My understanding of Christian literature, although this may be just one understanding, accords counselling technigues to the Jesus figure, demonstrating by word and deed how to become 'better' people as part of the process of oneness-seen with their god.That forgiveness is one way of reliefing angst, for example. My Christianity is rusty, so others may be able to correct me on this. My memory is that the Jesus figure envisioned an ideal state of human character and responsibility, to which all humans can aspire leaving some leeway towards interpretation.

Islam's extreme fixation on the word, mentioned above, rejecting development, appears to a non-believer naive in its understanding of how meaning is constructed and changed through words. Surely, this allows advice to be given without thinking being applied, and the advice being situated on text not on actual events? Can anyone disabuse me of this? Christians when focused on dogma not the meaning of Biblical text often fail, it seems, to grasp the possible underlining intentions of the script, but surely the Islamic approach raises into unnecessarily influential positions those of limited intelligence and education? Interpreting words without analysing meaning leads to abuse, surely?

Where Christian counselling persuades people to be better people as a way of dealing with psychological or emotional difficulties it can I think be moderately useful, where the Islamic approach is concerned, perhaps through insufficient understanding on my part, it seems possibily dangerous at times. There are elements of both teachings that barely belong in civilised societies.

Although some trained therapists might say that both approaches carry risks, and in that I must agree with them, as they allude to ideologies that have nothing to do with the careful handling of those in distress, I would make the same accusation of counsellers and analyts belief systems.

Hello,

Notably, the interpretation and application of wisdoms in the scripture has long been practiced by both Christians and the followers of other religions. I believe that your concern about whether Biblical counselling is essentially Biblical or counselling is justified and to the point. The main reason is that interpretation as a basis for providing counselling is basically dependent upon the interpreters' personal impressions and it is highly subjective , and as a result, it is mostly oriented towards counselling providing the believers with a hidden meaning ,which they suspect that, may escape notice. In point of fact, whenever interpretation is intended for making others aware of such particular hidden meanings , it targets counselling and is not Biblical. However, when a follower , a Christian, is reading the Bible making his or her own interpretations without intending to provide any kind of counselling to others, this instantiates a purely Biblical orientation.On this basis, some religious scholars particularly in Islam, forbid the interpretation of the holy verses beyond what they originally represent.

Best regards,

R. Biria

Neither.

My understanding of Christian literature, although this may be just one understanding, accords counselling technigues to the Jesus figure, demonstrating by word and deed how to become 'better' people as part of the process of oneness-seen with their god.That forgiveness is one way of reliefing angst, for example. My Christianity is rusty, so others may be able to correct me on this. My memory is that the Jesus figure envisioned an ideal state of human character and responsibility, to which all humans can aspire leaving some leeway towards interpretation.

Islam's extreme fixation on the word, mentioned above, rejecting development, appears to a non-believer naive in its understanding of how meaning is constructed and changed through words. Surely, this allows advice to be given without thinking being applied, and the advice being situated on text not on actual events? Can anyone disabuse me of this? Christians when focused on dogma not the meaning of Biblical text often fail, it seems, to grasp the possible underlining intentions of the script, but surely the Islamic approach raises into unnecessarily influential positions those of limited intelligence and education? Interpreting words without analysing meaning leads to abuse, surely?

Where Christian counselling persuades people to be better people as a way of dealing with psychological or emotional difficulties it can I think be moderately useful, where the Islamic approach is concerned, perhaps through insufficient understanding on my part, it seems possibily dangerous at times. There are elements of both teachings that barely belong in civilised societies.

Although some trained therapists might say that both approaches carry risks, and in that I must agree with them, as they allude to ideologies that have nothing to do with the careful handling of those in distress, I would make the same accusation of counsellers and analyts belief systems.

I appreciate the answers that have been provided so far. Some of my initial thoughts on the topic are as follows.

1) Is this counseling model actually "counseling"? This depends on how we understand the word "counseling." If we use it to mean "guiding or advising" then it might be argued that this is what the Biblical Counseling model does. If, however, we use the word "counseling" to refer to the practice of psychotherapy - which implies a system of thinking and intervention which is empirically supported - then we begin to get into more difficult territory.

2) Is the biblical Counseling model "biblical"? I have found this question to be more complex as it hinges on what is intended or understood by the use of the adjective "biblical." With this in mind, I appreciated Reza's final statement about Islam forbidding "the interpretation of the holy verses beyond what they originally represent." It seems there is wisdom in this.

Great post. I have actually been thinking about these very topics and concerns. One the one hand, biblical counseling has been proffered as a distinct model - see the chapter in

Counseling and Christianity: Five Approaches. Further, Crossway has published one of my favorite counseling books - Counsel from the Cross.

My take is that biblical counseling is counseling - psychotherapy - in that through the relationship healing occurs. Now, this healing is connected to (1) a specific biblical hermeneutic, and (2) tied into specific Christian practices like Bible study, communion, and baptism.

What I appreciate most is the challenge that biblical counseling offers. As a Christian, I believe that my Christian faith should, and does, make a difference in the counseling room. An integrationist position often minimizes this contribution. That is why I am leaning more towards a Christian psychology perspective. The biblical counseling model challenges me to think about the role of Christianity in healing, which is the core of integration for me.

As a Christian who suffers from a severe form of purely obsessional OCD, I dispute the premise of "biblical counseling" that the only thing a practitioner requires is wisdom from the Bible. Since the patristic era, it has been commonly held in Christian theology (and I agree) that all truth is God's truth and that all academic disciplines emanate from the same God just as all rays of light emanate from the sun. If I lacked the insights from psychiatry and psychology that I have about my disorder and went exclusively on the Bible, I couldn't live a normal life. So I find the key premise both theologically unsound and medically dangerous.

I agree with @Tom Frederick that the Biblical Counseling movement is an important voice that critiques the assumptions and practices of at least some integrationist (i.e., psychology and theology) approaches to counseling. I think that the Christian psychology movement has some things to offer. That being said, I sometimes wonder if a potential and unacknowledged danger to Biblical Counseling (or its equivalents in other faith traditions, e.g., Torah Psychology) and Christian Psychology is the reduction of scripture wisdom, spiritual practices, and/or "the wisdom of previous generations" to some type of formulaic intervention. My concern is that if these things are reduced to the level of interventions that the subtle message is that it is the intervention that causes change - sort of a modernist sacrament that is effective "ex opere operato" (from the work worked).

Kirk, I concur that there are concerns that psychology, psychiatry, etc. seem better suited to address. I believe this illustrates the importance of "humility" when it comes to promoting any therapeutic model.

Thanks, Kelvin! Before I had been correctly diagnosed and because my obsessions deal primarily with issues of religious scrupulosity, I initially went to the pastoral counselor at my church who tried to use "biblical counseling." He concluded that I was under satanic attack (in his words, I was not demonically possessed, but demonically oppressed) and gave me the book The Bondage Breaker, which literally scared the hell out of me! Following that book made me worse than I had ever been before.

Biblical Counseling is the process where the Bible, God’s Word, is related individually to a person or persons who are struggling under the weight of personal sin and/or the difficulties with suffering, so that he or she might genuinely change in the inner person to be pleasing to God.

Three Key Beliefs

First, we believe that the Bible, given by God, is sufficient for life in that, when properly interpreted, it reveals to the believer all the data necessary for one to understand his need for Christ, how he can please the Lord, and how to live in a God-honoring way regardless of the circumstances whether comfortable or oppressive.

Second, the Bible is also the authoritative source with which all truth claims—including claims made by science and history—must be evaluated. As a result, we reject all counseling theories that use presuppositions, principles, and/or methodologies that are inconsistent with the proper interpretation of the biblical text.

Third, we believe that genuine heart change is totally dependent on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Thus, our view of counseling practice includes the importance of prayer, dependence on God, a thorough knowledge of the Word of God, and an understanding of ministering to people.

For a more detailed explanation of biblical counseling, please see the confessional statement of the Biblical Counseling Coalition

Providing advice to people based on the bible is providing spiritual advice, how to live in accordance with the religious beliefs.

The profession of Counselling and therapy (when performed appropriately) is an evidence-based practice - using techniques which have been demonstrated by research to be effective approaches for the client's presenting problem and the relevant client group.

Unfortunately, many have taken the concept of "counselling" and "therapy" to mean just talking to people about their problems. It is very different to that.

I’ve taught a college level course on biblical counseling for several years and here are some of my thoughts on your question. First, the question implies a dichotomy; perhaps even a false dichotomy.

What is Biblical Counseling? Richard Baxter says the following about individual meetings or “counseling” he did with people beyond simply preaching: “It is but the more diligent and effectual management of the ministerial work. It is not a new invention, but simply the restoration of the ancient ministerial work.” Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor, p. 174.

There seems to be “common factors” that characterize effective therapy or counseling, regardless of the counseling method used by a therapist. This dates back to the work of Saul Rosenzweig and his 1936 paper. Google an article by Barry Duncan, “The Legacy of Saul Rosenzweig: The Profundity of the Dodo Bird” for his thoughts on common factors. Duncan’s article is available in full text for free. Also read a book Duncan co-edited: “The Heart and Soul of Change.”

Based on the work of M. J. Lambert into psychotherapeutic outcomes discussed there, various authors suggested 15% of the change was due to specific psychotherapeutic techniques; 15% from expectancy effects (the degree of hopefulness and optimism in the client); 30% from relationship factors between the counselor and client; and 40% from contextual or situational variables in the client's life. These percentages has been supported by research into counseling effectiveness. See: “The Heart and Soul of Change” for more on this.

I’ve also written about the Dodo Bird effect and common factors on my blog: faith-seeking-understanding.org. Search there for “common factors” or look at: “The Dodo Bird Effect” or “Another Brick in the Wall.”

I conceive of Biblical counseling as a counseling method; one that fits the counselor and the counselee together. Given the importance of the therapeutic relationship, a shared presupposition on the importance of the Bible as a guide for counseling change can be an important factor in the success of biblical counseling, given the above discussion of common factors. Here is a segment from a lecture I give on Biblical counseling that looks at what I see as Three Distinctives of Biblical Counseling.

The Starting Point for the Person and the Problem

Biblical counseling seeks to think God’s thoughts after Him with regard to understanding the counselee, conceptualizing the problem, and envisioning the counselee’s growth (2 Timothy 3:16). Scripture is thus more than just the context for understanding what we learn about humanity, it both whispers and shouts about who and what we are and what we should do with our life. It is the starting point for our thinking in any and all areas related to counseling change: anthropology; behavior (what we put off and put on); and how we relate to others (love your neighbor as yourself) and God (love the Lord God with your whole heart).

The Counseling Method

Biblical counseling sees Scripture as a necessary and fundamentally sufficient guide to the method of counseling. It is not an exhaustive manual for counseling technique or theory, but Scripture alone declares what is and is not “good” about a technique or theory; what is and is not “good” about the personality or behavior of a person.

The Counseling Process

The process of Biblical counseling is nouthetic; meaning it seeks to effect personality and behavioral change in the individual for the glory of God. This definition of the counseling process draws upon Jay Adams in chapter 4 of Competent to Counsel, “What is Nouthetic Counseling.” The application of the inspired Scriptures for teaching, reproof, correction and training (2 Tim. 3:16) is a nouthetic process of change; and the Holy Spirit is an essential part of the change process. In effect, if change takes place within the individual that dramatically decreases their distress, but ultimately does not lead to a deeper understanding of who God is and what He requires, then Biblical change hasn’t truly occurred. The person has just become a more effective sinner.

Charles, thank you for your rather full response. Yes, the question does imply a dichotomy - actually two dichotomies (i.e., counselling which is therapeutic vs. counseling which is closer to guiding; biblical (as in using only scripture) vs. bible+). I must admit that I find your response to be fascinating as your use of Rosenzweig, Lambert, Duncan et al., and even Richard Baxter demonstrates a level of interaction with non-Biblical texts/source I have not encountered in the recent spate of texts on Biblical Counseling that have come out.

Is Biblical Counseling Biblical or counseling?

Answer- If counseling is seeking help for resolution, and your subscription is on either side of the fence, I think which ever one offers you the satisfaction to your problem, then both are. We might use evidence based theories, or Choice theory, but the bible uses the human spirit, and consciousness that there is a reward thereafter, helps use in accepting the biblical teaching...I think they are all counseling.