LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
How does psychology work with Christian counseling?
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
10/2022
How does psychology work with Christian counseling?
Psychology and Christianity often find themselves at odds. Some have promoted
psychology as a complete answer to the human condition and the key to living a better life.
Some psychologies consider faith in God as an illusion created as a sort of coping mechanism. In
reaction to these unbiblical ideas, some Christians discount all psychology. Some fear using a
soft science to help people with emotional or psychological disturbances, believing psychology
to be too subjective and that man’s problems are better addressed spiritually.
Some Christians, especially those involved in biblical counseling, believe the Bible contains
all that is necessary to overcome any issue, psychological or otherwise; psychology is
unnecessary because the Bible alone is our life manual. On the one hand, we have Christians
believing that a person’s struggles are primarily spiritual and that God alone can heal, and on
the other hand, secular psychologists claiming all struggles are biological or developmental
disruptions that man can fix himself. Despite this polarization, psychology and biblical
counseling need not be at war.
It is important to recognize that psychology is not monolithic; there are many different
theories of psychology, some of them even contradicting the others. The concepts of human
nature, life struggles, health, and treatment modality in psychology span a broad spectrum. The
majority of counselors and psychologists today practice somewhat eclectically; they are not
strictly Freudian or Jungian but are versed in several theories and employ different parts of the
theories for different presenting issues. For instance, a counselor may gravitate toward
existential theory when counseling for grief, but bring in cognitive behavioral theory when
counseling for behavioral issues. In other words, a counselor may cherry-pick what he thinks
will help the most. A psychologist is free to use certain person-centered techniques without
accepting theories concerning self-actualization. It is common to work out of one or two
primary theories and use a variety of techniques from myriad theories.
Christian counselors often adopt certain psychological theories in part, but they do not
embrace any underlying philosophies that deny God or biblical truths. In essence, Christian
counselors use psychology as a tool, but they do not view it as absolute truth. Psychology is not
a competing religion, but a field of study that could actually lead to a deeper understanding of
humanity and, therefore, of God as Creator, Savior, and Healer.
Nouthetic counseling, or biblical counseling, is a form of counseling that relies solely on
Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit to achieve results. Rather than promote any
psychological theory, nouthetic counselors state that Scripture is sufficient for all human
difficulties. Certainly, the Bible speaks of the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives. The
Word is powerful (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 55:11) and allows the godly person
to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17). Plus, God is our ultimate
healer (Exodus 15:26; Matthew 8:17). However, it is interesting to note that those who ascribe
to Bible-only counseling do not necessarily ascribe to Bible-only medical treatment or Bible-only
education. The question becomes what parts of life are to be led only by Scripture and what
aspects can be informed by secular learning.
Paul spoke of becoming all things to all men for the sake of evangelism (1 Corinthians 9:19-
23). When people are seeking psychological treatment, it may be helpful for a Christian to use
psychological theories as corrected by biblical truth. A Christian counselor can use the tools of
psychology to reveal to people their need for a deeper healing than what psychology can
provide. Spiritual discussions are not rare in counseling rooms. A counselor is expected not to
impose his or her values or beliefs upon a client, but often just opening the topic leads a client
to search. And we know that when people search for God, they find Him (Jeremiah 29:13;
Proverbs 8:17; Matthew 7:7).
More practically speaking, many instructions or concepts in the Bible do not seem easily
applicable. For instance, we know that we should abstain from immorality, but other than
through prayer and “fleeing” it (1 Corinthians 6:18), we do not know how. Psychology might
provide practical techniques to overcome the struggle with lust. Knowledge gleaned from
psychology may provide insight into what is encouraging a person to remain in sin, and if we
can identify internal proclivities to sin, we can strip those things of their power.
Psychology may also help people become aware of the importance of expressing their
emotions and bringing them to God, much like we see happening in the Psalms. Ultimately,
psychology may help open the door to an understanding of our deepest needs. We will not
experience full satisfaction or fullness of life through therapy, but we will increase our hunger
for fullness of life. In turn, we can take our hunger to God, for life comes from Him alone (John
14:6).
Nouthetic counseling is opposed to psychology. However, there can be genuine Christian
counseling that is biblical and also uses psychological theories. If well-trained Christian
counselors are able to integrate their faith with their education, they can remain faithful to
biblical standards but also avail themselves of the science of psychology.
Solid counseling should recognize that neither the counselor nor the client is the healer.
Only God can truly heal. Counseling is one tool that can help us come to an understanding of
who we are in Christ and find meaning in our lives. However, it is not a quest to find worth in
and of ourselves or to find healing apart from God. Nouthetic counseling is correct in stating
that the deepest problem is in the soul, and only the Holy Spirit can truly transform that.
