Counseling is defined as an applied social science that helps individuals better understand themselves and handle their roles and relationships effectively. It involves the application of mental health principles through cognitive, affective, behavioral or systematic interventions to encourage growth and help people cope with problems. Counseling aims to provide encouragement and guidance for those facing challenges. It is both a science, through the use of techniques and procedures for problem solving, and an art, through the counselor's unique experiences in assisting clients. Christian counseling specifically applies biblical principles to treat clients' issues using professional counseling methods.

1. Lecturer: Rev. Michael Prince
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2. Counseling belongs to the family of social services
or guidance movement (Gladding p.4)
 It comes under the umbrella of
Psychology/Psychotherapy

◦ The scientific study of behavior and mental
processes.
◦ Counseling is an applied social science that helps
individuals get better understanding of themselves to
handle their roles & relationships
effectively.
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3. The application of mental health, psychological or
human development principles, through cognitive,
affective, behavioral or systematic interventions…
(Gladding p.6)
 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)

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4. 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.
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5. 
Christian Counseling is defined as an art and a
science of applying Biblical principles to treat with
clients’ issues using the rudiments of professional
counseling.
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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
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9. Psychology
 Focus on the mind
 Describe human
experiences and
behaviors
 Applies Logic
 Understand the
structure of being
•
•
•
•
Spirituality
Focus on God
Describes the source
of man
Applies Faith
Understand the
meaning (source) of
being
Psychology can not deduce the meaning or morality of
life while Theology/Spirituality is not equip to explore the
dynamics of personality.
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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.
Collins p. 19-20
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11. 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
Collins p. 19-20
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12. Psychology
 Focus on the mind
 Describe human
experiences and
behaviors
 Applies Logic
 Understand the
structure of being
•
•
•
•
Spirituality
Focus on God
Describes the source
of man
Applies Faith
Understand the
meaning (source) of
being
Psychology can not deduce the meaning or morality of
life while Theology/Spirituality is not equip to explore the
dynamics of personality.
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13. Views of counseling from two paradigms:
SECULAR VIEW
CHRISTIAN VIEW
Improve your sense of self
Reduce your sense of self
Knowledge is from human thought
True knowledge is from God 1 Cor 3:18
Getting ahead is money and power.
Getting ahead is losing self Matt 6:19-21
Wide is the way of tolerance
Narrow is the way to heaven Matt 7:13-14
Serve self first
Serve others first
Good deeds make you good
Jesus makes you good
Luke 9:24-26
Matt 21:16
1 John 1:9
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14. “See to it that no one takes you captive through
hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on
human tradition and the basic principles of this
world rather than on Christ.”
Col. 2:8
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16. Is the process of
helping people make
important choices that
affect their lives. …
(Gladding p.5)
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17. Focuses on serious
problems
associated with
intra-psychic,
internal, personal
issues/conflict (p.6)
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18. The science that
systematically
studies behavior
and experiences
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19. The service of assisting
clients to manage their
problems in living more
effectively
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20. The ability to
stimulate a person to
operate or behave in
a selected way
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21. Operate as an
agent between the
client and their
personal issue
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22. The systematic
process of training
and assimilation in
order to confront
issues
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23. An authoritative
entity that
determines how a
dispute is settled or
apportioned
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24. Guidance focuses on helping individuals choose
what they value most.
 Counseling focuses on helping individuals make
changes.

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25. 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.
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26. 





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
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27. 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
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28. Motivation stimulates a person through external
influence and reward
 Counseling focuses on empowering the person to
effect life change

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29. 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

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30. 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

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31. 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

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32. 
Historical Background (Early Basis of Psychology)
• Greek philosophers
• Hippocrates: Focused on how to treat mental illness
• Plato (427-347BCE): Introspection and reflection—road to knowledge;
dreams and fantasies—substitute satisfactions; human condition:
physical, moral and spiritual origins
• Aristotle (384-322BCE): Considered “first psychologist” used objectivity and
reason to study knowledge
 Socrates (469 -399 BC) : Examines thoughts and feelings; introduced the
concept of introspection
• Augustine (354-430) and Aquinas (1225-1274): highlighted consciousness,
self-examination, and inquiry
• Focus on Christianity during Augustine and Aquinas times limited the
psychological nature of people
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33. 
Historical Background
• Descartes (1596-1650) and James Mill (1773-1836): Mind a
blank slate upon which ideas become generated.
• Europe: First experimental psychologists studied similarities
and differences of people
• E.g.,: Wundt and Galton
• 1800s in U.S.: experimental psychologists
• James Cattell & G. Stanley Hall (1st president of APA)
• Williams James’ theory of philosophical pragmatism: truth and
reality is continually constructed
• Testing: Binet, vocational assessment, personality tests
• Mesmer (mesmerize), Charcot (hypnosis)
• Psychoanalysis and Freud
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34. 
Historical Background (late 1800s to 1900s)
• 1892: American Psychological Association (APA) was
established.
• Other schools arise:
• Pavlov (classical conditioning); Phenomenology psychology;
Existentialism psychology; Gestalt psychology
• Sigmund Freud - Was convinced that patients difficulties were
due to mental rather than physical problems. It was as a result
of unconscious thoughts and feelings. He presented the
concept of psychoanalysis and free association.
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35. 
Probably influenced counseling most of all professions

Gave us the first comprehensive approaches to
counseling and therapy

Tests developed by psychologist used by early
vocational counselors and other counselors today

Research techniques

Early development of counseling skills
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36. • Diagnosis
• Illnesses may be organic
• Psychopharmacology
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37. Facilitating Behavior Change
 Improve ability to develop healthy relationships
 Enhance coping skills
 Promote/ Improve decision making skills
 Facilitating overall development of the client

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38. Marriage Counseling
 Family Counseling
 Career Counseling
 Financial Counseling
 Grief Counseling
 Substance Abuse Counseling
 Rehabilitative (behavioral) Counseling
 Mental Health Counseling

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39. Emotional distress/displacement – unresolved
issues, and using someone else's problems to
over shadow own.
 Vicarious Coping – Live their lives through
 Filling Void of Loneliness – a since of feeling
important to others
 Desire Power – Ability to control others

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40. Is adjusted (have an identity)– stable and copes
with personal issues
 Respect and appreciate self
 Objective (Open to Change) – ability to be open
minded
 Makes chooses that are life oriented
 Can admit when mistakes are made
 Appreciate the influence of culture
 Sincere interest in other
 Possess effective interpersonal skills

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41. What Counseling Is!
What Counseling is Not!
Providing a support ≠It is not about giving
advice
≠It is not about the
base for people
coercion of people into
It focuses on the
your way of thinking
needs of the client
≠It is not about working
Provides realistic
out someone’s problem
tools that can be used for them
≠It is not telling the
by the client
client what to do
≠Not criticizing the
client
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42. Christian Counseling, Gray Collins, © 1988
Counseling: Theory and Practice, R. L. George & T. L. Cristiani 4 th
Edition © 1995
Counseling: A Comprehensive Profession, Samuel T. Gladding ©
2004
Gladding, S. (2004) Counseling A Comprehensive Profession (5 th ed.)
Ohio
George, R., Christiani, T. (1995) Counseling Theory and Practice (4 th
ed.) Boston
Collins, G. (2007) Christian Counseling (3rd ed.)
Nashville
Gerald Corey Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy,.
8th Edition ©2009
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