Scripture Summary

“Those who use forgiveness in counseling because it helps people feel better often acknowledge the religious meaning of forgiveness” (McMinn, pg.

In 2011 Mark McMinn updates his book on Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling, which discloses three important perspectives of Christian counseling. This recently evolving frontier for Christian counselors is what McMinn calls interdisciplinary integration. The relationship between psychology and theology is not the vital key component, but it’s how Christian faith is practiced in counseling. Bringing religion into the counseling office will bring challenges but with personal spiritual training and professional development it can be accomplished. McMinn shares a theoretical map on the prospective values and dangers of using religious interventions in counseling. In the first two chapters McMinn establishes a framework on the variety of religious interventions like prayer, the use of Scripture, forgiveness, and so on. Theses chapters would be part 1 of a 2 broad part that lays down a foundation for the rest of the book. The chapters that follow would be part 2 that explains the indispensable components in McMinn’s methodology to the integration of psychology, theology, and spiritualty in counseling. Psychology, theology, and spirituality is highlighted in the sessions of Christian counseling by guiding the person who reads an insightful understanding of integrating stages of: prayer, scripture, sin, confession,

McMinn’s book is an excellent tool for Christian counselors, secular counselors and other professions who actively engage in helping people. It is also an essential tool for those who are seeking an understanding of the integration of spirituality, theology, and psychology. In addition, it is crucial to recognize the array of both personal and professional challenges that Christian counselors encounter when integrating an interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary approach.

The article, “Interventions That Apply Scripture in Psychotherapy,” looks at assorted intervention strategies a Christian therapist might use to integrate Scripture during therapy sessions. The author, Fernando Garzon (2005), stated his reason for writing the article was twofold: “first, to increase Christian therapists’ awareness of the variety of types of Scripture interventions available, and second, to stimulate “divinely inspired creativity” in the further development of strategies to incorporate the living Word of God in Christian psychotherapy”

The author goes into detail on how confession in church settings along with counseling settings is beneficial. The ability to free oneself of the guilt or pressure caused by keeping things bottled up turns out to be therapeutic and relieves the stress of the clients. When in a church setting, going against the word of God with sinning is the reason for confession. The guilt of going against the word of God is relieved in a lot of people who do confessions. Overall the author goes into details of religions confessions and therapy confessions. He also gives bible references to support the benefits of confession in helping the

Your job is to help people deal with the changes that come into their lives and make changes that will improve their lives (Collins, 2007, pp. 3-4). Additionally, Pastoral counseling can be both distinctively pastoral and psychologically informed. This occurs when it takes the identity from the rich tradition of Christian soul care and integrates appropriate insights of modern therapeutic psychology… (Benner, 2003, p.14). ). The primary goal lies with change; and our change is stemmed by our reliance upon the Father for change and healing and through “Jesus Christ [who] is the only all-sufficient and perfect healer for hurt people” (Wilson, 2001, p. 14).

McMinn similarly emphasizes a pattern of healing based on a client’s healthy sense of self, need, and relationships. The basis for said model of healing includes the integration of such biblical principles of prayer, Scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption into therapy. Mark McMinn (2011) examines the biblical principles of prayer and Scripture and how the respective doctrines not only correspond with appropriate intradisciplinary integration, but how counselors’ implementation of each varies extensively. (p. 81) Supplication is essential to the psychological and spiritual health of the client. The problem with integrating prayer into counseling, however,

Dr. John Walton, in writing this work, is attempting to bring to the forefront the reality that “catharsis” plays a vital role in patient recovery. According to Dr. Walton, Christian counseling has come to depend more upon its theological roots and less upon psychology.

Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling, by Mark R. McMinn “is a book for those wanting to explore the frontier of intra-disciplinary integration” (McMinn, 2011, p.9). Once the strong foundation of intradisciplinary integration is established McMinn goes on to list six challenges that arise when exploring the new frontier within the counselor setting. He then discusses the pattern of healing and finally list six spiritual tools. Bottom line McMinn hopes that Christian counselors “will be those who seek deep wisdom through study, meaningful relationships in Christian community, and spiritual humility” (McMinn, 2011, p. 32).

The writer (Tan, 2007) presents how inner healing prayer and scripture can be incorporated in practicing a Christian approach ethically, how it influences in counseling sessions in delivering service to clients, and also details step by step instruction for implementing prayer and scripture into cognitive-behavior therapy(CBT). CBT is one of the most empirically supported treatments(ESTs) available for a vast category of psychological disorders (Tan,2007, p.101). Tan (2007) presents two principal methods of integration the therapist use in CBT, which are implicit and explicit (Tan, 2007). Implicit integration is an indirect approach of application of spiritual resources; however, explicit integration is an open dialogue between counselor

This book provides insight into how counselors can use their knowledge, training, and insight to become more effective in counseling their clients. Make the reader more aware of the problems counselors face when incorporating religion into theology. In addition to it, they should also possess the characteristic of spiritual maturity. If a counselor has all three disciplines, they will be in a position to well address the elements of prayer, sin, revelation, compassion, tolerance and scripture. The healing model that is put forth by Mc McMinn starts with a healthy sense in relation to one's own self, moves into the phase of needs resulting in a healthy relationship of a person with his Creator and all other human beings.

This first section talks about the importance of making good use of the Christian faith in counseling and not focusing on the relationship between psychology and theology (McMinn, 1996, p. 25). It also states the challenges that religion brings in counseling sessions and how to handle those. In the chapters that follow, McMinn talks about six Christian concepts in counseling.

McMinn and Phillips’ work listed in their book “Care for the Soul” helps me to understand the integration between theology and psychology. In the context of pastoral counseling, both theology and psychology can be used as interpretive frameworks that can be treated individually in terms of its distinctive methods, aims, norms and linguistic conventions. However, it is important not to separate the two conceptual frameworks from each other when we seek to understand persons in their psychological and spiritual wholeness. Psychological discourse should be placed into the larger theological framework of meaning. The integration of the theological and psychological modes of discourse should not be striving only for systematic or conceptual idea, but to apply them in practice at the level of personal integration in intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. The skill of using these ways of thinking and speaking becomes a part of who the pastoral counselor is, part of the counselor’s ordinary way of functioning.

McMinn discusses how becoming a Christian counselor can be very difficult. He explains that psychologist can focus on symptom reduction and on ego strength and Christian counselor is concerned with

All countries have various holidays. In holidays, people can get rest for themselves. Maybe, when we are in holidays, we would be rest without any thinking, or we can shop in shopping mall. You know, there are huge holiday sail during holidays like Labor day and Black Friday. However, holidays have particular meanings even though we would be busy to enjoy our life without the meanings. Think about Thanksgiving Day which has a meaning that give thanks to God who gives us everything.