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DB 1 THIS IS A PAPER THAT WAS WRITTEN IN
ORDER TO COMPLETE COURSEWORK
Orientation to Counseling Professional Identity (Liberty University)
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How does this information inform your understanding of professional counseling
and Christian identity?
This week’s module brought to light the fact that professional counseling and Christian
identity do not have to be mutually exclusive. In Competent Christian Counseling, Clinton and
Ohlschlager described the duality of the two as “parallel tracks on which the Christian
counseling train is speeding along” (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2002). They go on to describe
integration as being “therapeutic ambassadors of the Great Physician” (Clinton & Ohlschlager,
2002). The understanding is that Christians do not have to compromise their faith to work in a
professional or clinical environment. Rather, it is the Christian counselor’s faith and Biblical
foundation that will cause them to excel in secular methodologies.
How do your views align or disalign with Liberty University’s integration model?
Dr. Hawkins mentions in his presentation that his goal is to integrate what he believes
and studies into his interaction with people. His entire presentation is a confirmation of what I
believe God has called me to do. I was pursuing becoming a Chaplain in the Navy and pursuing
a Master of Divinity and Pastoral Counseling. However, God opened a door for me to be a
counseling pastor when I end my contract with the Navy. I decided to switch degree paths before
I knew about the integration model, but also because of it. I told my wife that I felt that I could
be a pastoral counselor with a clinical counseling degree, but I could not be a clinical counselor
with a pastoral counseling degree. My understanding, after this week’s material, is that I can be a
Christian in a secular environment and that it is ok to acknowledge that secular methods work
within the umbrella of Biblical teachings (Hawkins, 2017).
What challenges do you foresee with ethically and responsibly integrating faith in
counseling?
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Being a person of faith in a clinical setting, especially one where the counselor’s
worldview and faith will be integral to his counseling can lead to some challenges. The foremost
challenge would be counseling a person that is not open to faith and integrating faith into that
client’s sessions may lead to doing more harm than good. In an interview with Mike shook, Dr.
Craig Cashwell addresses some of the ethical challenges of integrating his faith into counseling.
Interestingly it is an issue that he addresses immediately, by putting two questions about his
client’s openness to spirituality (Shook, 2017). If a counselor knows from the point of intake that
a client will not be open to spirituality it will equip him with the ability to approach this topic
more subtly.
Clinton, T., & Ohlschlager, G. (Eds.). (2002). Competent Christian counseling, volume one:
Foundations & practice of compassionate soul care. Colorado Springs, CO:
WaterBrook Press. ISBN: 9781578565177.
Hawkins, R. (2017). The Integration Model of the Department of Counselor Education and
Family Studies (Video File). Retrieved from the Liberty University Website: Department
of Counselor Education and Family Studies, COUC 500, Module/Week 1, Reading &
Study.
Shook, M. (Producer). (2017, March 22). Spirituality and Religion in Counseling:
Definitions, Competencies, and Spiritual Bypass with Craig Cashwell [Audio
Podcast]. The Thoughtful Counselor. Retrieved from http://wp.me/p7R6fn-9k
