve problems and facilitate personal growth and change. It involves a professional relationship between a trained counselor and client to clarify the client's perspective and resolve emotional or interpersonal issues. Christian counseling specifically applies biblical principles using professional counseling techniques to treat clients' issues and stimulate their spiritual growth. The goals of counseling include facilitating behavior change, improving relationships and coping skills, and promoting overall development, including spiritual transformation through salvation.

1. Class Notes #1
Rev. Michael Prince MA.
WIST Introduction to Counseling © 2013

2. Counseling is a science and an art . It is a
science because it applies techniques and
procedures that are utilized in helping a
person to understand their situations and
employ the most adequate solutions for
problem solving and life change; it is an art
because it allows the therapist to use unique
or own personality and experiences in
assisting the client.

3. Counseling denotes a professional relationship
between a trained counselor and a client…to
understand and clarify their views of their life
space…and through resolution of problems of
and emotional or interpersonal nature (George,
Cristiani p. 2)
Counseling refers to the application of mental
health, psychological or human development
principles, through cognitive, affective,
behavioral or systematic intervention (Gladding
p. 6)

4. Counseling attempts to provide
encouragement and guidance for
those who are facing losses, decisions,
or disappointments…stimulate
personality growth and development;
help people cope more effectively with
the problems of living, with inner conflict
and with crippling emotions… (Collins
1988, p.16)

5. Christian Counseling may be defined as an art and a
science of applying Biblical principles to treat clients’
issues with the use of all the rudiments of professional
counseling. Class Definition (2010)
Christian counseling draws upon psychology and
Christian teaching. It is an effort to combine
professional counseling with Christian or other religious
perspectives or approaches: “integration.”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_counseling)
Christian Counseling may be defined as an art and a
science of applying Biblical principles to treat clients’
issues with the use of all the rudiments of professional
counseling.

6. Sin is the primary focus of mankind’s
dysfunction (Rom 5:12-14)
Salvation, and transformation through
counseling from the gospel is the primary
solution.
Scripture is authoritative and necessary for
Christian counseling because it is God’s soul
care guidebook

7. Triune
God
Self Others
Material Universe
A Four-Dimensional
Relational Model

8. {
Spiritual Spiritual
Ethical Ethical
Soul
Psychosocial
Psychosocial
Biological
Body/Brain Biological

10.  Unique Assumptions – Sin is the primary cause (fall
of man) of man’s deprived state and that
restoration/forgiveness of God through salvation
and transformation will make man ‘totally whole’.
 Unique Goals – To stimulate spiritual growth by
encouraging confession of sin, experience divine
forgiveness and commit lives to Jesus Christ.
 Unique Methods – The application of prayer and
faith in God are cornerstones of pastoral
counseling.
 Unique Counselor-Characteristics – Demonstrate
personal reliance upon the same factors of
salvation, transformation and a relationship with
God.
 Unique Giftedness – As believers we demonstrate
the characteristics of God and equipped by God.
Collins p. 19-20

11. Psychology Spirituality
 Focus on the mind
• Focus on God
• Describes the source
 Describe human of man
experiences and • Applies Faith
behaviors • Understand the
 Applies Logic meaning (source) of
 Understand the being
structure of being
Psychology can not deduce the meaning or morality of
life while Theology/Spirituality is not equip to explore the
dynamics of personality.

13. Is the process of
helping people make
important choices
that affect their lives.
…(Gladding p.5)

14. Focuses on serious
problems
associated with
intra-psychic,
internal, personal
issues/conflict (p.6)

15. The science that
systematically
studies behavior
and experiences

16. The service of assisting
clients to manage their
problems in living more
effectively

17. The ability to
stimulate a person to
operate or behave in
a selected way

18. Operate as an
agent between the
client and their
personal issue

19. The systematic
process of training
and assimilation in
order to confront
issues

20. An authoritative
entity that
determines how a
dispute is settled or
apportioned

21.  Guidance focuses on helping individuals
choose what they value most.
 Counseling focuses on helping
individuals make changes.

22.  Psychotherapy focuses on causing
change
 Counseling focuses on assisting the
person to change
 They have different clients
› Psychotherapist – deals with neurosis (mental
dysfunctions)
› Counselor – deals with persons with poor
coping and decision making skills.

23.  Psychology focuses on observing
behavior
 Counseling focuses on behavior change
 Psychology is non-engaging
 Counseling is interactive and intimate
 Psychology focuses on the pattern of
behavior
 Counseling focuses on the
reasons/sources of behavior

24. Helping may bare the closes resemblance or
comparison to counseling
 Helping is the process of assisting someone
in an informal and non-technical/scientific
manner
 Counseling provides a support system and
provides technical/scientific skills
 Persons will seek help based on the
competence of the person they seek out to
help them
 Counseling is done by someone who is
trained

25.  Motivation stimulates a person through
external influence and reward
 Counseling focuses on empowering the
person to effect life change

26.  Intervention is initiated by others
 Counseling is initiated by the person;
even if there is external motivation
 Intervention uses external pressures to
stimulate emotions to effect change
 Counseling uses personal/internal
reflection and reasoning to effect
change

27.  Coaching provides premeditated or
rehearsed action for future events
 Counseling addresses coping skills for
present daily living
 Coaching is a form of education that
assist in anticipating probable future
circumstances
 Counseling educates persons in basis
skills

28.  Mediation involves a third-party making
decisions
 Counseling requires the client to reach to
a point of making decisions
 Mediation focuses on present issue only
 Counseling focuses on present issue and
provide coping skills for the future

29.  The actions of people are as a result of
basic desires and needs.
 Basic Needs
› Love
› Acceptance/Belonging
› Companionship/Support
› Identity and Direction (who am I?)

30.  If needs are not fulfilled people become
dysfunctional .
 A dysfunction is the level of distress or impaired
functioning experienced by the individual…from
which the atypical behavior displayed varies from
the culturally expected norm. (http://healthmad.com/mental-
health/variance-in-psychological-dysfunction/)

31.  Low Self-Esteem
 Poor Judgment Skills
 Dependency
 Mistrust/Rejection
 Isolation
 Anxiety/Double Mindedness
 Anger
 Suspicion
 Resentment
 Loneliness
 Frustration
 Depressed

32. S.A.L.T. stands for stressed, angry, lonely, and tired/
threatened
The effect of an issue/problem on a person’s life:
• View of Self
• Choices
• Response to situations
• View of Others
• Expectations
• Relationships
• Functioning
• Health

34. Public
(Superficial) Self
Private (Hidden)
Self

35. Extravert Introvert (Closed)
(Open)
More is revealed More is hidden
than hidden than revealed

38. Negative Motives Positive Motives
• Emotional distress/displacement • Is adjusted (have an identity)–
– unresolved issues, and using copes with personal issues
someone else's problems to over
shadow own.
• Respect and appreciate self
• Vicarious Coping – Live their lives • Objective (Open to Change) –
through others ability to be open minded
• Filling Void of Loneliness – a • Makes life oriented chooses
since of feeling important to • Can admit to mistakes
others
• Appreciate the influence of
• Desire Power – Ability to control culture
others
• Sincere interest in other
• Need to Rescue – The counselor
places self as the rescuer • Effective interpersonal skills
(personal healing)

39. Goals of Counseling
• Facilitating Behavior Change
• Improve ability to develop healthy
relationships
• Enhance coping skills
• Promote/ Improve decision making
skills
• Facilitating overall development of
the client
• Clients to develop a Christian/moral
base (salvation and transformation)

40.  Remedial
› Functional Impairment
 Preventive
› Anticipate and Accommodate
 Enhancement
› Human Potential

41. What Counseling is Not! What Counseling Is!
≠It is not about giving Providing a support
advice
≠It is not about the
coercion of people into base for people
your way of thinking It focuses on the
≠It is not about working needs of the client
out someone’s problem Provides realistic
for them tools that can be used
≠It is not telling the client by the client
what to do
≠Not criticizing the client

42.  Caught = the condition (sinfulness)
 Restore = the mission (heart transformed)
 Gently = the attitude/character (do no
harm)
 Watch = the protection (watch self &
ministry); see also I Tim. 4:16
 Carry = daily goal (help bear burdens in
personal relationships with people)

43. The PREACH principle for development:
 − Physical
 − Resources
 − Emotional
 − Action
 − Conceptual
 − Historical

44. • Marriage Counseling •HIV/STI Counseling
• Family Counseling •Pastoral Counseling
• Career Counseling Psychoanalytic Therapy
• Financial Counseling Adlerian Therapy
• Grief Counseling
Existential Therapy
• Substance Abuse
Counseling Person-centered
• Rehabilitative Therapy
(behavioral) Counseling Gestalt Therapy
• Mental Health
Counseling Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral
Reality Therapy

45. Survey conducted among pastors:

46. In the Church In an Agency
(Counselor: Pastor) (Counselor: Professional)
• The counselor may only be trained • The counselor has received formal
within a Biblical context, which will training in understanding behavior
be used in guiding the counseling and approaches to counseling.
process. • There is no defined demographic
• Most persons who are counseled by (grouping) that comes for counseling
this person are members of the at the agency.
church/constituency. • Agency counselors do not have any
• Church counselors generally have previous contact with clients before
personal contact with persons before counseling.
the initiation of counseling. • People gravitate towards the agency
• Persons gravitate towards the church counselor because of reputation.
counselor because of relationship.

47. In the Church In an Agency
(Counselor: Pastor) (Counselor: Professional)
• The church counselor may have the • The agency counselor relies totally
ability to enhance the story of the upon the story of the client during
client from sources outside the the counseling relationship.
counseling relationship. • The agency counselor does not have
• The church counselor generally has any contact with persons close to the
direct contact with persons close to client; except by consent.
the person coming for counseling. • The agency counselor can not cross
• The church counselor may be reference independent counseling
engaged in counseling persons close relationships; except for couples,
or related to the person. family and group counseling.
• Church counseling is used to guide a • Agency counseling is used to explore
person morally/spiritually. choices.

48.  Gladding, S. (2004) Counseling A Comprehensive
Profession (5th ed.) Ohio
 George, R., Christiani, T. (1995) Counseling Theory
and Practice (4th ed.) Boston
 Collins, G. (2007) Christian Counseling (3rd ed.)
Nashville