FAQs

The dictionary defines counseling as the active exchange of opinions or ideas, or the process of advising or giving guidance solicited from a knowledgeable person. The field of counseling today has a very mixed history. Counseling has been taking place for thousands of years. We know in ancient times from biblical history counseling was conducted by spiritual and religious leaders. Christian churches practiced what we came to call counseling. The bible teaches us to “admonish the unruly, encourage the timid, help the weak, and be patient with all men” (I Thessalonians 5:14). This is not only counseling, it is what we now call “differential therapeutics,” or applying specific treatment following an accurate and careful diagnosis.

The scientific community of psychologists and psychiatrists has been writing about counseling and psychotherapy since the late 1800’s. Much of the field of secular psychology and psychiatry dates back to the early writings of Sigmund Freud. Freud was clearly antagonistic toward religious faith, and did not hold to a world view that was compatible with the gospels. Freud went so far as to say that religion was the “universal obsessional neurosis.” Since Freud’s writings, the Christian church has struggled with how to approach the field of psychology and psychiatry.

A variety of approaches have developed as Christians wrestle with whether or not psychology and Christian faith are compatible with one another. Worthington (1991) suggested that there were four possible positions that counselors might take regarding the integration of counseling.

The first category he calls “across the gap.” In this approach therapists who do not value religious faith choose to ignore it, and see the religious faith as harmful to clients.

The second position is the “collaborative approach.” In this approach therapists who are not personally religious are committed to respecting religious faith and values in their clients.

The third position represents those who are religious and have a faith orientation but who have been trained in secular approaches and were taught that dealing with religious issues were irrelevant or inappropriate in counseling.

The fourth position is the “conjoint” position in which therapist who personally hold to a religious value system are committed to dealing with the religious commitment and spiritual issues of their clients.

In a classic article written for Christianity Today in 1975, Gary Collins suggested that today’s Christian counselors fall into five categories. The first category Collins called “the main stream.” Main stream pastoral counselors generally have taken Clinical Pastoral Education training (CPE). The CPE approach takes a pastor with a theological education through an essentially secular training program in counseling. The clinical pastoral education movement has historically been theologically liberal and somewhat antagonistic toward conservative evangelical theology (Collins, 1975).

The next category that Collins outlined were the “evangelical pastoral counselors.” The most outspoken of such counselors is Jay Adams, professor of practical theology at Westminster Seminary. Adams advocates Biblical Counseling, in which only the bible is used to support a counseling approach that is primarily educational and confrontive.

The third category of Christian counselors are the “Christian professionals.” Examples of the Christian professionals would include Clyde Narramore (considered to be the father of Christian counseling), James Dobson, Bruce Narramore, Frank Minirith and Paul Meier, and Gary Collins. The Christian professionals have been trained and have received degrees and credentials in the secular counseling approaches, but who also have a strong commitment to biblical evangelical theology. Each of these counselors have developed a model for integrating their knowledge and skills from the field of psychology with biblical truth.

The fourth model Collins defined were the “theoretician researchers.” The theoretician researchers are those who have taken a scientific, scholarly and research approach. These are generally university professors who are in the process of developing and testing theory.

The fifth and final category that Collins outlined are the “evangelical popularizers.” The evangelical popularizers would include Bill Gothard, Tim LaHay, Charlie Shedd, and Norman Wright. The evangelical popularizers produce useful but simplistic self help material for the lay public.

Since the writing of Collins article in 1975, all five categories are alive and well. Evangelicals have increasingly steered away from the clinical pastoral education movement. Seminaries have strongly embraced the evangelical pastoral counseling and the Christian professional movement in counseling. Many seminaries have developed masters and doctoral programs integrating both theology and the practice of psychology and counseling. Christian graduate schools have flourished with strong enrollments in the areas of psychology, counseling, and marriage and family therapy. In spite of the increase in Christian counseling, a number of authors have been critical of whether or not Christianity and psychology are compatible at all.

Lawrence J. Crabb (1977) suggests that Christians have taken one of four positions: The first position is referred to as “separate but equal”. The bible and theology are considered valid in the areas in which they speak, and psychology is considered valid in the area in which it speaks. The separate but equal counselor may switch back and forth between psychology and theology. An attempt is made to separate the two disciplines and keep them separate.

The second approach is the “tossed salad” approach. Crabb suggests that this approach is like a salad bowl in which a variety of ingredients are thrown into the bowl and tossed about. The problem with the tossed salad approach is that psychological notions are often accepted uncritically and without an understanding of the conflicting world views (i.e., humanism, existentialism, modernism, etc.) which are often represented in psychology. Consequently a number of unbiblical ideas may creep into this counseling.

The third category that Crabb refers to is the “nothing buttery.” In this approach the Christian counselor accepts nothing but the scripture as the basis for Christian counseling. The writing of Jay Adams would fall in to this category. Adams suggests that psychology has nothing to offer the Christian counselor, and psychology is always in conflict with biblical ideas. If one is true to this position there is never a need to study any counseling approaches, medicine or psychology.

The fourth approach and the approach that Larry Crabb takes is the position he calls “spoiling the Egyptians.” In the spoiling the Egyptian’s position the Christian counselor is first thoroughly grounded in the Word of God. Just as God made provision for the Israelites carried out of Egypt the spoils the Christian counselor critiques the findings of modern psychology and takes from them tools which are consistent with our biblical perspective. The Word of God is absolute in authority, and the only truly and fully reliable source of knowledge. Psychology on the other hand is a field that attempts to use the scientific method to investigate a variety of man’s problems, and seeks to determine what works in helping people resolve their problems. This approach recognizes that scripture is “ALL TRUTH,” but may not contain “all truth”. Knowledge exists beyond the scripture about many subjects including psychology, medicine, family life, etc. The Christian counselor operating from this approach takes what is useful and consistent with scripture while discarding the rest.

Basic Assumptions. Christian Family Institute counselors have worked together to compare ideas about the integration of psychology, and marriage and family therapy with biblical theology. Counselors recognize that Christian counseling must first start with a Christian who has been brought to new life in Christ. Prior to our conversion we were dead in our sins and transgressions (Eph. 2:1). “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins and transgressions” (Eph. 2:4). As counselors we recognize that spiritual things can not be understood unless one is born of the spirit of God. To the non-Christian, spiritual things seem foolish (I Cor. 2:14). After one has become a Christian and begins to grow in faith and a knowledge of God’s Word, our entire value system is shaped by our Christian faith, our bible study, and our life of prayer.

As we grow as Christians, all of our principles are transformed by scripture. Whatever other wisdom we might find useful from psychology and other sources must be judged by scripture.

At Christian Family Institute, counselors are called to counsel. Counseling is not a profession unrelated to our faith. Just as ministers are called to the ministry, Christian counselors are called to the ministry of counseling. The scripture indicates that each Christian is given spiritual gifts for the purpose of ministry to the Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:7). For Christian counselors, spiritual gifts will be manifested in the style of counseling that the counselor provides.

As Christian counselors we recognize that all people have a need for Christ. As Christian counselors we also recognize that God’s Word is absolutely reliable and authoritative in all it speaks to, particularly matters of faith, lifestyle, and morality. Christian counselors derive their sense of morality from God’s absolute Word. In practice we are committed to loving all persons whether or not they are Christians.

Human beings function and malfunction as a result of a complex and seamless interaction between biological, psychological, social, and spiritual forces. Malfunction in any one of these areas produces a ripple effect. If a person has a cavity in one tooth, the pain may radiate to many surrounding areas. So also do symptoms spread in any of the bio-psycho-social-spiritual dimensions.

As Christian counselors we also recognize the value of psychology, marriage and family therapy, counseling, psychiatry, and medicine. Persons who consult with us are often concerned about problems these disciplines may address. For one client the issues that bring them to counseling may be of a moral nature involving guilt and confusion. The next client that comes to us may be experiencing the consequences of sin in their life. The next person who comes may have been sinned against by others who were abusive and are attempting to recover from the damage that was done to their life. The next client who comes to counseling may be experiencing psychological symptoms related to a genetic or medical condition. As Christian counselors we depend on the Holy Spirit as well as our training in these disciplines in order to be effective in helping people with their concerns.

This approach would be classified by Collins (1975) as a “Christian Professional” model. We would classify it as a “spoiling the Egyptians” approach according to the Crabb (1977) model.

The Local Church. Christian Family Institute was founded in 1977 for the purpose of providing Christian Counseling to the body of Christ. Christian Family Institute was originally started with the assistance of local churches with a variety of denominational labels. Though each member of the staff of Christian Family Institute is an active leader in a local evangelical church, Christian Family Institute does not represent any single church or promote divisive doctrine to clients who seek our assistance. Christian Family Institute is committed to being a resource to all churches. Consequently counselors at Christian Family Institute are committed to respecting the denominational and theological commitments of our clients and those who refer clients to Christian Family Institute.

We recognize that the church holds an important place in the lives of believers. The church has as its purpose to provide instruction, facilitate fellowship, be a place of worship, encourage, and provide emotional support. As counselors, sometimes clients express conflicts with their church. It is important for us as counselors to first encourage problem-solving in the relationships we are in before exploring other options. We respect the unique authority that the local church holds in the life of the believer. Working with the church and issues at the interface with the church is a delicate relationship requiring good communication to maintain this relationship. This is further complicated by the fact that some clients do not wish for their church or pastor to know of the problems they face. The client owns the right to confidentiality, and their wishes on this matter are respected.

Christian Family Institute is committed to integrating a strong biblical faith with the latest developments in the fields of psychology, marriage and family therapy, counseling, and medicine. Christian Family Institute is not only committed to providing care to Christians, but also professional counseling services to those who are non-Christians, and may be wounded and are alienated from the church.

Christian Family Institute recognizes the importance and the authority of the local church in the life of believers. Christian Family Institute counselors recognize that they are not pastors, nor are they a substitute for a pastor in a person’s life. Counselors at Christian Family Institute refer clients back to their pastors when clients are wrestling with theological issues or decisions that may be contrary to the teachings of the local church. Pastors are routinely invited to come to Christian Family Institute with members of their congregation when pastoral care may also be necessary. Whenever clients are wrestling with decisions such as divorce, we recommend that those clients consider discussing that issue with their pastor or church leadership.

Marriage Christian Family Institute is committed to marriage and to helping people be successful in marriage. Because the bible condemns divorce except under certain circumstances, Christian Family Institute is committed to preserving marriages and assisting people to make their marriages healthier whenever possible.

Free Will. We are aware, however, that God has granted men free will to choose their own path. Though our bias is in the direction of biblical decision making in all walks and aspects of life, we recognize that our clients have the freedom to make decisions that may be absolutely contrary to scriptures teaching. As Christian counselors we believe it is our duty to help Christians recognize when their decisions are contrary to the teachings of the Word of God. Beyond helping people recognize what their church may teach, or what the bible may teach, we do not believe it is our right to impose our views in a coercive way or a manipulative way on our clients.

Moral and Controversial Issues. On a variety of controversial issues, counselors at Christian Family Institute hold to a biblical perspective. We believe that the Bible is trustworthy and speaks with reliability and authority to the difficult issues of morality and life decisions. We also believe that the truth of scripture must be applied with grace and not condemnation. We are committed to loving and caring for those who struggle. We are also committed to inviting clients to consider the wisdom of scripture as it may apply to their lives. We are strongly committed to restoration and reconciliation. If clients are open, we attempt to assist people to find forgiveness from their Heavenly Father, and to find reconciliation to one’s fellow man. We are committed to helping people overcome the guilt that sin produces in their life. We are committed to helping those who are disenfranchised from the church or have been wounded by Christian people find healing for their wounds and reconciliation back to the church. We are convinced that the institution of the church was ordained to foster spiritual, emotional, and relational health. To that end whenever possible, we attempt to assist our clients in considering the church and its healing resources for their lives.

Psychology is a mixture of science and philosophy. One function of psychology is theory construction. Psychology attempts to formulate theory to explain man’s behavior, his nature, and how he lives, changes, and develops disorder. This is an area of psychology that clearly overlaps the field of theology. It is in this area that psychology most displays its inadequacy. Traditional psychology is a science that is desperately looking for a world view, while actively rejecting the Christian world view. Psychology attempts to construct a secular religion defining the nature of man.

It is our view that only the bible holds the answers to the true essence of who man is, his needs, what is truth, what is moral, and what is right. It is the bible alone that holds the answers to man’s deepest needs. It is only in the bible that we find that the nature of man is sinful and that man has a God-shaped vacuum within. It is only in the bible that we learn of man’s need for God, and that abundant and eternal life can only be achieved through reconciliation with God. It is only in the bible that it is revealed that Jesus Christ is the answer to man’s sin problem, and that his sins can be forgiven only through the acceptance of Jesus Christ’s provision of salvation and eternal life. Following the acceptance of Jesus Christ, grace transforms the Christian into a new creature. Day by day throughout the rest of the believer’s life, God gradually transforms that person into the image of Jesus Christ. It is the scripture alone that offers answers to problems such as guilt, our need to be forgiven and our need to forgive others, and it is only the bible that gives us guidance about our priorities, and what is a healthy lifestyle.

Psychology at the end of the twentieth century has endorsed the philosophy of post-modernism. The post-modernist perspective suggests that there is no such thing as absolute truth. Everything is relative. What is true and right can only be determined in a particular context and circumstance. The field of psychology has also embraced pluralism, holding that society is a mixture of distinct ethnic religious and cultural groups, and that we are to live in harmony and give up notions that would separate us. Both pluralism and post-modernism hold that no single philosophical system or world view holds the answers to the complex questions and nature of our social and physical world. We believe that post-modernism is in direct conflict with a biblical Christian world view. Psychology alone does not hold the answers to men’s purpose and is not the answer to mans moral dilemmas. Post-modern psychology is a dangerous philosophy on a collision course with Biblical Christianity.

The science of psychology is the more useful part of psychology for Christians. The scientific study and systematic observation of human behavior has produced vast knowledge about man’s problems, what factors contribute to such problems, and strategies for helping individuals overcome them. It is this aspect of psychology that we embrace. In all cases, we filter psychological information through the grid of scriptural truth. What fits consistently with the scripture is useful, and anything that conflicts in any way is discarded. Psychology has given us great insight into such subjects as the nature, causes, and treatment of depression. Psychology and psychiatry have also assisted us greatly in distinguishing which disorders may have a more psychological root and which may have a more biological root cause.

One feature that is unique about Christian Family Institute is that we integrate a family systems perspective on counseling. A family systems perspective is always sensitive to the individuals who may seek counseling, but also considers the impact that counseling may have on our client’s relationships. Our family relationships are our most important resources, therefore Christian Family Institute is committed to helping people make their relationships healthier.

Systems theory is a way of viewing and thinking about interrelated systems and sub-systems. An example is that the human body is a system made up of sub-systems such as the respiratory system, the circulatory system, the neurological system, etc. This individual is also a part of larger systems such as the nuclear family, the extended family, the church, the community, the work organization, etc. Each system is made up of smaller sub-systems, and each system is a sub-system of a larger system.

Individual behavior cannot be understood without understanding the various systems and sub-systems the individual is part of. Spiritual, psychological, biological, and social systems are at work, and each has an effect the other. Effective counseling begins with listening and gathering information about all of these related systems. The effective counselor must develop skills in formulating spiritual, psychological, and family assessments.

The Christian Family Institute Model is also a problem-solving and solution-focused model. That means that we work collaboratively with the client to establish clear and specific treatment goals and treatment plans. We do not impose our plans on people’s lives.

The Context of Christian Counseling. Christian counseling practice varies according to the context in which it is practiced. If a person comes to their pastor in the church, they usually expect that the focus of that counseling will be spiritual and that the Bible will be employed as the central resource. The focus on spiritual issues is implicit in the context. When clients come to a Christian who is also a licensed mental health professional in a counseling center, the expectations and context are less clear. The Christian who is also a mental health professional possesses a number of tools and competencies which may be employed as is appropriate to the situation and expectations of the client. Even in a Christian counseling center such as Christian Family Institute, the clients come with very divergent expectations. Some come expecting pastoral counseling similar to what they would experience if they went to their local church. Others come to see a professional regardless of their faith perspective. A small portion of clients are actually hostile to faith and defiantly dare the counselor to speak of faith. The counselor in this context must carefully attempt to assess the motives and expectations of each client. This is made particularly difficult if clients are not clear themselves.