4mat Review Mcminn

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Running head: INTEGRATING PSYCHOLOGY, THEOLOGY, AND SPIRITUALITY

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INTEGRATING PSYCHOLOGY, THEOLOGY, AND SPIRITUALITY

Integrating Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in the Counseling Relationship

Fallon D. Graham

Liberty University Online

Summary

The intradisciplinary integration of the foundations of psychology, Christian theology, and spirituality as a Christian counselor has posed significant and various challenges (McMinn, 2011). Mark McMinn discusses the multifaceted and complex task of integrating the three disciplines in his book Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling. McMinn (2011) establishes a foundation and provides a framework by the examination of religious interventions and their relevance to Christian counseling. The initial foundations discussed include personal and professional challenges faced when integrating the three disciplines: moving from two areas of competence to three, blurred personal-professional distinctions, expanded definitions of training, confronting dominant views of mental health, establishing a scientific base, and defining relevant ethical standards. The author also explains a theoretical “road map” toward psychological and spiritual health. This “road map” briefly discusses the interactive relationship between self, brokenness, and healing relationships. He explains that in order to obtain spiritual and psychological health we must obtain an accurate awareness of self, accurate awareness of need, and accurate understanding of healing relationships (McMinn, 2011). The author continues by discussing relevant issues in the three aforementioned foundations or disciplines, evaluating psychological and spiritual health by asking three specific questions, and explaining the six challenges faced when implementing the following religious practices: prayer, Scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption (McMinn, 2011).

Firstly, integrating the religious practice of prayer into the counseling relationship should encourage the question, “which forms of prayer should we use with which clients and under which circumstances” (McMinn, 2011, p. 65). The foundational aspects associated with prayer include: experiencing well-being, positively coping with various medical issues, encourages petition and worship, and it “requires us to reflect deeply on our need [for Him] and God’s provision…” (McMinn, 2011, p. 75). The psychological and spiritual health associated with using different types of prayer can cause various challenges and can risk misuse in the counseling session (McMinn, 2011). As a counselor, asking oneself and reflecting on the following questions are important when considering implementing prayer: will this help establish a healthy sense of self, healthy sense of need, and a healthy healing relationship (McMinn, 2011)? Prayer can be used to help clients gain moral insights, understanding of our human need, self-respect, and displays aspects of God’s character (McMinn, 2011). However, challenges include: obtaining advanced competence and informed foundational understanding, counselor’s personal spiritual life effects professional life, counselor training is intensely personal due to personal spiritual formation, confronting opposing views of greater self-determination versus greater reliance on God, the need for extensive scientific inquiry on the emotional and spiritual effects of prayer, and maintaining counselor ethical standards when issuing informed consent and avoiding client harm (McMinn, 2011).

Secondly, integrating Scripture into Christian counseling should encourage the question, “In what ways should Scripture be used in counseling which clients under which circumstances” (McMinn, 2011, p. 97). The foundational aspects regarding Scripture include: psychological evaluation and development of biblical concepts and counseling techniques or therapeutic interventions, the hermeneutic circle implication of respect for God’s truth and humility of fallibility in our interpretation, and the spiritual formation involving contemplation and theological boundaries (McMinn, 2011). McMinn (2011) explains that the experiential, foundational, contextual, axiological, anthropological, canonical, dialogical, and creative roles the Bible plays in our lives can greatly influence the Christian counselor. The effects of using Scripture, regarding the psychological and spiritual health of the client, vary depending on the client and the concept practiced. The three main questions regarding healthy sense of self, healthy sense of need, and a healing relationship is important when deciding to implement Scripture (McMinn, 2011). Integrating Scripture into the counseling relationship poses some challenges. As a counselor, one must possess psychological, basic theological, and spiritual formation competence which is not accomplished via the classroom (McMinn, 2011). Using Scripture is a reflection of the counselor’s inner life, which blurs personal and professional boundaries. Training to use Scripture is personal and requires time for study and reflection (McMinn, 2011). Research is limited and further study is needed on the effectiveness of Scripture use. Ethically, counselor competence should be consistent with training and can restrict client freedom due to the counselor’s imposed values (McMinn, 2011).

Thirdly, various views of the relationship of sin and humanity have different effects on the counseling relationship. McMinn (2011) explains that psychological foundations conclude sin as a cause of sickness, or emotional disturbance, in humans. Christian theology concludes that sin and sickness are intertwined as the human condition, personally and universally (McMinn, 2011). “Sin is our sickness” (McMinn, 2011, p. 134). Spirituality requires us to transcend our willpower and seek God’s grace and truth (McMinn, 2011). When approaching sin in the counseling relationship, one should ask, “which clients should I confront with their sin and how should I go about it” (McMinn, 2011, p. 137). In the pursuit of psychological and spiritual health, there are four approaches when confronting sin: silence, pondering, questioning, and direct censure (McMinn, 2011). When these approaches are paired with the three main questions, healthy sense of self, need, and healing relationship, the counselor must possess self- discernment, wisdom, and awareness (McMinn, 2011). Possessing a trusting therapeutic alliance, personal integrity, empathetic confrontation, and starting small is essential when confronting client sin (McMinn, 2011). Some challenges faced include: understanding original nature of sin properly, counselor’s personal experience of sin affecting professional work, personal spiritual disciplines as best training tools, understanding that admitting sin is a step towards God’s grace, empirical validation is needed between the relationship of religion and mental health, and an ethical concern of the counselor’s duty to protect, not impose personal values, and cause further harm. (McMinn, 2011).

Fourthly, integrating and encouraging confession in the counseling relationship has a magnitude of effects. The foundational aspects of confession include: psychological benefits, understanding of moral dimensions, experiencing guilt as a concept closely related to confession, confession causing a humble posture and confrontation of sin, and encourages humility of human fallibility (McMinn, 2011). McMinn (2011) explains that confession leads to humility and hope, while offering an opportunity for psychological growth and spiritual health. Leading the client towards healthy confession depends on the humility of the counselor and nature of the therapeutic relationship. Asking oneself the three questions of establishing healthy sense of self, sense of need, and a healing relationship is important in encouraging the client’s honest self-exploration, freedom to understand external and internal sin, and providing a safe interpersonal connection that allows humility (McMinn, 2011). Challenges faced when integrating confession into the counseling session vary. Obtaining spiritual competence is important in encouraging the client’s confession of need and to not support irresponsible freedom and self-centeredness (McMinn, 2011). Practicing personal confession causes humility in the counselor, which affects the counselor’s professional life. Excessive self-disclosure can cause client harm, which violates ethical standards (McMinn, 2011). Encouraging client confession directly can model counselor arrogance, not humility and honest self-exploration. The counselor’s posture of humility helps to create a trusting and respectful environment that encourages confession (McMinn, 2011).

Lastly, integrating forgiveness in the counseling relationship is important to its confessional nature. McMinn (2011) suggests that forgiveness requires effort and intentionality over an extended period. The foundational aspects of psychology, theology, and spirituality view forgiveness differently. Psychologists either oppose forgiveness, see it as a mental health benefit, or as a Christian duty. Forgiveness is also viewed as humble submission, facilitated by empathy and humility, recognizing human fallibility. Forgiveness exudes compassion and empathy as we come face-to-face with personal sin, which occurs in confession. The client’s psychological and spiritual health is encouraged by the counselor helping establish a healthy sense of self, need, and a healing relationship. A counselor must aid in the client’s recognition of past transgressions, walk through negative emotions experienced, help relearn trust by not abandoning them, and by indirectly teaching forgiveness (McMinn, 2011). There are also various challenges faced as a counselor. McMinn (2011) explains that humble identification and negative emotional release is important to remaining supportive of our clients. The counselor’s spiritual and personal life spills over into their professional experiences and attitudes, which blurs the personal-professional boundaries. The counselor must have the ability to practice personal confession, bringing them to a place of humility and interpersonal forgiveness. The author also discusses the authenticity needed when guiding the client to personal insight and humble identification, which must not be abandoned for logic and self-protection. Hurrying this process, due to ethical dilemmas, can be risky and stunt the client’s emotional growth and ability to truly forgive (McMinn, 2011).

In conclusion, redemption is a multifaceted and complex subject that helps us to understand the integration of prayer, Scripture, sin, confession, and forgiveness into the Christian counselor’s relationships (McMinn, 2011). All of the aforementioned topics lead to the understanding of a God who desires relationship and redemption for all human beings. Practicing the aforementioned spiritual disciplines, understanding psychological and theological theories, and experiencing spiritual formation leads to a cyclical and on-going process. This brings us into humility, shapes a redemptive worldview, provides understanding to personal limitations, and draws us closer to the ultimate Redeemer (McMinn, 2011). A Christian counselor hopes to cause a spark in the client by mirroring God’s love, mercy, grace, and redemptive nature (McMinn, 2011).

Concrete Response

Around three years ago, my first experience in counseling began in a non-profit Christian counseling center. The counselor I met with exuded a magnitude of characteristics mentioned by McMinn (2011): humility, compassion, grace, love, empathy, and more. She created an environment that gently encouraged honesty, trust, and warmth. The therapeutic relationship established is one I will treasure forever. She practiced and encouraged many religious practices while in-session including prayer, Scripture references, and meditation (McMinn, 2011). She gave spiritual discipline homework and encouraged self-evaluation of sin. She always provided a safe place for confession and aided in forgiveness, while mirroring God’s redemptive nature (McMinn, 2011). Our journey together concluded when my husband’s lifelong addiction came to light. She kindly suggested referrals to other counselors who specialized in the treatment of such weighted trauma. To my knowledge, she did not possess the extensive skills necessary to aid in the recovery he and I both needed. After two years with my current counselor, the relationship is tremendously different compared to that of my previous counselor. She is able to facilitate and successfully navigate the immense trauma I carry. Although she does not practice in any in-session spiritual practices, she is able to provide a more knowledged and thorough understanding to my trauma. Her counseling approach is significantly different from my initial counselor’s approach. The therapeutic relationship has taken significantly longer, and is continuing, to establish and grow. The main, and important difference, between them includes one’s inability to separate a sense of friendship and the other’s ability to maintain professional ethical boundaries. Towards the end of my initial therapist and I’s relationship, the sessions began to feel as if I were having coffee with a friend- who was beginning to talk about her yoga poses she had completed that morning or crying with me during the session. Once this began, I knew the personal-professional boundaries were becoming blurred and it was time to find another counselor. It is hard to distinctively determine, but her extensive use of religious practices in-session may have instilled an emotional bond that was hard to ignore or break. That could also have been an additional reason the referral to another counselor was given.

Reflection

McMinn (2011) overall did an exemplary job when discussing key elements to successful integration of psychology, Christian theology, and spirituality into Christian counseling. The author was able to fluently communicate a “road map” in exploring the client’s unique situational needs to obtaining psychological and spiritual health. He applied this road map to the various religious practices explored throughout his book, while offering various possible challenges faced professionally. He also concisely communicated the multifaceted and complex dynamics of a counselor’s blurred personal and professional distinctions. As a Christian counselor, one cannot achieve effective and efficient counseling without fervently pursuing personal psychological and theological understandings, spiritual formation and practices, and a trusting relationship with God and others (McMinn, 2011). One must literally practice what they preach. A question that arose for me: If a professional Christian counselor does not intentionally practice the three aforementioned disciplines simultaneously, would that cause client harm? If one is choosing to deliberately not increase growth in all areas of competence, is that not considered a violation of ethical standards? I think McMinn missed an opportunity to extensively parallel ethical and moral violations with the lack of successful personal and professional integration of psychology, theology, and spirituality (McMinn, 2011). Although only a small portion of the book, I think McMinn (2011) did a good job at expressing the importance of multi-tasking in his conclusion. Overall, a counselor must have the strong ability to multi-task efficiently. The journey of life and human beings are immensely complex and multifaceted. Counselors must have the flexibility and agility to complement the ebb and flow that life brings. They must be able to successfully integrate, simultaneously, the complexities of psychology, theology, and spirituality on a personal and professional level (McMinn, 2011).

Action

Firstly, gaining awareness of the complexities of psychological, theological, and spiritual foundations in Christian counseling is vital. Without awareness, knowledge, humility, and willingness, one would be unable to move forward and grow on a personal and professional level. Competence is essential (McMinn, 2011). Secondly, continual self-evaluation, self-assessment, supervision, and peer support is essential in the accomplishment of successful integration of the three disciplines. Possessing and maintaining self-humility and humbleness is the gateway to allowing the aforementioned processes. Without a posture of humility, an individual can lose sight of God’s grace and need for His ultimate redemption (McMinn, 2011). This would greatly affect the counselor’s effectiveness. Thirdly, intentionally and regularly praying, reading Scripture, and meditating will provide a reflection of His love, grace, and redemption to others. Intentionally participating in spiritual practices provides an opportunity to see my own need for grace, encourage a posture of openness to self and other forgiveness, and allows growth and spiritual maturity (McMinn, 2011). Fourthly, providing thorough informed consent about the nature of the counseling relationship and what to expect is vital. Not only to provide the client with transparency and truth, but also to allow an opportunity for healthy spiritual exploration and openness (McMinn, 2011). A client’s psychological and spiritual health reflects the strength of the therapeutic relationship. The counselor’s ability to simultaneously integrate psychology, theology, and spirituality affects their efficiency and effectiveness as a professional Christian counselor (McMinn, 2011).

References

McMinn, M. R. (2011). Psychology, theology, and spirituality in christian counseling. Wheaton,

IL: Tyndale House.