Strengths of Theoretical Models in the Biblical Principles - Essay Example

Strengths and Weaknesses of Theoretical Models in the Biblical Principles Introduction Stress and issues facing the humanity today are linked by the scholars to the psychological issues, giving way for the approach of professional counseling to be focused on psychology that is relevant to the human pressures (Runcan, Popa and Daciu, 2013, p.1500). In fact, there are various studies that could prove this, especially in the case of forgiveness as a means for a person to be profitable in his physical, psychological and mental health (Hamidi, Makwand and Hosseini, 2010, p.1625). Aside from this, marriage counseling and counseling to stop addiction are some other most common themes in line with the prevailing counseling concerns that employ psychological knowledge and other relevant theories (Krivickas et al., 2010, p.700; Murdock, Wendler and Nilsson, 2005, p.55). It is in this reason that the secular counseling models focused on issues like social, emotional, psychological and physical aspects, but the bottom line, these are all linked to the human behavior, which is an indication that psychology cannot be departed from secular counseling. Therefore, experts in counseling find secular counseling and Christian counseling to have diverged, significantly. For instance, in Christian tradition, divorce and homosexuality are considered sins and both as illnesses or diseases (Gaines, 1998, p.291). However, Gaines explained that divorce is only considered as a stressful event in secular psychiatry. Homosexuality on the other hand from the point of view of science may be due to other important factors, including but not limited to social, emotional, psychological and biological concerns. Clinical practitioners are therefore placing more significant trust in professional counseling under the secular context than the Christian counseling process, due to the essence of scientific and theoretical approaches in it. It is therefore clear that the secular counseling and the Christian counseling are two most common forms of counseling practices today, but with vital differences especially in their respective principles. The work at hand tries to elaborate the strengths and weaknesses of the theoretical models in the light of biblical principles linked to the ideas of secular counseling and Christian counseling, in order to evaluate their effectiveness. Secular counseling: Strengths and weaknesses There are various counseling theories and models involved in secular counseling. These include but not limited to common and popular ones like the client centered, the holistic health approach, the strengths based, the cognitive behavioral therapy, the solution-focused therapy and existential approach. These counseling models assume that individuals are capable of solving their problems in the presence of a facilitator who will take charge in the direction of the achievement of the right answer or solution for the problem. However, the problem with this approach is confined within the thought that not everyone is open to interact or cooperate in the entire counseling process. Therefore, if an individual fails to cooperate in the entire process, he or she will surely not be able to reach the appropriate response or solutions to the problem. In addition, the secularist thinks that secular counseling is less-complex in nature because it considers taking the path of unfalsifiable assumptions about humans and the world (Nielsen, Johnson and Ellis, 2001, p.56). This therefore tries to redirect an individual to the thought that if something feels good or better, then that should be the appropriate answer or solution for the problem prior to the achievement of good mental, emotional and behavioural health. Secular counseling therefore claims to have provided the clients the most direct response or solutions to the problem. The problem with this thought or idea lies on the fact that emotion can be tricky, considering that every person has corresponding bias on certain things, events or personalities. This bias can lead to the understanding of quite a limited number of things, which therefore could prevent a person to decide what should be essentially the good choices to consider in the first place. Secular psychology argues that humans have well developed response mechanism that allows them to be independent and develop their full potential (Lynch, 2004, p.123). This is the reason that the secular counseling assumes that every individual with significant mental, emotional or behavioural problems has enough capability to obtain a realisation of individual potential. However, the problem with this idea is the thought that not everyone will have the potential to exercise the response mechanism potential, depending on the mental, emotional and behavioural problems involved. In other words, it cannot be highly guaranteed that each person will be able to solve his or her own problem at the end of the day by relying only upon the response mechanism. Secular counseling therefore highly puts high emphasis on the dependence on one’s self, which means that the assumption that each person has the potential to solve his or her problem holds true. This brings the idea that every person should be the master of his or her own self. However, this assumption seems quite to be flawed knowing that there are many people who are not successful, but in fact, only contributing problems to this world, if one will take into account the success standards that the world considers. In secular counseling, an individual’s worth and identity are two vital data that should be included in the entire counseling activity. This makes the entire counseling activity a straightforward one, because a therapist will only ask questions or dig information that will lead to the remarkable response in obtaining the idea of worth and identity of a person. However, much of the person’s worth and identity are set by the society, which is a significant consideration that the inner influence might be confused by the environment. Christian counseling: Strengths and weaknesses Psalm 69:20-21 puts it, “Scorn has broken my heart and left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” This passage in the Scripture reveals that a person needs counseling for the purpose of restoring one’s mental, emotional or behavioural agonies. Secular counseling strongly holds on to the idea that individuals are capable of solving their own problems. While there is a remarkable truth to this as a humanistic principle, the Bible strongly stands on the point that humans are sinful and fallen, allowing them to do things that are absolutely far from the thoughts and ways of God, because they are separated from and fall short of the glory of God. It is for this reason that Jesus was sent to the world to restore mankind’s connection to God because of such separation due to sin. Secular therapists may consider this as a weak argument of the Christian counseling model, because this thought is something beyond what a logical being could substantially comprehend or simply a theoretical concept without further rich scientific justification. However, the strong consideration of this argument from the Christian perspective reveals that as God is love, a person who does not have God or separated from God must have experienced the scarcity of love, which must evidently allow this person to initiate sinful things. For instance, if a person truly loves his neighbor, he should not kill, steal or slander. He will do good things for his neighbor in the same way that he loves and will not hurt himself. Therefore, in Christian counseling, a person who does not love needs counseling in the first place (Adams, 2010). Therefore, this strongly suggests that everyone who does not love must undergo counseling, which is a form of restoration due to the bondage of sin that leads to mental, emotional and behavioural problems. This point cannot be contested, because there are multitudes of people who are in great bondage of sin, which can be manifested through the varying degrees of mental, emotional and behavioural problems or pains that strongly burdened themselves at present. As stated, secular counseling holds to the point that if something feels good, then that must be the right solution. The weakness of this concept simply reveals that the secular counseling is left to the idea that humans are vulnerable to consider what they feel would be good, but with no possible standards for considerations. This in reality only further allows the creation of conflict and troubles, because what is right may not be necessarily right from other’s point of view. Christian counseling strongly holds the thought that the Bible as the Word of God should be the ultimate standard of ethical and moral standards. The Bible is the ultimate source of ethical standards and sound doctrines for the humanity (Collins, 2007). It is for this reason that the Bible is viewed to be as a great help in the healing process even of the deepest part of the wounded soul (Crabb, 2005). From the standpoint of the secular therapists, the Bible cannot be a perfect yardstick of the truth, because secular counselors do not believe it contains the truth in the first place. This means that one ultimate weakness of a Christian counseling model is when a person or client does not believe that the Bible is the correct resource that can give answers to questions concerning life. This is one of the essential components that according to Gary Collins every Christ-centered counselor should take into account prior to initiating a Christian counseling model. Analysis As clearly understood based on the given information, secular counseling may evidently lack meaningful understanding on the concepts or ideas of virtues, values and moral or ethical considerations. This is due to the fact that it lacks the ability to promote a simply yardstick that may apply to all. The if-it-feels-good-do-it concept sounds too humanistic, which only leads to the subjective actions that eventually will only allow future inceptions of conflicts. The ultimate point of view that will justify this argument from the point of view of Christian counseling is evident on the idea that people are sinful or fallen, allowing them to think things not in line with the thoughts and ways of God. This calls for a certain standard, and the Bible is the ultimate yardstick that could lead everyone to the truth. However, there is a corresponding to this claim, because not everyone believes the Bible is the ultimate source of truth for the humanity. It is for this reason that the effectiveness of Christian counseling lies on the level of foundation of one’s faith in the Word of God, which only means that the said counseling model cannot apply to all because not everyone is the believer of Christ’s words. Thus, in order for Christian counseling to be effective, a client should have established foundation on the faith in the Word of God, because in the absence of this established faith, Christian counseling might be clearly viewed as purely theoretical, such as in the case of how secular therapists may have tried to look at it, as they look forward to much more scientific or practical things that can simply be established within an individual point of view. Thus, it is clear that the secular counseling model could be purely psychological in nature and Christian counseling proposes more spiritual approach that tries to establish innermost part of the human soul that is connected to the mental, psychological and behavioural aspects of life. In other words, Christian counseling at some point could encompass the scope that the secular counseling model tries to establish. Conclusion The work at hand tries to establish the remarkable ideas concerning the weaknesses and strengths of both secular counseling and Christian counseling models. Secular counseling was found to be highly humanistic in its approach, creating substantial point that humans have sufficient strengths to solve their problems based on the context of psychological point of view. However, the Christian counseling model proposes that the Bible must be the ultimate yardstick of truth, which can help a person respond to various problems that are in line with mental, psychological and behavioural concerns through spiritual growth via a stronger faith in the words of God. It is for this reason that the main weakness of Christian counseling is revealed. Not all individuals believe in the Bible as the ultimate yardstick of truth. For this reason, one essential requirement in Christian counseling is an absolute faith in the word of God. References Adams, J. E. (2010) The Christian Counselor’s Manual: The Practice of Nouthetic Counseling. Zondervan. Collins, G. R. (2007) Christian Counseling: A Comprehensive Guide. 3rd ed. Thomas Nelson Incorporated. Crabb, L. (2005) Connecting: Healing Ourselves and Our Relationships. Thomas Nelson, Inc. Gaines, A. D. 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