Spirituality in Christian Counseling - Book Report/Review Example

A BOOK REVIEW A Book Review: Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling Word Count: 1,200 (5 pages) ABSTRACT (500 words) Author: Mark McMinn Publisher: Date: 1996 Counseling is not an easy process and Christian counseling is no different. It requires thoughtful reflection, not to mention an understanding of basic practices like forgiveness, prayer, and Biblical living which are integral to understanding how to function in a world that is so broken. In a time when one out of two marriages end in divorce, it is easy to see why people need Christian counseling. What makes Christian counseling distinctively unique is that prayerful, thoughtful action will hopefully replace misguided desires and selfishness. In order to strengthen families and individuals, Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling offers a new directive for those seeking counseling: participate with a heart open to the Lord and He, along with your counselor, will help to heal your pain. This book is a tremendous testament to the masterful power of God’s love—as it is revealed through one’s Christian counselor’s actions. The counselor is meant to be a guidepost during a time of at-times difficult emotional turmoil. The counselor is meant to be a friend, caring, compassionate, kind, loving, and trustworthy for all parties being counseled when there is some problem that must be resolved. Christian counseling, this book has revealed, is a great way to tackle problems that one finds faced with at any point in life. McMinn masterfully tells the tale of what counselors (and their clients) will go through in Christian counseling, highlighting the positives and the negatives of the experience. Of course, Christian counseling is not necessarily for everyone, but a Christian counselor can definitely refrain from being nonjudgmental and open to speak to people of all backgrounds and faiths. As such, they will not necessarily discriminate against or turn away a client just because the client is not Christian. Christian values are just the underpinnings of Christian counseling, and while it may not be an option that non-Christians are excited about, they must know that they will still receive excellent treatment if they decide to choose a Christian counselor. Whereas with other faith traditions one must have the same faith as the counselor, that is not true of Christian counseling. One need not be Christian in order to attend Christian counseling, but Christian values form the basis for the ethics in counseling to which the counselors adhere. That having been said, Christian counseling can be very effective depending on which counselor one has. Personalities vary from person to person, but McMinn makes it crystal clear that, with a good Christian counselor and a client who is willing to work on himself or herself and the issues at hand, success is possible for anyone. People who might not have understood the underlying psychology, spiritual components, and theological framework for Christian counseling will definitely want to read this book. If one has never understood the practices behind such counseling, this book is a great introduction to how Christian counselors formulate their judgments and advise their clients—a great book to read for both beginning Christian counselors and potential clients. 2. Concrete Responses. Be vulnerable! Relate a personal life episode that this book triggered in your memory. Relate your story in first person, describing action and quoting exact words you remember hearing or saying. In the teaching style of Jesus, this is a do-it-yourself parable, case study, and confession. You will remember almost nothing you have read unless you make this critical, personal connection. What video memory began to roll? This is your chance to tell your story and generate new ideas. 
(250 words) According to McMinn (1996), counseling is “…complex” (pp. 32). I have a close friend whose divorce was finalized not too long ago. She got a new boyfriend and then stopped talking to me because she asked my opinion of him and I gave her an answer that made her visibly upset. I know that she is going to a Christian counselor but she seems like she has a ton of issues. In fact, I am not even sure why I stayed friends with her or maintained a friendship for so long. She was completely judgmental when I was dating various people, and then she expected me to be supportive of her decision to date some boneheaded guy. In fact, she claims to be Christian, when in reality she only gives lip-service to the religion. She has pre-marital sex herself and long ago had judged me for doing the same, but when she did it it was “okay.” Now something is wrong with that. I am still upset with her and she is not talking to me. This just proves that Christian counseling definitely doesn’t work in all cases; she went to counseling with her husband and they couldn’t work it out in couples or individual therapy so he gave up and said he wanted a divorce when she was willing to reconcile. There was domestic violence going on in the home towards the end and I believe her husband was cheating on her. Obviously, Christian counseling, unfortunately, doesn’t always work. 3. Reflection. What new questions pop up for you in response to what you have read? Take notes as you read. Outsmart the author by asking better questions than he has raised. Begin with questions like, "What bothers me about this book?" Discuss the positives and negatives about the book. (250 words) 
 One positive is that this book educates about the possible negatives that could come up in counseling. It also discusses how people might react within the counseling sessions, which might be negative also. Those are negative qualities the book features. The positive qualities are that the author encourages people to seek Christian counseling and that problems can be and are resolved. However, what bothers me about this book is that I am not sure how much good advice it offers to someone like myself who went through a few negative experiences with Christian counselors. This book does not really talk about the negatives of Christian counseling, which can include the fact that it may not work. That is a possibility that this book almost does not even entertain. Because, as most of us all know, not everyone who goes for treatment in counseling is necessarily going to get better. On a positive note, this book does offer some hope to those who are stressing out about the problems in their lives and that Christian counseling might be an answer to resolving some of those problems. This book generally leaves it up to the individual counselor to assess the problem at hand. People who read this book will learn about what is the true nature of Christian counseling—and that life situations must be worked on and through by clients in an emotionally honest way in order to address all of the issues that are coming forth in the counseling sessions. 4. Action. What are you going to do about it? Describe in detail what you are going to say to a counselee, send as an email, or say to a friend. What actions or changes are you going to make in your life as a result of what you have learned? Your response here is a matter of obedience first, questions later. Be precise in summarizing your action steps. (200 words) I am going to tell my friend that she should get a better Christian counselor. This counselor that she has now advised her to go to church, and my friend didn’t listen to her counselor. I believe that this lack of church attendance has made her a less empathetic, less caring, and overall a meaner more vicious person than ever. All she cares about is her relationship with her boyfriend. Obviously, her Christian counselor has not read this book nor understands the principles of Christian counseling. Of course, no one can “make” someone go to church, but I think the counselor should have followed up on his suggestion to her because now she is totally a drama queen who cares nothing about the feelings of other people. I think this is partially fallout from the divorce, but she does not care who she hurts or leaves in her wake of destruction. She even argued with her boyfriend in front of me while I was waiting inside her car. The window was rolled down and I could hear them arguing. If that isn’t rude then I don’t know what is. Obviously I would talk to her counselor first and then wait. REFERENCES McMinn, M. (1996). Psychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian counseling. USA: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Read More