4mat Review Mcminn

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Running Head: 4MAT

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4MAT

4MAT McMinn Review

Alexandria Jean-Louis

Liberty University

Abstract

Christian counseling is complex by nature. Christian counselors are tasked with being competent integrationists. Competent Christian counselors must have a personal relationship with God in order to engage most effectively in Christian counseling. McMinn provides his ideal approach to integrating psychology, theology, and spirituality. McMinn refers to this integration as intradisciplinary and suggests that there is not a specific method that is always applicable. The text shifts the counseling perspective from a should counselors integrate, into how and when to integrate. There are many different avenues to take when integrating; there is not a one size fits all approach. Clients’ well-being is always the most important aspect in assessing how to integrate. Counselors must assess clients and build rapport before explicit integration can begin, if at all. In my personal response and critique, I examine my personal experiences with counselors; I have experienced either end of the integration spectrum. The Christian counseling relationship is triune including: God, counselor, and client. As tools in God’s healing, we should model after Christ when engaging with clients.

Keywords: Christian, client, counselor, implicit, integration, explicit

Summary

McMinn’s (2011) book Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling is an overview of ways Christian counselors integrate faith and helping. The text is a well-rounded unbiased work that is a useful tool for new and old counselors alike. McMinn presents his ideas along with critiques and other texts that are on the contrary to his approach of integration. The inclusion of opposing ideas supports claims of an unbiased text. McMinn states that his “goal is to provide a practical resource that is theologically and spiritually responsible” (p. 29). Intradisciplinary integration is the terminology used to describe the content of the text. Intradisciplinary integration in this context is defined within the discipline of counseling as: a faithful integration of psychology, theology, and counseling principles, and how they can be applied practically and harmoniously through Christian counseling. The text lays a sturdy foundation early by explaining that Christian counseling is complex and multifaceted. Most counselors have only to consider the mental and emotional health of the client, while the Christian counselor must also consider a client’s spiritual growth. This phenomenon is referred to as moving from two areas of competence to three (McMinn, 2011).

Integration is complex and requires a deep level of discernment and competency on behalf of the counselor. The Christian counselor must have a strong personal relationship with God, be a frequent reader of His word, and pray often. These are just a few important necessities for successful Christian counseling. If a counselor is lacking in any of these aspects it will be painfully evident during sessions; a deficiency will impact the efficacy of the counselor. At the heart of Intradisciplinary integration lies three integral blood supplies: sense of self, awareness of need, and the healing relationship.

Each chapter is topical and provides guidance on when and how to use Christian praxis such as prayer, scripture, and forgiveness. The book is not a comprehensive how to guide with easy fool proof steps. McMinn (2011) makes it clear that he does not believe that there are any theories and methods to such application. Each session and each client are case by case, there is not a one size fits all, or even a few. To assist Christian counselors in determining how to integrate Christianity into sessions, McMinn tells counselors to ask these three questions: will this help establish a healthy sense of self, will this help establish a healthy sense of need, will this help establish a healing relationship? McMinn explores the ways explicit integration can be harmful to clients and expresses that all integration should be in conjunction with God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit.

Informed consent must be obtained prior to engaging in integration; Counselors must also carefully assess clients prior to any explicit integration. McMinn suggests that the counselor’s values will always impact the counseling sessions. Similarly, he suggests that counseling itself is integrative on the topic of confession. This is particularly different from many of the other Christian praxis because with others, counselors have to strategically and intentionally embed them into sessions. Counseling is confessional by nature; it does not necessarily require a particular set of rules and guidelines for use.

The overall theme of the text is expressing that all counselors need the Holy Spirit to intervene. The text also directly implies that with an understanding of sin as human nature rather than human deed, Christian counselors become better helpers. McMinn vividly illustrates the parallel between the pattern of healing and the progress of confession, forgiveness, and redemption. The pattern of healing begins with self-sufficiency, moves to brokenness, and ends with a healing relationship. McMinn states that “with confession we acknowledge our sin and need for help. Graciously, God grants forgiveness as we experience the wonder of being redeemed back from captivity to sin to abundant life in Christ” (p. 316). Similarly, the consequences of unbounded self-sufficiency leaves people with neediness, brokenness, and pain directing them to the helping relationship (McMinn, 2011).

Concrete Response

This text reminded me of the many different counseling experiences I have had over the years. Secular counselors could never quite pour into me the way I needed them to. As McMinn (2011) stated in the early chapters of the text, it seems that they had no concern for my spiritual growth. The very first counselor I went to that was able to build rapport with me, also identified as a Christian. I was verbal about my faith and as our relationship grew, she was able to confront me on my sin and the many other discrepancies I brought to her office. I trusted her because I knew God would speak to her in our sessions. Near the end of our counseling relationship she advised me to use sage as a means to cleanse my personal spaces and she was also an advocate of meditation. I was in a vulnerable space spiritually because I had recently renewed my relationship with Christ. Due to the sage burning and meditation I experienced demonic attack. At one point I could feel and visualize these evils that ushered themselves into my home. It was not until much later that I realized the connection between these unfortunate events. As I was reading the chapter about prayer, when it made mention of meditation, it reminded me of my experiences. McMinn (2011) suggests that some counselors “have not established careful theological boundaries for their understanding of prayer and meditation and have drifted towards heresy” (p. 87). For a time, I was a product of exactly what McMinn warns the reader about. As a babe in Christ the counseling relationship served as a space of counsel with God’s presence and my counselor, whom I presumed to be a vessel of Christ.

Another reminder I had was about how McMinn stated that there could be a possibility of a client relying too heavily on the counselor rather than building their own relationship with God. While I still built my own relationship with Christ, I did see our sessions as an opportunity to hear directly from God in real time. I would suggest that I was also a victim of this counseling pitfall as well. When I began seeing another counselor that presented herself as a Christian counselor, she exemplified many of the positive traits and descriptions McMinn presents. She allowed the Holy spirit to guide our sessions, she assigned spiritual homework, and we rarely prayed together; she was very verbal about dreams she had with me, and her praying outside of sessions for me. She helped restore my understanding of the counseling relationship and even recommended that I attend Liberty University.

Reflection

My personal critiques of McMinn’s approach to intradisciplinary integration is positive. Having sat in roughly 5 different counseling chairs, I can say that my Christian counselor was the most effective. In hindsight she was careful in the areas McMinn expressed that counselors should tread lightly on, and she was especially careful not to project her values onto me. I was a bit radical and militant in my faith when I began with her, she asked my thoughts on biblical concepts. Her simple inquiries led to me diving deeper into studies and seeking God more. She gently challenged me, but she waited until she established rapport with me. This Counselor specializes in forgiveness. As I was reading McMinn’s chapter on forgiveness, I quickly thought of an experience I had with her. As I began reading this chapter, I thought it was necessary for counselors to directly acknowledge and insist on client’s forgiveness. I thought it was integral to the healing process. McMinn does a great job presenting different views on each topic. I was surprised to find that some counselors do not think forgiveness is necessary in counseling. Although my counselor specialized in forgiveness, she never made me feel like I had to forgive. She could acknowledge that I had not forgiven, but there was never a time where I felt forced into forgiveness. This ties into the idea presented that counselors teach clients to forgive when the counselor “legitimizes the undeserved anguish” (p. 270). Our relationship and establishment of trust eventually led to forgiveness, in my own time. In hindsight, I have experienced some of the negative effects of counselors that have not mastered an intradisciplinary approach; I have also experienced a counselor that truly embodies a competent Christian counselor and the impact has been tremendous. I would suggest that I am a product of a counselor that abides by many of the suggestions McMinn provides. Having been a client, I was able to read the text with more than one lens and I think it has really solidified within me an ideal approach to integration. What makes this particular text nearly flawless in my opinion is the way he addresses difference of opinion and challenges that may occur with certain ideologies.

As I was reading McMinn’s text, I recalled another article provided in this course, “Use of prayer and scripture in cognitive behavioral-therapy” (Tan, 2007). It is an article that delves into the ways Christian counselors can properly incorporate cognitive behavioral-therapy or CBT. Both texts really support and align with one another. The terminology was not exactly identical, but the concepts were very similar. I don’t recall reading the exact terms “implicit” and “explicit” integration Tan (2007) mentioned in the McMinn text, but those concepts were deeply embedded within the methods McMinn presented. Both texts touch on the many different types of prayer. Both McMinn (2011) and Tan (2007) make it clear that it is not necessary to explicitly use prayer and scripture in each session.

Theological Interaction

When we look at the ministry of Jesus and His method of addressing sin, it was almost always in indirectly, until after they had received their healing. After one asks for healing, He responded with providing healing then telling them not to sin (John 8:11 KJV). We also see a healing and forgiveness of sin happening synonymously (Matthew 9:5 KJV). As vessels of Jesus Christ, Christian counselors should take a similar approach. God uses us as a vessel of healing. If Jesus the healer, indirectly and empathetically addressed sin we should do so also. I am specifically reminded of the woman caught in the midst of adultery. Men brought her before Jesus to stone her for her sin; His response was not to her sin but unto them. Jesus replied “ all right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone” John 8:7 NLT. It is important for us to handle our clients with care. A direct and abrupt acknowledgment of sin can result in detrimental effects on the client. I would also argue that it can become legalistic in nature for counselors to directly call out the sins of the client. One of the negative impacts McMinn talks about is a change of behavior rather than a true spiritual transformation, it can miss the root of the problem. The client will change a particular behavior but without inner transformation a similar situation will occur in another area of life. The term McMinn (2011) uses for this type of change is sin-management. Confrontation is more likely to drive people into defense rather than a transformation (p.175). McMinn (2011) suggests that we must “earn the right to confront, not just assume it” (p. 178). Clients may feel attacked or belittled, this is harmful and thusly violates the ACA (2014) code of ethics that states counselors must not harm clients. If counselors take the approach that is presented, sin is the sickness we all suffer from, it is likely to have a greater and more positive impact. Counselors should also be mindful that it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict clients, not the counselor.

I think counselors most often overlook the cautions that warn them of power dynamics (Brewer & Peters n.d.). As McMinn suggested a client may change behaviors to please the counselor rather than truly experiencing a transformation. Misusing the power dynamic may also create dependency (Brewer & Peter n.d.). This type of misuse points back to the topic of prayer and how clients sometimes become dependent on the counselor to talk to God for them (McMinn, 2011). Another caution I think counselors overlook is both the counselors and clients understanding of sin. As I was reading McMinn’s chapter on sin it really resonated with me. As I mentioned before I can be very direct and passionate about particular sins. It is easy for me to disassociate myself because I do not engage in that particular sin. It is important for the Christian counselor to understand sin properly, as a state of being, rather than action. If I shift my focus from the sin to the person, I can be a better helper. It is easy to fall into a judgmental space with a lack of counselor self-awareness which also speaks to one’s understanding of sin.

As Christians many of us have been indoctrinated with sin as deed rather than a state of being. Although the bible clearly depicts sin as the latter. There are sinful acts, but it is impossible for a human to abstain from sin, thusly creating a state of being opposed to action. This is why I believe it likely will be overlooked. A counselor that has not been able to identify sin as who we are rather than what we do is at risk of having a judgmental attitude. A judgmental attitude points to a lack of self-awareness (Brewer & Peterson n.d.)

Action

Establishing a good helping relationship will always be at the core of my helping in each session with each client. I will need to have a more organized prayer life outside of sessions. I believe that praying for clients is integral for efficacy. Another action step I will take is always asking myself the three questions before explicit integrating faith into sessions: will this help establish a healthy sense of self, will this help establish a healthy sense of need, and will this help establish a healing relationship? I will need to work on how I address sin with clients that consent to overtly incorporate Christianity and spirituality. I think at times I can seem judgmental or too reserved in that area. Counseling Christians that are involved in spiritual activities that are sinful is a tender space for me. I am very passionate about that. Recently in a practice session with a friend she stated that she would want to learn to meditate and practice yoga. I inquired on her background knowledge and simply encouraged her to research all practices before engaging. I think I did well with not projecting my values onto her, but I am concerned about my passion for that topic. I considered always praying with clients at the beginning of each session, allowing them to lead the prayer; but after reading McMinn’s suggestions I will always proceed with caution when praying with clients. I planned to make it the way we open and close sessions, but I do not want clients becoming dependent on that space to pray. My goal is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide sessions and to be competent in three areas of discipline rather than two.

References

Brewer, G., & Peters, C., (n.d.).  COUC 506 Week Seven, Presentation Two: Counseling methods related to confrontation and confession. [PowerPoint] Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University Online.

Tan, S. (2007). Use of prayer and scripture in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 26(2), 101

McMinn, M. R. (2011). Psychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian counseling (Revised ed.). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.